Redemptorists

(Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer)

Holy Ghost Parish is entrusted to the care of Redemptorist Priests. They are members of a society of missionary priests founded by St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori, on 9 Nov., 1732, at Scala, Italy, for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people in the neighbourhood of Naples.

The Redemptorists have a specific vocation to be a missionary society. According to their rule they are "to strive to imitate the virtues and examples of Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer, consecrating themselves especially to the preaching of the word of God to the poor". As members of a religious institute they take the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Their labours today consisted principally in missions, retreats. They were particularly committed to promoting prayer trust in Blessed Virgin Mary.

In 1749 Benedict XIV canonically approved the work of group of priests and brothers gathered by St. Alphonsus, under the title of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. Royalism, however, the doctrine current at the time that the King could control the Church, caused the greatest obstacle to the development of the new congregation. This led to a disastrous split from 1780 to 1793.

However, the Redemptorists continued to grow in Italy, and very soon the Congregation took on an international character. In 1785 a young Austrian, now canonized as St. Clement Maria Hofbauer transplanted the congregation to northern countries. They took root in Austria, and soon spread to Belgium and Holland. From there the Redemptorists leap-frogged oceans and units, called Provinces are found in the countries of North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. They are now flourishing in several African countries and in places that were dominated by the Soviet Empire.

There are now more than 5,500 priests and brothers in the world. The recent impetus of the Congregation is to enlist the help of Lay Collaborators in their work for the Kingdom of Christ.

For further information visit the web site of the Redemptorists Fathers.