Francisco Javier Martínez Medina and Miguel Ángel León Coloma presented in the II Augustinian Recollect Historical Congress the works of art that will form part of the Iconography exhibit, which will be opened for public viewing at the beginning of September in the Church of the Hospitallers administered by the Augustinian Recollects. The academic activity organized by the Augustinian Recollect province of Saint Thomas of Villanova also counted on the participation of some art experts like José Luis Romero Torres, who delivered a conference entitled: “El arte y el patrimonio histórico del convento del Pópulo de Sevilla” (The art and the historical patrimony of the convent of the People of Sevilla), one of the many Spanish Churches with Augustinian depictions.
The Americas
On the first day, the congress was graced by the presence of the Nuncio, and the conferences centered on the history of the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova, which celebrates this year the centenary of its restoration. On the second day, the conference, “Santo Tomás de Villanueva, reformador de la Iglesia” (Saint Thomas of Villanova, reformer of the Church), given by Arthur Llin Cháfer, who specialized on the holy Augustinian saint, gave way to the conferences delivered by the Augustinian Recollect bishops José Luis Azcona (Marajó, Brazil) and Jesús María Cizaurre (Cametá, Brazil).
Father Miguel Orcasitas expressed that the greatest patrimony of the Augustinians is Saint Augustine himself. He highlighted that around 50,000 religious men and women of some 150 orders and congregations follow his rule. The Augustinian Recollect historian Ángel Martínez Cuesta spoke of the first stage of the Augustinian Recollects in Brazil and Ricardo W. Corleto about their presence in Argentina.
After the academic activities, the participants of the Congress went to Santa Fe, where the Archbishop of Granada, Msgr. Francisco Javier Martínez presided the Eucharist together with Msgr. Adolfo González Montes, bishop of Almería, and the other two Augustinian Recollect bishops.
The Carthusian church and the Palace of Quinta Alegre
On the third day of the congress, the mass was celebrated in the Carthusian church, a jewel of Spanish baroque architecture. The day started with the conference of the Augustinian Javier Campos on the episcopacy of Saint Thomas of Villanova, followed by the Claretian Cristo Rey García Paredes, an expert on the theology of Consecrated Life, who talked about the “Retos de la vida religiosa en el siglo XXI” (the challenges of religious life in the XXI century). Miguel Miró, Vicar General of the Order presented the challenges of the future of the Augustinian Recollect charism.
During the evening session, the participants moved to the Palacio de Quinta Alegre, where they were able to listen, from the hand of the expert Imanol Larrínaga, another conference about “El carácter contemplativo en la vida consagrada y en la Orden de Agustinos Recoletos,” (The contemplative character in Consecrated Life and in the Order of Augustinian Recollects).
The Finishing Touches The Augustinian Recollect convent in Monachil hosted the last day of the congress. Juan Aranda Doncel talked about the “La huella de la Recolección Agustiniana en tierras cordobesas,” (The trace of Augustinian Recollection in the Cordovan Land); Teodoro Calvo presented the most important events of the Province in its centenary and Baltasar Reguera talked about the 50 year existence of the Vicariate of Venezuela. The last conference of the Congress was delivered by the Prior General of the Order of Augustinian Recollects, Javier Guerra, who talked about the theme, “La Orden de Agustinos Recoletos en la encrucijada del nuevo milenio” (the Order of Augustinian Recollects in the crossroad of the new millennium)
The Congress ended at the Cathedral of Granada, with the celebration of the Eucharist presided by the archbishop of the diocese, Francisco Javier Martínez. The Church was filled with more than 200 Congress participants, religious, and lay people, who sought the strength of the Spirit to continue being witness of the love of Christ in the world. The bishop of Marajó, José Luis Azcona, gave testimony of his faith in the midst of death threats he has received. At the end of the mass, the Prior Provincial, Miguel Ángel Hernández, handed over the centennial commemorative medal to the Archbishop of Granada.