Some of the treasures of the history of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine of the Order of Augustinian Recollects and the environments and spaces where it has carried out its work throughout history and today.
Following the Augustinian charism, often depicted through the expression “Charity and Science,” education within the Augustinian Recollect Family is an avenue for personal and social transformation, a springboard for the future, and a means to break the chains and vicious cycles of poverty and inequality.
In the Philippines, a significant number of students—from kindergarten to postgraduate—have benefited from scholarships, discounts, or positions as working students. In return, they have engaged in internal volunteerism (library assistantship, maintenance, and office work) or external volunteerism (relief efforts in disaster-stricken areas, rural community projects, ecological immersion programs, and the implementation of productive activities in agriculture and fishing).
At Colegio Fray Luis de León in Querétaro (Mexico), the Night High School Program has, since 2010, provided scholarships to approximately ninety students each academic year, the majority of whom come from John Paul II Parochial School in Juriquilla, a disadvantaged village. Those who achieve higher grades are awarded further scholarships for high school.
In addition to personal monitoring through tutoring and the psycho-pedagogical department, students participate in seminar-workshops, sports, schools for parents, and cultural performances.
All the schools of the Province have programs designed to raise funds for associations, organizations, and local NGOs. In Spain, these programs are focused on projects for senior citizens and migrants. In Querétaro, they extend even further, to the upland rural communities of Querétaro and Guanajuato.
Another area of solidarity relies on the alumni. Two centres have more comprehensive programs; one in Valladolid, which frequently participates in the school’s activities and plays a special role throughout the year in lectures and solidarity activities, such as the annual missionary dinner. The Ciudad de los Niños (Boys Town) celebrates Graduate Day during its annual fiesta with great success in terms of attendance and commitment.
