Twenty-one (21) SVD seniors attended the English Third Age Renewal Course that was held from May
22nd to July 3rd 2026. The course as such aimed “to foster personal renewal of an SVD religious missionary called to be at the service of Jesus in the world”. It begun in Steyl, Holland and ended in Nemi, Rome. The participants came from various provinces of the Congregation and their age ranges from 68 to 84 years old. The number according to their countries of origin are: India 9, Philippines 5, Ireland 3, USA 2, Australia 1 and Ghana 1. Emilio Reyes, SVD and yours truly represented the USW.
I personally enjoyed and benefited much during the two weeks stay in Steyl. Since this pilgrimage stage was my first time visiting the origins of our founding generation it has impacted me most. At the outset the Steyl community with both the Nemi Team and the Arnoldus Janssen Spirituality Team heartily welcomed on May 22. From then on members of both teams put us in contact through talks and visits to places related to the founding generations of the SVD, SSpS and the SSpSAP. Besides Steyl where it all begun, we visited the paternal house of Arnold Janssen in Goch (Germany) and shared a community meal where descendants of the Janssens were present.
We interacted with our brothers of Steyl and were delighted with memorable visits and meals with the members of our sister congregations in their respective motherhouses, the SSpS and SSpSAP. Since many of them are advanced in age they gave us an experience of history being alive into the present. Being in touch with the historical monuments which have nurtured the spirituality of the founding generations at one moment filled me with admiration and pious devotion to their heroism and saintliness. But somehow, I’ve got a mixed feeling of worry and wonder about what the future holds. On June 4 the pilgrimage stage took us to a four-day travel through Germany, Austria and South Tirol (Italy).
We were housed at the Archdiocesan Major Seminary of Brixen where our Saint Joseph Freinademetz spent his formative years. Our visit to the places that have helped Joseph Freinademetz to be inflamed by a missionary zeal is striking. While seated in front of the paternal house I was awed by a colorful scenery surrounding the place. Oies is a beautiful place and now a tourist spot. There more than hundred years ago a generous soul willing to leave everything for the missions was born in the person of Joseph. We were also at the Cathedral of Brixen where the image of Joseph Freinademetz is venerated and where Msgr. Gasser is interred. The latter is the bishop who upon releasing Joseph said: “As Bishop of Brixen, I say NO; but as a Catholic Bishop, I say YES. Take my son and make him a good missionary. By giving him to you, I’m entrusting to you the pearl of my diocese”. Joseph is not just a missionary; He is a saint! May he intercede for us all!
We finally arrived Nemi on June 7 and stayed there till July 3, 2026. These four weeks practically made up the major section of the renewal course. They were days for study, prayer, rest and recreation. Talks, lectures and discussions relevant to the realities third age people have in common tried to enrich and entertain us. Most talks aimed to renew us and some just to inform us. Thanks to the effort of the organizers the program was not so heavy. We have ample time for personal prayer and intercultural activities. We did visit the Domitila Catacombs and the Basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls and many were in Saint Peter Plaza on a Sunday for the papal blessing.
To culminate this religious program we had a Six-Day Silent Guided Retreat. I was impressed by the cooperation of all. Silence was religiously observed. Even the new elected provincials who were at their orientation seminar with members of the Generalate respected the observance of silence. There was an august atmosphere. No doubt grace flowed. At the end of the course we happily bade goodbye to one another, grateful for all the good things that have happened during these six weeks. I for one affirm that this is the best thing that has happened to me as I navigate through the third age.
Fr. Briccio Tamoro, SVD