Miguel Ángel Hernández Domínguez is an Augustinian Recollect priest. He was born 43 years ago in Collado Villalba (Madrid, España). He is provincial superior since two years ago and on 10 October he will commence the centennial celebration of his province alongside the Cardinal Primate of Spain, Antonio Cañizares, and the prior general of the Order, Javier Guerra.
Q.- What does the centennial commemorate and what are its objectives?
A.- Let me give a bit of history so we can have a summary understanding of what we are celebrating. From 1835 until 1899, the presence of the Augustinian Recollects was confined almost exclusively to the Philippines. But the war for Philippine independence forced many friars to return to the Peninsula. Thus started the search for places where the Augustinian religious life could be lived and where the priestly ministry could be practiced. Among those chosen were Granada (February of 1899) – though now it is at the foot of the Albaicín, rather than at its peak – and Motril (May 1899); later, the friars reached Lucena (Cordoba), very near their old house in Luque. Thus, the Augustinian Recollects returned to Andalusia after a 64-year absence.
With the exit of many friars from the Philippines and their spread in Spain, Panama, Venezuela and Brazil, the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine became so big that a division became advisable for organizational and functional reasons. So, in 1907 the first attempt was made to restore one of the ancient Recollect provinces, the Province of Our Lady of the Pillar of Aragon. But because the nucleus of main houses was located in Andalusia, the government of the Order saw that the province to be restored had to be the old Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova of Andalusia. Thus it happened, the official date of the restoration being 10 June 1909.
Father Javier Guerra and the Prior provincial of Saint Thomas of Villanova.Cultural Diversity
Q.- The Province has houses in Spain, Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela. How is this cultural diversity integrated within the provincial community?
A.- I believe that the circumstances themselves gradually move us to live this cultural integration, which is taking place with great normality. We have not consciously discussed anything concrete to foment and facilitate such integration, but I am sure that some experiences of the Province have helped advance the integration. The main ones have been the establishment of the Province’s own novitiate in 1983 and the unification of the theologate in America for over a decade, which afforded mutual knowledge and living together and which experience, since the last provincial chapter, has been transferred to Spain. Moreover, gatherings and courses have been more frequent, which have helped us know each other and understand that the reality of the province is increasingly multicultural.
Missionary spirit
Q.- What strong points of the Province would you underscore?
A.- The Province’s greatest wealth are the friars. The exemplary dedication, the generous commitment, the untiring labor and the life witness of the great majority of our religious – that is our great patrimony and the treasure of our Province, principally that of many elderly religious, who simply have given it all for the Kingdom of God.
Q.- And the needs?
A.- We have countless deficiencies and needs, but the Lord performs each day the miracle of the loaves and the fishes. When we place what we have in his hands, he multiplies it and makes his grace reach there where humanly we would not be able to.
To be more specific, I would say that we need to revive the missionary spirit in the Province, and in these terms I have communicated to the friars in a circular letter on the occasion of the start of the centenary. Apparently, there exists a clear and manifest relationship between holiness of life, the good tenor of religious life, with readiness for mission work. I believe that the spirit of nesting and of being comfortable is trying to infiltrate the religious life in the communities and sometimes we are not sufficiently vigilant and attentive in rejecting it.
Another need, or rather I would call it challenge, is maintaining the charismatic identity of our apostolates. It is not hard to find some friars who, in the area of pastoral ministry, are living like diocesan priests. Our apostolate, be it parish, or educative or missionary ministry, should carry the mark of our Augustinian Recollect identity.
Youth
Q.- The Province has made a strong option for youth and vocation ministry. Can you tell us what programs are lined up on the occasion of the Augustinian Recollect Vocation Year?
A.- There has been an increase of vocation-oriented camps; sports and cultural competitions have been organized in our schools; prayer days for vocations and vigils have been held in our parishes; and we have strived to permeate all our pastoral work, during this vocation year, with that dimension of the culture of vocation that the Fr. General had suggested we revive. In many places, the vocation torch has made the pilgrimage into surprising areas. I was present when the torch arrived in Salvaterra (Marajó, Brazil), and I could see the enthusiasm of the people. We have organized days of prayer for the religious with the vocation theme as background, and all the summer activities in Spain – like fellowships, pilgrimage to Santiago, etc. – have been marked by this theme.
Lay people
Q.- On the 13th through the 17th of September, the secular fraternities of the province held their first encounter with the theme: “In communion with the brothers”. What would you highlight from that gathering?
A.- First and foremost, that it was held at all. It is not easy to gather brothers from Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela in Spain for five days and in full economic crisis. The secular fraternity members were telling me, jumping for joy, that this gathering was a madness and a dream, but since it was in the heart of God, the dream came true and the fruits will come. I don’t have the least doubt.
Secondly, the welcome that was given by the religious, especially by the vicars provincial and the religious assistant of the fraternities, who got invoved in facilitating things and helping those who were coming to Spain. And many religious and secular fraternity members in Spain went out of their way to help make everything run smoothly.
Thirdly, the experience of communion which we have lived is priceless. We spoke in the one language that we all comprehend and understand, and that is the language of love.
Fourthly, the richness of the content given during the gathering has been especially great, the mechanics has been flowing and the brotherhood was felt.
And lastly, I believe that the best of the encounter is still to come. Give time to time and everyone will see.
Venezuela
Q.- In the present socio-political context of Venezuela, what is the situation of the ministries and the religious?
A.- Our Vicariate in Venezuela is small in terms of number of houses and religious. We have just about 4 communities and 17 confreres. The friars are in general at peace and are happy to work in that country and with that wonderful people. Our presence is generally in poor areas for which reason the government has not yet interfered with us. We even continue administering a school – though I don’t know till when – that belonged to an American oil company and which, when it was nationalized, we thought would be taken away from us. Till today, we are slogging it out. In these last years, several young religious with enthusiasm for work have joined the vicariate and we hope that vocation fruit will soon start to bloom, which is a pending business in the vicariate.
Missionaries in Marajó.Brazil
Q.- The province has a mission territory in Marajó, Brazil: what are the present needs of the missionaries?
A.- Looking at the poor people of Marajó, one needs very few things, and I believe that the material needs of our missionaries are very well covered by the generosity of the Vicariate of Brazil. But, truth to say, the material aspect is the easiest to provide for. I see that our mission needs more religious so that the communities are strengthened, so that loneliness will not be so overwhelming as one penetrates those rivers of God, for three weeks visiting the people living in the riverbanks. Our religious need formation encounters, so they are updated, even if it be for work in the Amazonian rainforest. They need intense moments of spirituality, of retreat, in order to recharge and in order not to lose sight of him who called them and in the name of whom they are casting the nets and announcing the word. They need to feel they belong to the province and the Order, and for that reason they need to participate in the encounters and courses that are organized, so that their ties with the Order and the province are strengthened and they do not lose the charismatic identity. Finally, our religious need rest and recreation, they need to disconnect themselves from the mission from time to time and to live in bigger communities so as to feel the joy of fraternity.
Argentina
Q.- What role does the province play in Argentina?
A.- In terms of numbers, our presence in Argentina is irrelevant, but our history and work in these 80 years in that country has been significant and the Order is recognized, esteemed and respected by the nation’s shepherds and loved by its people. Let me confirm this with concrete data: the vicar general of the diocese of San Martín (Great Buenos Aires) is the Augustinian Recollect Fr. Imanol Larrínaga; the Recollect vicar of Argentina, Fr. Carlos Mª Domínguez, is the national consultant of Youth Ministry in Argentina; the process we follow for the youth of the Augustinian Recollect Youth is being adopted and implemented in many dioceses where our friars are not present; and, lastly, in Santa Fe, more than 700 youth regularly join the communities of the Augustinian Recollect Youth. What I’m telling you now is what is happening at present; if we look back at the past, I would cite to you textually what I heard from the lay people during the renewal visit I made to Villa Maipú (a workers’ zone) in the diocese of San Martín, namely that no institution had done so much for the zone as the Augustinian Recollects did by establishing a technical and vocational school there.
Cardenal Re and Prior Provincial of Saint Thomas of Villanova.The Future
Q.- What is the present direction of Saint Thomas Province?
A.- At the moment, there is no internal discussion on whether we need to close ministries in the Province. We do think that in a not too distant future we will have to turn over to the bishop of Marajó one of the communities we are administering now, not because we are abandoning the mission, but because we have to give space to diocesan priests, who, thank God, are increasing in the Prelature. The bishop can already count on seven native priests and two Polish priests who have a contract to work with him.
Personally, I wish we could open a new community in Venezuela that would strengthen our presence in that country. We are studying the possibilities and are making the initial steps.
In Maringá (Brazil) where we have the Philosophy seminary, the archbishop wants us to administer a parish, but at the moment we do not deem it proper due to lack of personnel.
As to strengthening certain types of the apostolate, let me say that in Brazil, a strong boost has been given to social work, infrastructures in our parishes and ministries for adopting this kind of work have been improved, a social center has been established in Belém do Pará, a kindergarten has been started in Breves, the Saint Rita kindergarten in the shanty town of Vidigal in Rio de Janeiro has doubled in capacity, and the facilities in the parish “A Saúde” in Sao Paolo for the attention of the needy parishioners have improved much.
In Argentina, we have decided to go for education and we took the risk of establishing a secondary school in the schools in Rosario and Santa Fe; moreover, we have been working hard in the parish and vocation ministries, which has been one of the characteristics of that vicariate.
In Venezuela, we are also working hard in the parish and vocation ministries; seldom does a week pass without a fellowship being organized.
And in Spain, where we are living in tough times, well, we try to give witness to what we are and to the values of the Kingdom. We do not give up our projects and we continue working with the youth in the parishes and schools, even where the Order has no houses at present, like in San Sebastian and Sevilla, where we have two youth centers. We work in the media, the magazine “Santa Rita y el pueblo cristiano” has been revitalized – a century-old publication that reaches more than 21 thousand families – and we don’t neglect the work with the secular fraternities. Last 17 September, twenty three members of the fraternity pronounced their promises.
Regarding collaboration with the Order, let me just mention that five religious of the province are in the curia general in Rome and Saint Ezekiel house in Madrid, working at the service of the Order.
Stamp of centenary.Centenary
Q.- Could you enumerate briefly the main activities scheduled for the Centenary of the Province?
A.- The opening mass for the centenary to be held at the town of our patron, Villanueva de los Infantes (Ciudad Real) which will be presided over by the Cardinal of Toledo and Primate of Spain, Monsignor Antonio Cañizares; and the pilgrimage which we will have the following day to Valencia, where Thomas was an attentive pastor and guide of his flock.
The Congress which we will hold in the University of Granada on the life and spirituality of the province in these 100 years; there will also be an art and photography exhibit.
The perpetual adoration in the province during this jubilee year. Every day, one community of the province will gather before the Blessed Sacrament to thank the Lord for the gift he has given and to raise our petitions.
We are also offering to the religious the opportunity to have an experience which we are calling “of prayer and simplicity” in some places in each area of the province, for 15 or 30 days in at atmosphere of retreat and of listening to the word of God.
Moreover, we will be publishing different materials, including those of the gatherings slated for the families, catechists, professors, youth, religious, etc.
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Some activities during the centenary |
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– Opening Eucharistic Celebration of the Centenary presided over by His Eminence Antonio L. Cañizares, in Villanueva de los Infantes (Ciudad Real), on 10th October 2008 at 6 p.m. – Congress on the life, spirituality and mission of the Province at the Faculty of Theology, University of Granada, on 7 – 10 May 2009. – Eucharistic Celebration of the Centenary on 9 June 2009 at Saint Monica Parish, Madrid, and at Saint Thomas of Villanova Parish, Granada. – Closing Eucharist of the Centenary on 10 October 2009 at Saint Monica Parish, Madrid. |