In addition to ordinary educational activities, the Augustinian Recollect schools constantly work on improving their services through spiritual formation and the pedagogical techniques of those who serve the students.
The usual activities of any Augustinian Recollect educational center are not confined to the academic curriculum, classes, and tutorials of the students. Within everyday life, there is also the formation of the entire community educational with a varied offer of services that reaches students, such as the first center of concern, but also to teachers, non-teaching staff, families, former students, or the surrounding society.
On the other hand, education always seeks a fully comprehensive approach. This means that in addition to the curricular contents normally imposed by educational laws in each place also includes training in values, personal and personalized support, and the promotion of an ideology that in the case of the Augustinian Recollects comes from the rich tradition of the thought of Saint Augustine and the values of the Recollection.
The Fray Luis de León School of the Augustinian Recollects in Querétaro (Mexico) has celebrated within the first days of March two activities that express well this idea of the permanent search for comprehensive education and the sowing of values and human and spiritual enrichment.
Thus, on March 11, the School had the presence of África Castro, a teacher at the Oriente Institute and related to the Anahuac University in its Querétaro campus. Her presentation came to influence the search for a permanent culture of peace not only within ordinary collegiate life but as an assumed value to be placed active throughout the person’s life.
Most of the population in Mexico lives in shock during times of violence widespread origin from areas as diverse as organized crime or of the chilling data on violence against women. To be an agent of peace it is necessary to know yourself and eliminate any behavior, attitude and thought that turns us into violent beings.
Castro’s presentation was therefore focused on the title of “Violence and self-esteem.” Look for the places inside each person where violence occurs and know controlling them is essential to build personalities that know that everything violence is inadmissible and is never a solution to any problem, but rather aggravating.
Road to Easter
Another space where Fray Luis de León offers this “plus” of comprehensive formation, this time open to the entire educational community to its maximum extent (students and alumni, teachers and collaborators, and families) is in the growth of personal interiority.
For this reason, on March 10, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., a Lent retreat was held and aimed at families related to Fray Luis de León. It was a day of reflection, internal renewal, external peace, and internal restlessness.
Among the highlights of this day of spiritual deepening, are the young volunteers who will carry out a Lenten mission in the Sierra de Querétaro, together with the Augustinian Recollects, who received the missionary cross and the shipment of the community, to symbolize their commitment and dedication.
This gesture strengthened the sense of community and solidarity among all participants, marking an enriching meeting for personal experience and a community of faith and mission. In short, a very appropriate way to make the journey towards Easter.
