Self-Formation Days 2023. Augustinian Recollects. Initial training.

Between August 8 and 20 they have had the opportunity to live together in the Augustinian way: learning, praying, talking and having fun together. The history of the Recollection in the 20th century or some of the great figures of the Augustinian Recollect Family have been part of the program.

Forty professed religious in the last stage of initial formation have met in Marcilla (Navarra, Spain) in the own formation days attended by the members of the formation communities in Spain from the three Provinces of the Order of Augustinian Recollects.

The convent of the Navarrese town has opened its doors between August 8 and 20. They arrived there from the Saint Augustine of Las Rozas Formation House (Madrid), from the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine; from the Saint Ezekiel Moreno House in Madrid, from the Province of Our Lady of Candelaria; and of Theologate Our Lady of the Good Council of Monachil (Granada), of the Province of Saint Thomas Villanova.

The team of formators was made up of the teachers of the professed from the three Provinces, respectively Brother Luis Diego Ramírez, Brother Valerio Baines and Brother Bruno D’Andrea. They were accompanied by the Augustinian Recollect Fray Ricardo Corleto, speaker at several of the conferences.

The History of the Augustinian Recollects in the 20th century has been the thematic center of the conferences. The objective is that they reinforce their personal identity as professed religious and participate more and better in the community identity.

Some important figures were also present on the program: Mariana de San José, Saint Thomas of Villanova, Mariano Gazpio and the Martyrs of Japan. The biographical approach to these people was organized by working in groups of the formandi.

Together with them, it was also possible to get closer to members of the Augustinian Recollect Family related to them, such as the Augustinian Recollect Nuns, the Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity (FSAR), the Augustinian Recollect Youth (JAR), the Association of Mothers Christians of Saint Monica…

Since at this time there are holidays in formal education, the team of trainers takes advantage of the fact that there is more time to organize other types of activities that are not possible during the school year. Thus, there was time to visit Saint Jean de Pied de Port and Roncesvalles, strategic points of passage on the Way of Santiago through the Pyrenees between France and Spain.

The participants created six commissions to animate daily life (music, liturgy, logistics, work, animation and technology). The spiritual union (Eucharist, Liturgy of the Hours, mental prayer) was complemented by union in cleaning work, sports or expanded community recreation.

A special moment was the celebration of Saint Ezekiel Moreno, on August 19. It was carried out in the house where the main center of spirituality and promotion of the protector saint of cancer patients is located, the convent of the Augustinian Recollects in Monteagudo. On that same day they also accompanied Elio Enrique’s religious profession, which thus ended his novitiate in that house.

Having a single soul and a single heart directed towards God is an Augustinian maxim whose real experience and concrete materialization is achieved with activities such as these Self-Formation Days.