The Prior Provincial has begun the renewal visit to the communities, an instrument to “learn the state of the community, confirm more fully the religious life and the charity and union between the brothers, and correct possible abuses”.
The Prior Provincial of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine, Carlos González, has begun his renewal visit in Spain, one of the charges he receives from the Constitutions of the Augustinian Recollects, which ask him to know in depth the situation of each community and of each religious, of each pastoral service that is carried out and of each Augustinian Recollect charismatic group present.
During the renewal visit, the Prior Provincial acts in three main spaces: each religious of the Province, with whom he meets to learn about his personal situation; the religious community as such, with which he also holds meetings; and the ministerial and pastoral service or services provided from that community.
During the renewal visit the spirituality of communion is markedly reinforced. It is a good time for each local community to transcend for a moment their most immediate concerns and learn first-hand about the general state of the Province and of the other communities and services to the Church.
When announcing this his first renewal visit, the Prior Provincial indicated his desire to give special importance to dialogue: “dialogue with God, dialogue with the brothers in the community, dialogue with those who carry out the service of authority, dialogue with the people with whom we carry out the service of evangelization, dialogue with today’s world”.
Therefore, the proposed dynamic includes two meetings with the community, one at the beginning and another at the end; and, according to the particularities of each place, meetings with the Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity, the Augustinian Recollect Youth and the main bodies of the ministry, specifically according to their nature.
The first three communities that have received this official visit have been the Colegio Romareda in Zaragoza, the Colegio San Agustín in Valladolid and the community of Monteagudo (Navarra, Spain). In the three places Carlos González, accompanied by the secretary of the Province, has remained for a week.
Zaragoza, Romareda
Due to the coincidence of the schedule, the Prior Provincial was able to learn about the annual festivals of the Colegio Romareda in Zaragoza, days of intense joy for students, teachers and families. Perhaps the most striking thing was the bull of fire with which he ended each day.
Carlos González met with the Board of Directors, with the Pastoral Team and individually with those responsible for the area, including the representatives of the School in the Ownership Team of the educational centers in Spain.
With the students he participated in the two Eucharists that were celebrated by educational levels on the occasion of the festivities in the nearby Parish of Santa Mónica, also of the Augustinian Recollects.
Valladolid
The visit to the San Agustín School in Valladolid was marked by two unexpected events. The first was the death from cancer in Madrid, at the age of 59, of the Augustinian Recollect Francisco Javier Marcilla, who for years was a professor and held management positions at the Colegio San Agustín in Valladolid. Part of the educational community and the Prior Provincial himself attended his funeral as a tribute and thanks for his efforts in the educational apostolate.
The second event was a health ailment during the last day of the visit, for which the visit was left unfinished, missing some personal meetings with religious and another with the Augustinian Recollect Sisters, the Filipino religious who work at the College.
Yes, he had had time to meet with the Management Team, the Pastoral Team, those responsible for educational areas and the Secular Fraternity. However, he will have to return to Valladolid when his schedule allows to officially close the visit.
Monteagudo
The visit to the Monteagudo novitiate convent was framed by the traditional Marian atmosphere of the month of May. This town is accustomed, every year, to celebrate the Flowers to Mary in the temple of the convent: rosary, Marian exposition and Eucharist. One of the days this celebration was presided over by the Prior Provincial, taking advantage of his visit.
In Monteagudo the two community meetings were held, he spoke with all the religious and met with the Secular Fraternity. Being a novitiate, he also had a space for dialogue with the novices, who not only belong to the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine that he presides over. He was able to present the reality of the Province and encourage the young men in their preparation for their first religious profession, after finishing the novitiate.
