The meeting, convened by the Augustinian Recollect Sergio Sánchez, president of the Provincial Secretariat for Spirituality and Formation of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine, Order of Augustinian Recollects, took place at the facilities of Saint Benedict Parish, in Montebello, California, United States. United on October 22. Representatives of the California fraternities attended: Oxnard, El Pilar, Guadalupe and Montebello; from Orlando in Florida and Union City in New Jersey.
In a climate of fraternity, of festive reunion, after several months of pandemic, and with renewed desire to “Walk together”, this day of updating the pilgrimage of secular fraternities was lived.
Dense and wide day; from nine in the morning to half past fourteen, the nearly twenty participants outlined the program of the meeting. After a heartfelt and serene prayer with the Paschal candle in the center, a sign of the light of the Lord in their reflections, they addressed the following points:
- Reading of the letter from the prior general to the FSAR on the occasion of the feast of St. Magdalene of Nagasaki. The participants were allowed to express, after reflection, what resonances the document had produced and a common discussion was held on each of the points, focusing on two aspects: confirmation of what is being experienced in the local fraternities and questions and opportunities for improvement.
- The document “Joyful in Hope” was read, the result of the First Meeting of Presidents of National Fraternities, held in Rome in December 2019, a document unknown to many of the participants. It is intended to be published and put into practice.
- A presentation was made of the Pilgrims formation program: its gestation, elaboration, pedagogy and way of working it in the local fraternities. The need was seen for the assistants of the fraternities to know him and use him in the accompaniment of the fraternities.
- Program of the coordinating team of the secular fraternities at the general level. General information was given on the proposals offered by the Coordinating Team of the Order’s fraternities.
- It was commented that new materials have been received, namely, the electronic support for the edition of the Manual of the Fraternity and the book of the Augustinian Recollect Teodoro Baztán “Like grain of Mustard”. Options for editing and distribution were weighed.
- Other issues discussed at the meeting were the method of electing the national president of fraternities in the United States. At the time, an electoral mechanism will be sought that involves the greatest number of fraternal members, which will be explained in the coming months; interest was expressed in having a “pin”, distinctive of the fraternity, common to the entire Order and the importance of having official books of the FSAR, especially the Book of Promises and the books of Records and Remarkable Facts.
- The final questions and comments revolved around the meaning, for those present, of fraternity life, the need to make it known and the commitment to persevere and participate in a local fraternity life project.
At midday they shared the food prepared and offered by the host community. Full of enthusiasm at feeling like a family gathered in the name of the Lord, they said goodbye certain that the motto of the 56th General Chapter held in Rome in March of this year “We walk together” was already becoming a reality.