News - October 2023 RSS Feed

This month, the Redemptorists of North America began hosting its Fall “Racial Equity” Series. The first two broadcasts, on Tuesday, Oct. 3, and Tuesday, Oct. 10, focused on food deserts. Father Francis Gargani, C.Ss.R., opened both sessions with a prayer (see below).

I have wanted to visit our Redemptorist Archives for some time. I had seen the “old archives” in Shore Road several times when our confrere Father Carl Hoegerl, C.Ss.R., had been the archivist. He was my Latin professor in North East in 1953. Years ago, I was searching for my roots and asked Carl if there was any information about my grandparents as they were Father Franz Mohr’s parents. I thought perhaps there might have been the marriage records of my grandparents in my uncle’s file. I was searching for my family’s origin as we knew almost nothing about them. Father Hoegerl then gave me my uncle’s autobiography when he made his first vows as a Redemptorist. I had wanted to visit the archives in Philadelphia just to see what more information I could find on my Uncle Frank Mohr C.Ss.R. Uncle Frank was the first Redemptorist with two young Redemptorists, Fathers Alphonse Hild and Fee. Later that year another group of Redemptorists arrived.

Departing Rome, we set out on a bus journey heading south, towards the outskirts of Naples. Our destination was the Redemptorist mother house in Ciorani where we were privileged to spend two weeks, but not before visiting Sant’Agata de Goti where St. Alphonsus de Liguori was ordained a Bishop. Here we also experienced the warm hospitality of the Redemptoristine Sisters and learned more about their Foundress Blessed Maria Celeste Crostarosa. We shared table and song with the Sisters at Eucharist and lunch. If “joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God,” His presence was undeniably among us. We were captivated by the joyful experience of unity that we shared with the Redemptoristines, both in Sant’Agata de Goti and again in Scala. Our hearts overflow with gratitude for having shared in God’s boundless abundance with these remarkable Sisters.

Amidst my monthly angst of getting something in mind to be able to put pen to paper for the Beacon, I saw an invitation to an event that I attended which was called the “Hope Harvest Festival.” Seeing the words HOPE – HARVEST- FESTIVAL – my pondering became truly clear to me. For I realized then that I am experiencing and harvesting renewed hope by my participation in special experiences recently.