The Chapter set up the organisms for the smooth running of the same and so began the stage of informing and debating.

At the end of the opening speech of the 125th Provincial Chapter the Chapter members voted and appointed the people who would be responsible for the smooth running of the Chapter: three tellers who would collect and count all the voting papers; two moderators who would chair the sessions and make sure everything followed the rules set down in what is called the Ordo Capituli; the Counsellor of the Chapter whose role is to assess the different stages of the Chapter and the Secretary who takes the minutes.
All of these with the President of the Chapter form the Executive Council which stays in place till the end of the Chapter.

APPOINTMENTS

Tellers: Joaquín Úriz, Eddy Angulo and José Yan.

The Executive Council of the Chapter:

    • President: Miguel Miró
    • Secretary: Benjamín Miguélez
    • Counsellor: Francisco Javier Jiménez
    • Moderators: Rafael Mediavilla y Sergio Sánchez.

Endorsement of the ORDO CAPITULI, Timetable and other Roles

The timetable was approved.  
Carlos González, José Manuel Berruete and  Mario Ramón Jiménez will draft the Final Message to the Religious.
Liturgy will be organised by Santiago Sánchez, Francisco Javier Acero and Ricardo Hinojal.
Music: Carlos González and José Manuel González Durán.
Answering greetings and messages: Juan Luis González, Joaquín Úriz, Gerald Wilson and Luis Antonio Fernández.
Comunications: Rafael Mediavilla, Francisco Javier Marcilla, Francisco Javier Monroy, Tonatiuh Espinosa, Jesús María Ramos, José Yang Tao, John Docherty, Tomas Devine, Juan Cruz Vicario and Luis Antonio Fernández.
Organising recreation and weekend activities: Miguel Ángel Tejada, Mateo Blázquez and Ángel Custodio Malaina.
Bells: Jesús Ortega and Manuel Abecia.

The Ordo capituli was voted on and approved. This document regulates  everything to do with the running of the chapter from start to finish.
The order of the speakers is the following: the Prior Provincial, the Vicars, the presidents of the secretariates, and the chapter members. The number and times for each speaker on any theme was agreed.  

Proposal of a Priority Objective.

Information and debate began. The first theme was the proposal of the Priority Objective for the next triennium. The Provincial Council, through the Provincial offered a proposal based on the General Chapter. Two versions were offered which played with two key concepts: revitalization and New Evangelization 
Not easily defined people asked about precise meanings of the words “evangelization” or “charismatic identity” that appeared on both proposals.
The matter was left open till the following day, because other proposals had been sent in by the religious before the chapter and maybe the chapter members would like to add more. 

SPIRITUALITY AND FORMATION

 

The Prior Provincial, Francisco Javier Jiménez, then offered an overall view of the spiritual life of the Province and how the friars have taken up Permanent Formation programme planned over the past three years. Lots of points made: have we done enough; should we keep on insisting; whether joining spirituality and formation has been a good move having one President and his team in charge of both; if the formation encounters should be compulsory?….  

Conclusion? How to interest people in the Renewal course in Spain. They haven’t got that right yet. The challenge remains to make people, throughout the Province,  sensitive to these moments for spiritual growth, as Mexico and Costa Rica have done.  

The Church and society expect us to be witnesses of and teachers of spirituality wherever  we find ourselves. This personally implicates each and every friar. Lectio divina has been useful, yet respect for moments of personal prayer can always improve    

Carlos González, Vicar for México y Costa Rica, was enthusiastic about the possibilities within the Province. Lay people and the enclosed Augustinian Recollect nuns desire more opportunities for formation. The Centres of Spirituality could be an opportunity for that personal growth and formation.

Sergio Sánchez, president of the Secretariates for Formation and Spirituality, had a series of questions to express his concern, letting us understand that good will is probably not enough, and that we need to use every means to achieve the desired goals in these areas.   

Others spoke of spiritual lethargy; others suggested interprovincial cooperation. There was no consensus on making things compulsory. 

SECULAR FRATERNITIES AND COMMISSION FOR COMMUNICATIONS.

There’s no doubt that the Secular Fraternities, who live out the Augustinian Recollect charism, want more formation and demand more attention and interest from the friars. 

The work done by the Commision for Publication is greatly valued inside and outside the Province.

MESSAGES AND GREETINGS

Messages of support and prayers were received from Juan Manuel Torrecilla (Province  of Saint Joseph), María Adoración Matamoros (President of the  Federation of Agustinian Recollect Nuns of México), Lourdes Izaguirre (Prioress of the  Monastery  San Ezequiel Moreno of the  Agustinian Recollect nuns,  Bacolod, Philippines), María Cruz Aznar (Agustinian Recollects,  León, Spain) y Eva María Oiz Ezcurra (President of the Federation of Agustinian Recollects nuns, Spain).