From 24th to 30th November at least 14 Augustinian Recollects bishops from around the world will gather in the recollect monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla (La Rioja, España) and take part in the meeting organized by the General Council of the Order of Augustinian Recollects.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and Brother General of the Augustinian Order will preside at the meeting.
Today there are 20 Recollect bishops spread out in nine countries in America and Asia. Fourteen of these have confirmed they will be at the meeting which has the double aspect of formation –different themes and conferences – and of a get together.
Juan José Omella, bishop of the Diocese of La Calzada – Logroño – Santo Domingo will give the opening address. San Millan monastery is in his diocese. He will speak on the theme “The Bishop, servant of the Word and the Church”. In the afternoon the Augustinian Recollect bishop Emiliano Cisneros, bishop of Chachapoyas (Perú), will continue with his theme “Challenges posed to the Augustinian Recollect in the evangelization of Latin America
On the 26th, in the morning, the Augustinian Recollect, Juan Ángel Nieto, prior of San Millan Monastery will speak on “Living the three dimensions of the Augustinian Recollect charism.” Then in the afternoon Jesús María Cizaurre, bishop of Cametá (Pará, Brasil) will speak on “The profile of an Augustinian Recollect Bishop in relation to the Order.”
Thursday 27th November will start of with a conference entitled “The Order of Augustinian Recollects renewing itself” offered by the meeting’s principal host, Javier Guerra, the Prior General of the Order. The afternoon will be taken up looking at the history of “ The first centenary of the General Chapter of San Millan, 16-27 July 1908”. This lecture will be given by the Augustinian Recollect, José Javier Lizarraga.
The days work will start with a general presentation of the Augustinian Recollect Family.
Though the Day of the Recollection is officially celebrated on the 5th December, on this occasion this gathering will bring the date forward and celebrate it on the 28th November.
Also on this date the Augustinian Recollect bishops will be joined by the Provincials of the eight Recollect provinces. After the meeting with the bishops they will have their own sessions with the General Council.
The days work will start at 10 in the morning with a general presentation of the Augustinian Recollect Family, moderated by Jesús Lerena, one of the general councilors. Besides the friars there will also be some Augustinian recollect enclosed nuns, religious women from the various congregations of active life, the Secular Fraternity, and other groups like the Augustinian Recollect Youth and the Community of Monicas.
At twelve o’ clock a special thanksgiving Eucharist will be presided by Cardinal Re, followed by a fraternal meal. In the afternoon the Cardinal will offer an address to the recollect bishops entitled “The responsibility of the successors of the Apostles”.
Saturday 29th November will be used to have a plenary meeting of the General Council with the bishops and the Recollect Provincials. This meeting will be moderated by the bishop of Chota (Perú), Fortunato Pablo and by the Vicar General of the Order, Miguel Miró.
On Sunday 30th bishops and Provincials will visit various significant places in the History of the Order which are found in the Ebro region: Alfaro, birthplace of St. Ezequiel Moreno; the novitiate house in Monteagudo which is the only Recollect house to survive in Spain from before the “Desamortización” of Mendizábal and where St. Ezequiel Moreno is buried; there is also a Museum dedicated to his memory; and then onto Marcilla which was for many decades house of formation and studies for the religious of St. Nicholas Province.
Meeting with the Provincial Priors
During the following days, the General Council will meet, in San Millan, the eight Provincial Priors of the Order of Augustinian Recollects. Once the bishops have left, the second working meeting of the six year mandate will take place between the General Council and those religious who direct and govern with their respective Councils each of the Provinces the Order has.
This meeting will last from 1st -6th of December. It will have a general theme taken from the Act number 16.1 of the last General Chapter: “to revise and study together “the state of the Order, its renewal, common problems, co-operation and putting into practice the Acts from the General Chapter”
Each Prior Provincial will present his contribution to the revision of the Constitutions; the inter provincial cooperation in initial and permanent formation; the juridical reorganization of the organisms of the Order (Secretariats, Institutes, Councils), Provinces, ministries, the way the Institutes and Secretariats work; identity and communication in the Order, the annual reports of the Provinces, the State of the Order, consultation and information given to the General Council concerning large projects and work the Provinces undertake; those themes that will be looked at in the next General Chapter; and any other items of interest that may be brought up.
The General Council will meet, in San Millan, the eight Provincial Priors of the Order of Augustinian Recollects The Provincials have also been asked to submit a written report on the formation process, the projects and actual needs, the religious who find themselves in a special or irregular situation together with the details of the steps already taken and the difficulties encountered in regularizing their situation.
These sessions will be coordinated by the Prior General and the Vicar. A member of the General Council together with one Provincial will act as secretaries for this meeting; another two will be asked to compose a final message for the whole Order; and each theme will be introduced by a member of the General Council who will act as moderator of the ensuing dialogue.