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July 31, 2012
Today we celebrate the life and legacy of our founder, St. Alphonsus Liguori, who died on this date in 1787 at the age of 91. In addition to founding the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, Alphonsus was an accomplished moral theologian, spiritual author, pastor, preacher, artist and musician. He became a bishop in 1762, was canonized in 1839, and declared a doctor of the church in 1950. He is the patron of confessors, moral theologians and arthritics.But above all, Alphonsus was a missionary. This past June we celebrated the 250th anniversary of Alphonsus’ consecration as a bishop. Our Superior General, Fr. Michael Brehl, addressed the confreres and friends gathered in Rome to celebrate the anniversary, and spoke about the missionary zeal of this reluctant bishop:On June 20, 1762, in the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome, Alphonsus Liguori was ordained a Bishop. This year, we celebrate the 250th anniversary of this event. This occasion calls us to reflect on the missionary service of St. Alphonsus as a Redemptorist and as a bishop. It reminds us that the “Congregation shares the mandate given to the Church, which … is missionary of its very nature” (Const. 1).Why is this occasion so important to celebrate? Many Redemptorists are Bishops. Over the history of the Congregation, 154 Redemptorist Missionaries have been called to the episcopacy. 51 of these Redemptorist Bishops are still living today. Most of them are Missionary Bishops, in challenging pastoral situations.…
In his biography, Fr. Rey-Mermet quotes from a letter written by his confessor about a month after Alphonsus Episcopal Consecration: