The celebration took place on August 9 in the convent Church, dedicated to the Virgin of the Way, where the mortal remains of St Ezekiel Moreno are kept. The simplicity of the celebration did not deprive it of solemnity or importance. It is an occasion for religious men and women of the Augustinian Recollect Family to get together.
The Eucharist was presided by Fr Rafael Mediavilla, Prior Provincial of St Nicholas of Tolentine. Frs José Ramón Pérez and Alfonso Lorda, Priors Provincials of St Joseph and Our Lady of Consolation, accompanied him in the presbytery, with more than forty priests concelebrating. After the homily, the fifteen novices made their profession: nine before the Prior Provincial of St Nicholas, four before the Prior Provincial of St Joseph and two before Provincial of Our Lady of Consolation. By group, they received from their respective Provincials their habits as well as the Rule and Constitutions. A long-drawn welcome embrace put a stamp to the profession rites.
In the Eucharistic liturgy, the new religious presented their offerings and, with these, their best desires and projects before God: sandals, habit, candle and ARVY standard, burning heart, picture of the Virgin. The parents of one of them brought the bread and wine. At the end of the Eucharist, the novices inked their handwritten signature on the formula of their profession whereby they committed themselves to live as consecrated to God in chastity, poverty and obedience in the Augustinian Recollect Family. After communion, two of the new religious expressed their gratitude, in the name of the group, for the benefits received during the year.
In the Eucharistic liturgy, the new religious presented their offerings and, with these, their best desires and projects before God: sandals, habit, candle and ARVY standard, burning heart, picture of the Virgin. The new religious come from eight countries
The newly professed come from eight nations and belong to three Provinces of the Order. To St Nicholas Province belong the Mexicans Óscar Castellanos, Noé Servín, Rodolfo Yela, Emmanuel Gómez, Gustavo Camarena and Jesús Cortés;, el brazilian José Artenildo Alves, the Costa Rican Danilo Mora and the Honduran Carlos Eduardo Álvarez. To St Joseph Province belong the Peruvians José Eberlí Julón and Jesús Mego, and the Venezuelans Rafael Hernández and Johán Caldera. And to Our Lady of Consolation Province belong Jesús Sánchez from the Dominican Republic and Carlos Alberto Alvarado of Panama.
Two more novices of this batch will make their profession soon: one from the Province of St Augustine, Ulyses Moyao, who will profess in Oxnard (California, U.S.A.) on August 28; the other, Luis Diego Quesada, of the Province of St Nicholas, who will make it on September 13, in Marcilla (Navarre, Spain).
A new novitiate year begins
Like in previous years, before the profession of the outgoing novices, some of the incoming novices for 2008-2009 arrive in Monteagudo. This year, more difficulties than in other years cropped up in bringing them all in together. The sole reason has something to do with bureaucratic problems.
Those who arrived in Monteagudo are three Chinese, one Costa Rican, three Brazilians and a Mexican, all from the St Nicholas Province, and a Venezuelan from the St Joseph Province. Expected to arrive are three Peruvians from St Joseph Province, and three Guatemalans and a Dominican from the Our Lady of Consolation Province.