Inaugurating the New Province of Curitiba
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December 15, 2023From December 5 to December 7, more than 100 confreres from the Redemptorist Provinces of Campo Grande, Porto Alegre, and the Vice Province of Manaus gathered at the Retreat House of the Sisters of Divine Providence in Curitiba, Brazil.
The Assembly’s primary purpose centered on discerning and electing the first Provincial Superior of the newly reconfigured Unit, his Ordinary and Extraordinary Councils, and other representative offices, such as Regional Capitulars. As Provincial Superior of the Denver Province, I enjoyed active voice in the Assembly and therefore participated directly in voting for the new leadership. Also present for the week were the Superior General, Fr. Rogerio Gomes, and the Coordinator for the Conference of Latin America and Caribbean, Fr. Marcelo Araújo.
While the business of the Assembly included hours of deliberation, dialogue, and rounds of voting, the evenings came to life due in part to a strong representation of the 36 students in formation. Your humble correspondent can attest to the vibrancy of this new youthful Province, having tried his best to match rounds of chopp and cachaça and share in the singing and visiting, only to throw in the towel hours before the rowdiest of the bunch called it a night.
After several rounds of voting, the Assembly elected Fr. Edilei Rosa da Silva as the first Provincial Superior of Curitiba. Fr. Edilei was the incumbent Provincial Superior of the Province of Campo Grande, and he expressed his gratitude for the confidence placed in him by his confreres. The electoral law of the new Province directs the Provincial Superior to name his first choice to his Ordinary Provincial Council (OPC) who, in turn, is subject to an up-or-down vote by the Assembly.
The other representatives on the OPC were chosen from each of the two remaining legacy Units not already represented by the Provincial Superior’s chosen member. After the OPC membership was established, the Assembly voted for the Vicar Provincial, ultimately calling Fr. Amarildo Luciano, the incumbent Vice Provincial of Manaus, to this office.
Elections for the Extraordinary Provincial Council (EPC) members proceeded in a similar fashion. One highlight of the otherwise formal proceedings was the election of Br. Bruno Cutinho, representing the Region of Manaus. After the votes were counted, a loud cheer came to life as Br. Bruno, beloved by the students and younger confreres, crossed the threshold for election.
On December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Superior General presided over a festive Mass to inaugurate the new Province of Curitiba.
During the liturgy, Fr. Rogerio installed Fr. Edilei as Provincial Superior and offered a blessing of commission for the members of the new province. All seats were filled at the Santuário de Nossa Senhora do Perpétuo Socorro in Curitiba, and local government officials and dignitaries attended the Mass to show their support for the new province that took their city as its name.
The formation of Curitiba into a single province will take time, and previous Assemblies already established a timeframe of three years before attempting major changes to the mission or assignments. The legacy Units will continue as Regions under the unified leadership structure, and the OPC will live apart.
On behalf of the Denver Province, I expressed our commitment to maintaining fraternal bonds between our Units, and I spoke honestly about the balance between remaining close but not interfering during this time of transition. Already we, with the support of the North American Conference, are planning to welcome one or two students from Curitiba to our theologate in San Antonio.
We also spoke about possibilities for pastoral year experiences. With fewer and fewer North Americans remaining in the Region, coupled with the end of formal ties, our confreres in Brazil hope to find opportunities for some confreres to learn about the practical aspects of managing parishes while gaining proficiency in English.
As Provincial Superior of the Denver Province, I felt a spectrum of emotions as our now former Vice Province of Manaus became part of a larger mission to over half the territory of Brazil. Fr. Tom “Miguel” McIntosh’s absence due to his grave health situation was pointedly felt by those present, especially because he looked forward to participating in this historic moment in the life of the Congregation. However, I cherished the opportunity to meet the remaining North Americans serving in Campo Grande, once a Vice Province of Baltimore.
Among these confreres, those from Manaus, and others who studied in the States, I was proud to hear stories – both inspiring and hilarious – about the many beloved confreres from the Denver Province who served in the Amazon. I’m returning to Chicago happy to carry a beautiful burden of greetings, well- wishes, and blessings from friends over the miles and across the years. Parabéns!
