Historical and biographical review of some of the main figures of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine of the Order of Augustinian Recollects from its foundation to the present day.
Family, Formation, and First Assignments (1854-1887)
Enrique was born in Oña, in the Spanish province of Burgos, into a military family. At the age of five, he moved to Burgos where he began his studies. In 1871, he continued his education in Madrid, where he encountered the Augustinian Recollects.
He took his vows in Monteagudo in January 1874, and was ordained as a priest in September 1877. In May 1879, he took charge of the parish of San Millán de la Cogolla in La Rioja, where he implemented significant improvements. He promoted the restoration of Valvanera, established an adult school, and developed an interest in the history of San Millán. From August 1884 to September 1885, he was sent to Colombia to assess the situation of the Province of Candelaria.
Procurator General in Rome (1887-1907)
Enrique, a brilliant young man with a sharp temperament, idealistic and adept in business, was appointed procurator general of the Order in 1887. He executed his duties with competence, loyalty, and obedience. He met with the commissary general six times a month and carried out his orders faithfully, while not concealing his own opinions. When he felt the community’s welfare was at stake, he did not hesitate to take a stand. During the Philippine Revolution, he distanced himself from the Order’s prevailing pessimism and was noted for seeking new apostolic opportunities.
In 1900, he advocated for urgent reforms and negotiated with Cardinal Mariano Rampolla, the Secretary of State, to replace the pessimistic Commissary General Fr. Íñigo Narro with someone capable of revitalizing the Congregation. Similarly, in 1907, he acted when he believed that Commissary General Mariano Bernad’s administration had run its course.
His involvement in the Order’s expansion in America was remarkable. He maintained contact with those responsible for its execution, offering encouragement, resolving doubts, facilitating measures in Rome, and fulfilling various requests.
He defended the Philippine Province’s reputation, tirelessly providing guidance and recommendations; he secured the Sistina house in Rome for the Order; he drafted the new Constitutions and responded to petitions from all quarters.
Moreover, he found time to serve as confessor at the convent and the Spanish College (1894-1908). He was a skilled intermediary and advisor for several women’s religious congregations before the Roman Curia. At the Latin American Plenary Council in 1899, he consulted for the Archbishop of Popayán in Colombia.
Last Vicar General of the Congregation, First Prior General of the Order (1908-1914)
His election as vicar general at the general chapter in San Millán de la Cogolla was enthusiastically received. His significant achievement was obtaining the papal brief Religiosas familias, which elevated the Recollection to the status of a religious Order. Subsequently, he worked diligently to strengthen its corporate identity and hasten its reorganization.
His efforts resulted in numerous outputs: the new Constitutions (1912) and liturgical books, the reorganization of the Provinces, the first-ever canonical visitation by a prior general in the Philippines and America, the reinforcement of ties with the female branch of the Augustinian Recollection, the beatification processes, and the updated study curricula.
The Constitutions resolved the dangerous dichotomy in the Order between the legal and the actual. The previous Constitutions, two centuries old, were designed for a conventual community, but the religious were now engaged in apostolic work. Many statutes had become obsolete, and others were often disregarded in light of new directives from Rome.
Between November and December 1908, he appointed new priors for the three provinces and scheduled their chapters.
However, not all his efforts were successful. Periods of hopeful work alternated with challenges that shook the Augustinian Recollection: the economic crash in Shanghai; the removal of the provincial of Saint Nicholas; dissension within the general council.
These events left a bitter taste in his soul, overshadowing the final years of his life. Previously fortunate, he was unprepared for adversity. His disillusionment turned him into a harsh critic of his superiors and the Order’s direction. He poignantly described his state of mind in a letter:
“My old age is marred by sorrow and bitterness, without relief, comfort, or hope for this violent, humiliating, and undignified situation, which I endure solely through great moral suffering and a decline in my health.”
In the last thirteen years of his life, seeking peace of mind, he changed residences five times. He passed away in Monteagudo in September 1927.
