Rome, Italy, Nov 4, 2009 / 21:33 pm
The Redemptorists have elected Fr. Michael Brehl, formerly the Provincial of the Edmonton-Toronto Province, as the new Superior General for the order.
Fr. Brehl, who was introduced to the Redemptorists while he was a university student, was impressed by their dedication to issues of peace and justice as well as their involvement with the poor. “So far,” he says in his online biography, “it’s been an exciting life – and it’s lived up to the promise I first experienced at Gerard House all those years ago.”
Father Brehl is the first Canadian to be elected Superior General of the Redemptorists, who were founded by St. Alphonsus Ligouri in 1732. Born in Toronto, Ontario, in 1955, he professed his vows as a Redemptorist on August 15, 1976 and was ordained to the priesthood on March 15, 1980.
Since finishing formation, completing a theology degree, and being ordained, Fr. Brehl has worked in numerous capacities. He has served as a parish priest, been on a retreat team, directed the Redemptorist's formation house and been elected to three terms as the Provincial of the Province of Edmonton-Toronto.