April, 2025

He Has Risen, Alleluia!

Fr. John Schmidt, C.Ss.R.

Dear Co-Redemptorist,

April brings us the great feast of Easter which begins with the sacred Paschal Triduum. The above quote from Galatians is the opening antiphon for the Holy Thursday evening Mass. The “Three Days” focuses our attention on the saving mystery of Christ; and while solemn, these days are not sad or worrisome for Christians. These are days of awe in the presence of the Redeemer.

The Redemptorist family shares the faith of Christ and his victory over evil. I believe the resurrection fills us with hope in Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit to make us pilgrims of Hope. The theme of the Jubilee year reflects the Redemptorists’ own hope in Christ. In our constitutions we read that the message of the Redemptorists is plentiful redemption. We “…proclaim the love of God the Father who first loved us and ‘sent his son to be the expiation of our sins’ (1 John 4:10).”

I invite you to be people of hope in our difficult world. Pope Francis says that “Hope…is a gift and a task for every Christian. It is a gift because it is God who offers it to us.” Hoping is “waiting for something that has already been given to us: salvation in God’s eternal and infinite love.” The pope offers a concrete practice. At night, before bed, reflect on your experience of hope. What has happened during the day that brought hope forward: for example, a kind gesture, helping someone in need, receiving a kind smile, offering a prayer for someone in need, helping to feed a person. It’s good practice in these days of Easter joy to remember the cause of our redemption and the invitation to go and preach good news.

Please keep us in your prayers, especially our students and novices in their discernment. Thank you for your gifts to the Co-Redemptorists which help our seminarians prepare for the mission.

In Christ, the Redeemer,

Father John K. Schmidt, C.Ss.R.
Director, Co-Redemptorist Association

P.S.: Have you considered including the Redemptorists in your estate plans? Through your stewardship, you share in our many Redemptorists ministries. Will you join us on this final journey of Faith? Fr. Joseph Dorcey, C.Ss.R., Office of Financial Services, is available to discuss a special legacy gift that can continue the Redemptorists’ work beyond your lifetime. Send him an email, or call at 312-248-8894.