More than 70 lay partners in mission, personnel, and Redemptorist missionaries from across Canada have gathered from July 2 to 6, 2025 at the historic Monastery of Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré in Québec for the first-ever Summer Institute in Redemptorist Missionary Formation. We were warmly welcomed as “brothers and sisters of our Redeemer” by Fr. Santo Arrigo, C.Ss.R., Provincial Superior of the Redemptorist Province of Canada.

The gathering offered everyone the opportunity to reflect deeply on the Redemptorist charism and the spiritual gifts and values that define the Redemptorist mission, and to exchange ideas on how these could be lived out in the various ministries of the Congregation across the country.

This gathering gave us many opportunities to provide witness to the ‘footsteps’ already taken in our parishes and ministries. In the “Welcome Session”, which took place in the monastery chapel, each ministry group presented a symbol that served as a thematic display of just one aspect of their work. The richness of seeing what others are doing opened our hearts and minds as ‘pilgrims of hope’ to new possibilities.

We also took time to review the source of our commitment through Fr. Arrigo’s presentation about St. Alphonsus and our Redemptorist roots. Fr. Arrigo reminded us of the dramatic step taken in 1723 by the young disillusioned lawyer Alphonsus Liguori – his leaving his law practice, followed by his call to the priesthood; his serving the poor in Naples and, of more consequence, his love for the shepherds abandoned by both State and Church in the hills overlooking the Amalfi coast; his incessant prayer for divine guidance; his artistic work in music and art attuned especially to the needs of the poor; his inspiration by Bl. Celeste de Crostarosa in his founding of the Redemptorist Congregation; his persistence when in those early years his first companion priests went elsewhere; his massive literary output; including his scholarly and fatherly interpretation of the role of the confessor in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. His mission of reaching out and spreading the Good News to the Most Abandoned has persisted through his Redemptorist confreres and followers up until this day in every corner of our world.

With this foundation and guidance from the Redemptorist document Guidelines for Maintaining A Redemptorist Character In Our Churches, Parishes, and Shrines, we proceeded to discuss different themes of our ministries for sharing, reflection, and discussion, through presentations presented by a resource speaker from a specific ministry. The themes we explored included “Places of Welcome and Community”; “Places of Word and Sacrament”; “Places of Formation and Learning”; “Places of Popular Piety”; “Places of Missionary Outreach”; and “Mission Integration”. Each session. conducted in either French and English with the help on an online translation application, illustrated the theme through the speaker’s personal experience, expertise and programs currently in place.

Following each presentation, in small groups of five or six, we discussed and reflected on several points and questions about the theme presented. We explored how each ministry provided their programmes to the faithful and how each theme had a vital role in our Redemptorist charism. This exercise allowed us to deepen our knowledge about our mission to love every human being and welcome everyone without hesitation, no matter where they came from or what their story was, and helped us strengthen our resolve to persevere in our own places of ministry.

Our prayers were done bilingually, and in either the Roman Catholic or Byzantine Catholic Rite, which made everyone appreciate more the beauty of our common goal, our unity and our diversity. We had the chance to participate in Holy Eucharist, Divine Liturgies, and in the prayerful candlelight procession in honour of Sainte-Anne, a very popular and sacred act of pilgrimage especially to those coming to her shrine in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré.

These several days of formation, reflection and discussion were further enriched by getting to know everyone involved in our mission, whether they be a priest, a brother, or a lay partner. Everyone had the chance to bond and talk especially during our excellent community meals and fun socials. We also had the chance to go around the Basilica, the monastery of the Redemptorists, and to have a little field trip to Quebec City.

As we stepped out of the historic monastery of the Basilica and returned to our places of ministry, our hearts were restless, our spirits renewed, and our commitment deepened. We carried with us a clearer sense of our shared mission and responsibility: to be missionaries and people of charity, of welcome and of mercy, shaped by the Redemptorist spirit and charism. Strengthened by the wisdom we all exchanged, the bonds we’ve forged, and the sacred moments we’ve shared, we went forth encouraged, united, and ready to receive everyone with open hearts, as Christ the Redeemer receives each of us.