The Redemptorists are a religious congregation of brothers, most of whom are priests. We live in community and are passionate about preaching the Gospel, especially to those who feel abandoned and live on the edges of church and society. A growing network of co-workers and associates is evidence of our conviction about the importance of partnership in mission and of our commitment to enable all the baptized to take their rightful place in the life and ministry of the church.
The Redemptorists were founded by St Alphonsus Liguori among the poor and abandoned in the mountains of Southern Italy in 1732 and we have been ministering in Ireland since 1851, when an international group of Redemptorists preached a mission in St John’s Cathedral in Limerick.
There are more than 5,300 Redemptorists working in 78 countries. Most of us are Roman Catholics but we also have members among the Greek Catholic Churches of Ukraine and Slovakia, the Syro-Malabar Church in India, the Chaldean Church of Iraq and their diasporas.
The seal of the Congregation consists of a cross with a lance and sponge mounted on three hills; on either side of the cross are the abbreviated names of Jesus and Mary; above the cross is an eye sending forth rays; over all a crown. Around the seal is the motto: With him is Plentiful Redemption.
The symbolic elements of the seal represent the work of Redemption carried out by Jesus Christ and which the Congregation was to proclaim under the protection of Mary. This explains the cross on the hill with the lance and sponge, the names of Jesus and Mary and the motto Copiosa apud eum redemptio.
The logo of the Dublin Province is a modern variation of the traditional seal of the Congregation.
Our sisters, the Redemptoristines, are an enclosed contemplative community of religious women. Their life is centered around the Liturgy of the Hours, the Eucharist, personal prayer and contemplation.They were founded by Venerable Maria Celeste Crostorosa, who was born into a noble family in Naples on October 31st, 1696. At the age of twenty she entered a convent in Marigliano near Naples. When the convent was closed down she went to the convent of Scala at Salerno where she had a revelation which ultimately led to her founding of the Redemptoristine Order with its distinctive deep red habit and its own rule. The spiritual journey of Sr. Maria was favoured with many mystical experiences. She also enjoyed the close friendship and co-operation of St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) the founder of the Redemptorists and St. Gerard Majella (1726-1755).
Our Father has wished that The Order of the Most Holy Redeemer should have a specific mission in the church: to be a living witness, clear and radiant of the love that he has for us in Christ. It is through him that we have known and received this love which is given to all but especially to the poor.
Today the Redemptoristines are spread throughout Europe, USA, Canada, Africa, Asia and Australia.
