On February 24, a group of Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternities members gathered in the parish of Our Lady of Buenavista parish to remember and share with other fraternal members the experience lived in Rio in November of 2023.
A group of restless hearts attended the FSAR International Meeting in Rio de Janeiro. Virginia Sánchez, Fernando Ponce participated from the FSAR of Madrid de León, Miguel Porras, Miguel Hamelynck, and Maricela Valles, and they returned with great excitement, feeling like they are bearers of hope and energy to spread to others fraternal and live them personally.
As soon as the Christmas holidays passed, these five fraternal members began to design a project to share and celebrate the strong experiences lived at the Rio de Janeiro meeting at the Saint Augustine Site. The initial project was designed for the FSAR of the parishes of Santa Rita, Santa Florentina, and Santa Mónica (all three in Madrid), of the Parish of Our Lady of Buenavista in Getafe, Madrid, and the Divine Master of Valladolid.
The project crystallized in the Pilgrim Day to the Heart, which lasted eight hours in the that was informed about the workshops, talks, prayers, testimonies, recreational events, dynamics, and even the details or gestures received in Rio, but it was impossible not to mention the strong experience of the Eucharist at the base of the great statue of Christ the Redeemer, or Christ of Corcovado. 35 brothers and 7 friars participated in the “Day”: Juan Manuel Ramírez, José Manuel González, Tomás Ortega, Fernando Martín, Víctor, Juan Carlos Avitia and Antonio Antón, and the applicant Rándall López.
The Day began at 10:00 with lectio divina – a Workshop by Rita Barboza of Brazil-, which Virginia Sánchez and Fernando Ponce de León prepared as an initial prayer, which they kept in mind the brothers who for different reasons were not able to attend. Throughout the Day Fernando Ponce de León, Miguel Porras, Maricela Valles, Miguel Hamelinck, and Virginia Sánchez were sharing in periods of 20 to 30 minutes each of the workshops and talks they received in Rio. At 2:00 P.M. they shared the meal, prepared the tables, the service of dishes, drinks, and more.
After a lively and brief rest, we continue the day at 3:30 P.M. with a workshop and the conclusions of the Rio meeting. At 5:15 P.M. they celebrated the Eucharist concelebrated by Juan Carlos Avitia, vicar of the Province of Saint Nicolas of Tolentine, Brother Víctor García, Brother Fernando Martín, and Brother Antonio Antón.
The five fraternal organizers Virginia, Miguel, Fernando, Miguel, and Maricela thanked all those who attended, especially the friars, and the host Parish, and considered this Day as a blessing, prepared with humility, and which they have wanted to share their experiences and pass on to the other brothers his wishes for committing more boldly to living Augustinian-Recollect spirituality.
