Two new groups of pupils of the high school have celebrated the “Restless Heart” retreat on different weekends in June, introducing them inside the Itinerary of the Augustinian Recollect Youth (ARY).
After the meeting of advisors of the ARY (Augustinian Recollect Youth) of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine of the Order of Augustinian Recollects, the Fray Luis de Leon High School in Queretaro determined that all its groups of the ARY itinerary would live a next level passing retreat, and in this way their registration to ARY international would be official, as it is established by the guidelines of the ARY Synod held in the summer of 2023 in Salamanca, Spain.
The first group to live their “Restless Heart” retreat was the ARY junior high students on June 21, 22 and 23 at the San Pio X pastoral center in Queretaro, Mexico, where 17 students attended.
The retreat began on Friday afternoon. Fray David Molina, Augustinian Recollect, presented the guidelines and objectives of the “Restless Heart” retreat using a drawing of a heart. Next, the attendees expressed their wishes and expectations to the Virgin Mary through the prayer of the rosary and the presentation of a floral offering to the Mother of God. They ended the day with games.
The next day, the High School students were presented with the themes of the proclamation of God’s Love, the gift of the Holy Spirit, sin and grace, and to reach the culmination of the retreat they had “the celebration of light” in which the members of the JAR lived a moment of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
Before and after this act, the participants were able to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation. On Saturday, the 22nd, the day concluded with a bonfire and a talent show.
Finally, the Restless Heart retreat closed with the Eucharist presided by its religious advisor, Fray David Molina, in which the new members of the ARY Carthage stage formalized their adhesion through the reception of a cross.
For their part, the 28 High School students and former students of Fray Luis de León lived their Restless Heart retreat from June 27th to the 30th in Cuernavaca, Morelos (Mexico). The themes and activities were similar to the previous “Restless Heart” retreats, although a special emphasis was made on “The celebration of the light” and a penitential service in which the youth were invited to receive the light of Christ, after celebrating the joyful sacrament of reconciliation.
At the end of the celebration, the participants received a cross as a sign of their encounter with Christ during the retreat, and as a sign of their willingness to be part of ARY in the Milan stage.
The next day the solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul was celebrated with the Holy Mass presided by Friar David Molina. On this day, Augustinian materials and activities were shared to strengthen the participants identity as members of the ARY. The activities ended with a pilgrimage to the Basilica of our lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
These two retreats must be added to another Restless Heart retreat, previously experienced by Evening Secondary students, given that many students had already been in the JAR for more than two or three years.
