History of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine of the Order of the Augustinian Recollects.

Dear reader,

Allow me to extend a heartfelt greeting as I present the book you are about to read. I address you with familiarity for a reason: this book has been written with persons in mind who are united with the Augustinian Recollects through bonds of affection and fraternity, and with all those who, after reading our history, may feel compelled to cultivate these bonds of friendship.

1. History and Salvation

Numerous institutions, including religious Orders, have shown great interest in preserving their past in writing. They had to collect narratives of events for this task, to reflect on the causes of changes, to understand the main characters, to describe the feats of persons and groups, and to explain the decisions that guided and marked the steps of their history.

What is the reason behind this arduous enterprise? Every society that wishes to understand its identity must know its origins, its way of life, and aspirations from the moment of its birth up to the present.

People, events, ideals, thoughts, and culture of every period continue to shape the being and the identity of that society. If it wants to know itself and make itself known, it needs to know its history.

Furthermore, history is a source of knowledge to understand how to face the present, how to overcome difficulties, and how to seize opportunities.

From the characteristics of history designated by Cicero, this is what has remained most successfully in common knowledge: “Witness of the times, light of the truth, life of the memory, teacher of life, messenger of antiquity” (Cicero, The Orator IX, 35).

To learn from history is to stimulate the desire to improve, to recover the capability to dream of high ideals, to rise up from helplessness or from crisis in order to continue walking and moving forward. Pope Francis places the health of the Church in it when he says:

“We do well to keep in mind the early Christians and our many brothers and sisters throughout history who were filled with joy, unflagging courage, and zeal in proclaiming the Gospel” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 263).

For the believer, moreover, his own history or that of the group to which one belongs is a source of knowing the one who is considered the Maker of history.

In Christianity, the knowledge of God par excellence is realized in listening to and reading histories, descriptions of the facts of life. Afterwards, rational reflection and the formulation of dogmas will follow.

That knowledge of God is realized at the same time as the knowledge of the community, of other members, of humanity. That is why Pope Francis can affirm that “salvation is always in history: there is no salvation without history.” (Homily at Santa Marta, 8 December 2014).

Moreover, God is part of our history. With much more reason we can affirm it after the Incarnation, which is the descent of God upon the life of men. “He did not want to come and save us without history; He wanted to make history with us” (Pope Francis, Homily at Santa Marta, 17 September 2013). Jesus is part of the narrative that men and women believers make of the history of the people to whom they belong.

2. Fixed on Books

All the religious Orders and Congregations deem it essential to publish the books that regulate their own lives, these may be called Constitutions, Ritual or Ceremonial… But they do not altogether forget other writings that narrate about their beginnings, the lives of their founders, the conduct and activities of their predecessors, in short, their history.

The Order of Augustinian Recollects already had a history written before marking its first centenary: it was the Historia General de Agustinos Descalzos de la Congregación de España e Indias [General History of the Discalced Augustinians of the Congregation of Spain and the Indies], written by Fray Andrés de San Nicolás and published in 1664.

That printed history, as well as other brief historical accounts on the evangelization of the Philippines, interwove the history of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine. A history to which in subsequent centuries more works would be dedicated but would not always see print.

The essential work—a definitive one, for the moment—for the Order as well as for the Province is written during these modern times by Ángel Martínez Cuesta. It is his Historia de los Agustinos Recoletos [History of the Augustinian Recollects], whose third volume came out in December 2021. The history of the Province of Saint Nicholas we now present to you, finds support in this new volume which even comprises the entire 20th century.

3. From Century to Century

After this overall presentation and introduction, we have divided history by centuries, except in the case of the 20th century, since the Second Vatican Council was a milestone that marked a before and after in our lives, which should be reflected in different chapters.

It was in the 17th century when the Augustinian Recollects arrived in the Philippines and it was in that century as well when the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine was born. While most of its members came from Spain, the significant events, including the Chapters that decided their projects, took place in the Philippines, which was also their evangelization field. Thus, it was known as the Philippine Province of the Augustinian Recollects.

The 18th century demanded from the Province of Saint Nicholas a special dedication to evangelization amid grave hardships, from a shortage of resources and personnel to constant persecution in several ministries.

The 19th century commenced likewise with the scarcity of personnel, aggravated by the situation of the convents of the Order in Spain, where the seedbed of missionaries was located. It ended with the Philippine Revolution, perceived as a tremendous tragedy.

The 20th century was a time of expansion for the Province, which increased its presence in Spain, initiated in the previous century, and notably, it evangelized various countries in America.

The same century also witnessed the Second Vatican Council, which defined a new period for the whole Church as well as for the Order and for the Province of Saint Nicholas. And through a fruitful paradox, the century ended without the Philippines, whose ministries constituted a new Province.

The 21st century presents numerous challenges for the Order of Augustinian Recollects as a whole, with a restructuring that in 2016 led to the integration of the former Province of Saint Augustine into the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine. On the other hand, the age, origin, and socio-cultural ambiance of its religious have significantly changed just as the societies in which the Province operates and interacts are rapidly evolving.

4. A book of many treasures

We have combined the linear narrative with various complementary elements; among them, can be highlighted:

  • some of the most important personalities of this history: intrepid missionaries, exemplary religious, authentic martyrs, historians, writers, pastors, builders, warriors, artists, musicians, formators of young friars…
  • the Family that shapes the natural environment of the Province — and the Order —: the beaterios and confraternities; the Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternities (SARF) and the Recollect Augustinian Youth (RAY); the Order of Augustinian Recollect Contemplative Nuns, the Congregations of the Augustinian Recollect Missionaries (MAR), the Augustinian Recollect Sisters (AR) of the Philippines and the Augustinian Recollects of the Heart of Jesus who were born in Venezuela (Agustinas Recoletas del Corazón de Jesús).
  • the places where the activity of the Province was carried out, in countries so heterogeneous like the Philippines, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Venezuela, Trinidad, United States, England, Sierra Leone, Italy, Spain.
  • the works they constructed and the edifices where they dwelt and where many of the narrated events took place: churches and cathedrals, forts for defence and watchtowers, dams and mills, convents, spaces of various kinds …
  • so many peculiar activities that deserved attention in areas like migrants, health, jails, culture, publications …

This work has been written through a collective effort. Several religious of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine have collaborated in it, all inspired, instructed, and directed by Ángel Martínez Cuesta who is the historian par excellence of the Augustinian Recollects. May this book be our homage of admiration and gratitude to him.

Without further ado, dear reader, we wish that you enjoy our historical narrative and that you join in the praise and thanksgiving we render to God. He is present and active in the history of mankind and likewise in the history of every man and every woman. Of Him, Saint Augustine says:

You take care of all and of each one of us, as if you would not have any other thing to do” (Confessions 3,11,19).

NEXT PAGE: 1. Introduction: “Navigare necesse est”

TABLE OF CONTENT
History of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine:
‘Always in mission’

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