News Items

The Ace of Clubs...

After many months, during the whole period of COVID, the Ace of Clubs has now reopened the doors to welcome their clients back into the property! As the pandemic went on, the Ace of Clubs were able to provide a take away service for their clients, but were unable to let them into the warmth of the building. We are delighted that they are 'open' for business and are able to offer a warm and generous welcome!

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Fr Kevin Callaghan CSsR RIP...

Of your charity we ask for your prayers for our confrere

Fr Kevin Callaghan CSsR - RIP

who went home to the Father

on Wednesday 1st December 2021.

Funeral arrangements will follow.

He served as Provincial of the Redemptorists throughout the 1980s and then graciously agreed to work on the mission in Zimbabwe for many years in the 1990s.

In recent weeks he has been suffering from heart failure and went into the Royal for some treatment on Monday. He collapsed while in the hospital, but the medics managed to revive him. However, he was gravely ill, and although by Tuesday evening he appeared to be making a miraculous recovery, he had another heart attack on Wednesday evening and died shortly afterwards.

Fr John (Jack) Clancy CSsR - RIP...

Of your charity, please pray for the repose of the soul of

Fr John (Jack) Clancy CSsR

who died on Saturday evening 27th Nov.

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR

Fr John (Jack) Clancy CSsR

Fr Jack’s remains will be received into

St Mary’s Redemptorist Church, Clapham on

Friday 17th December 2021

Requiem Mass will be celebrated on

Monday the 20th December 2021 at 12.30pm

Followed by burial at Streatham Cemetery.

Requiescat in pace

All most welcome.

Concelebrants bring the colour of Advent.

Provincial Letter November 2021...

Click here to read the letter.

Ace of Clubs Reopening 29^th November 2021...

It seemed like a very sad day when Ace of Cubs was forced to close down back in March 2020 to comply with Government restrictions when the first wave of Covid hit the UK.

As they say, however, ‘every cloud has a silver lining’. Whilst the Ace Centre closed its doors, it reconfigured its services into a ‘Hot Food Takeaway Service’ – whereby hot food (and a food bank) were made available to the homeless, poor and most abandoned, from outside our kitchen and in accordance with government protocols.

When most food outlets had closed and supermarkets had large queues of people, Ace was able to continue to provide hot meals. For some, this was there only meal of the day. Over the last 21 months whilst the centre has been officially closed (from 23^rd March 2020 to Friday 19^th November 2021), an incredible 61,012 meals have been served.

The Covid crisis also proved to be an opportunity for fundraising – in less than 12 months, Fr. Mike (Director) was able to raise more than £200,000. This has gone towards supporting the hot food takeaway service but also to upgrading the internal facilities and environment of Ace– particularly with regard to Covid protocols, such as health and safety, and social distancing.

Accordingly, Ace has been given a new lease of life : restored parquet flooring, a new drinks station, new lighting, new tables and chairs, new internal decoration and last but not least, a mural from the Sistine Chapel, showing the creation of Adam.

Venerable Fr. Joseph Passerat, C.Ss.R., commemorated in Vienna...

November 15, 2021

On the anniversary of the death of Father Joseph Passerat (1772-1858), on 30 October 2021, there was a Mass celebrated in Maria am Gestade in Vienna, where a new bronze relief was blessed.

Father Passerat played an important role in the history of the Redemptorist Order. From 1820 to 1848 he was Vicar General of the Redemptorists outside Italy, the so-called “Transalpines”. Clement Hofbauer himself had proposed him as his successor before his death (1820). In December 1820 Passerat and a handful of Redemptorists came to Maria am Gestade and started their work in Vienna on Christmas Eve. In 1901 a process of beatification was initiated for him, in 1980 Pope John Paul II declared him Venerable.

So much in such a short space of time...

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In April 1749, after attending a Redemptorist mission in Muro, Gerard succeeded in getting himself accepted by the Congregation. Following a trial period and a year of novitiate in the house at Deliceto, he professed religious vows on July 16, 1752. Gerard was noted for his observance of the Redemptorist rule and for collecting money for the community’s material needs.

His presence to people who were weighed down by poverty and illiteracy was a sign of hope. Gerard had great empathy and testified to trust in the love and the compassion of God.

During his five years as a lay brother in the Redemptorist Congregation, Gerard was remarkable for his

apostolic zeal,

patience in sickness,

love for the poor,

deep humility in the face of false accusations,

heroic obedience,

the spirit of penance,

and constancy in prayer.

He wrote numerous letters of spiritual direction.

The Lord favoured him with many spiritual gifts, including prophecy, the ability to read people’s hearts, and the gifts of miracles.

He died at Materdomini on October 16, 1755.

Scala News

Feast of St Gerard Majella...

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The 16th October is the day when the Redemptorist family throughout the world celebrate the life and death of their beloved lay brother,

St Gerard Majella CSsR.

He was a Redemptorist Brother who managed to minister to God's holy people in a fantastic and wondrous way. It is worth looking up stories attesting to the miracles worked in his presence! To find out more click here.

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Today he is popularly known as the patron saint of pregnant women and children, especially babies. To all of you called

Gerard, Gerardine, Majella or some similar permutation, we wish you a

blessed and happy feast day!

WIshing you...wherever in the world you may be...

our CSsR confreres,

particularly the brothers(!),

our OSsR nuns,

our MSsR sisters,

our CSsR co-workers

our dear families and friends

our generous benefactors

all you who know us

and all reading this...

A JOYOUS DAY!

Relax and celebrate this day well!

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Heavenly Father,

it was your plan to attract Saint Gerard

even from his tenderest years,

and make him like Jesus on the cross.

May we follow the example of his life,

and ourselves grow in likeness to your son.

St Gerard Majella,

Pray for us!

Living the Vocation of a Redemptorist Brother...

October 15, 2021

From the origins of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, the vocation of the brothers has been recognized as an integral part of our Redemptorist identity. There are now 334 brothers throughout the world, the three provinces with the biggest number of brothers are Sao Paulo, Vietnam and Denver. On the occasion of the feast of St. Gerard Maiella, a coadjutor brother in the Redemptorist Congregation, we asked Brother Marcos Vinícius, CSsR for an interview to find out more about how he lives the vocation of a Redemptorist brother today.

Scala News: What does a Redemptorist brother do in the Redemptorist Congregation? How can you describe your vocation and your role in the community?

In 1982, with Communicanda 64, Father Josef Pfab, CSsR, then Superior General, answered this question by calling attention to the fact that the verb “do” is not the right one to say who the Redemptorist brother is. To have a correct understanding of our vocation in the Redemptorist Congregation we need to use the verb “to be”. Thus, the Redemptorist brother is a missionary: a man who feels called to proclaim the plentiful redemption to all people. The Redemptorist brother lives out his missionary vocation by doing any activity that contributes to evangelization, whether this is pastoral or professional work. His role in the community and in the church is always to be a witness to fraternity, which is the fundamental characteristic of the Christian vocation.