Last October 21, on a rainy afternoon, the chapel of the Saint Ezekiel seminary Moreno in Pozos de Santa Ana (San José, Costa Rica) dressed up for the celebration, according to the ritual, of the issuance of the promises of twelve members after a year of training at the FSAR Saint Ezekiel Moreno, which has its headquarters in said seminar.
The ceremony was presided over by the spiritual advisor of the fraternity, Frater Víctor González, to whom the twelve members asked to join as laymen to be part of the Augustinian-Recollect Family.
The new members -Julieta Aguilar Urbina, Mónica Alfaro Zárate, Ana Isabel Arroyo Carvajal, María del Carmen Arroyo Carvajal, Gilberth Barrantes Campos, Nidia Charpentier Mora, José Alcides Chávez Murillo, Elizabeth Conejo Borrantes, Jakeline Cordero Naranjo, Leda Corrales Barboza, Janet Ulate Bolaños and Damaris Zeledon Alvarado, made their entry into the chapel in procession with a burning heart. They were called one after another and renewed their vows of baptism and commitment as Christians of fidelity to the gospel in accordance with the Rule of life of the lay Augustinian Recollects.
The community, their accompanying family members and the fraternity welcomed them with a very heartfelt hug. Frater Victor’s words traveled through the life of Saint Magdalene of Nagasaki, patroness of the FSAR, and he motivated them to follow her example in the four characteristics that she upheld in her short life and which were commented on in a message to the fraternities by the prior general of the Augustinian Recollects Miguel Ángel Hernández: Brave woman, woman believer, servant woman and praying woman.
The members of the National Council presented the fraternity medal lay people as a symbol of adherence to fraternity and a symbol of pilgrimage.
The president of the fraternity, María Eugenia Gutiérrez, greeted the new fraternal members on behalf of all the brothers and she highlighted the meaning of being pilgrims: a walk where desire and will, enthusiasm and perseverance move, hope and effort. Let yourself be transformed by God on a path of conversion.
Attendees were invited to give a few words and those of Adrian Villegas stood out, council member, who shared his feeling of joy at seeing how the seed germinates in Mónica Alfaro, one of the group that had issued the promises, daughter of a fraternal brother, who already rests in the peace of God and who was, together with him, of the first generation of fraternal members from Costa Rica.
At the end came sharing in a very welcoming family atmosphere. They were served snacks and, closing with a flourish, a pantomime by the artist Xinia Herrera, very motivating with her music and mime gestures, appropriate for the moment.
