Paraguay

On August 1, 2010, the Vice Province of Asuncion became a full-fledged independent province within the worldwide Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. What began as a mission of the Baltimore Province more than 80 years ago has since grown to include 55 Redemptorists, including 12 students, all of whom are native-born.

The Redemptorists were working in Brazil in 1929 in the border town of Bella Vista when Paraguayans, who had no priest in their town across the Apa River, crossed the water and asked the Redemptorist priest to come celebrate Mass for a special feast day. That was the beginning of the order's ongoing mission in Paraguay.

Over the years, many Redemptorists from the United States served the people of Paraguay.

Father Jim Gilmour, who now works with Spanish-speaking immigrants in the Diocese of Metuchen, NJ, ministered in Paraguay for 20 years starting in the early 1970s. He spent 10 years on the Brazilian border and 10 years in the capital.

"Working in Paraguay at that time was a great experience of the Church," he said. "There was a great deal of responsibility, but also the opportunity to take the creative initiative in ministry. We formed Bible study groups, started marriage encounters, and offered an intensive course in Christian theology. The people were on fire with enthusiasm for their Church."

Father Ron Bonneau, who works with Father Gilmour now, also served in Paraguay for 24 years starting in 1972.

"At that time, the country was not very developed. The border town where we worked was much like the Wild West," he said. "The parish was enormous — about 250 miles long and 50 miles wide. We traveled every week to minister to the people in the rural countryside where there were no paved roads and most towns did not have a chapel. We said Mass and slept in the school. It was very exciting for a young missionary."

When they moved to the capital of Asuncion, Fathers Gilmour and Bonneau took part in the creation of the Institute for Religious Life, an inter-congregational program for the formation of religious novices. Both were deeply involved in providing spiritual direction to those interested in joining religious life and also to those who had already made the commitment to the Church.

The Institute has born much fruit. In fact, there are such a great number of vocations in Paraguay that the U.S. provinces no longer need to send men to the country.