During the first two weeks, Recollect Fathers Angel Martinez Cuesta and Enrique Eguiarte talked about the history and spirituality of the Order. Within this period the festivities of Our Lady of Consolation and St. Nicholas of Tolentine were celebrated.
Aside from the intellectual activity and the festivities, this annual gathering of young augustinian recollects who are in their last years of seminary formation, serves as the ideal moment to foment fraternal togetherness and affection among brothers of diverse culture and nationalities. Completing their list of activities are group sharing, eucharistic celebration and the liturgy of the hours; briskwalking or hiking and sports.
Visits
September 5, which is a saturday, the participants travelled to Motril, a southern town of Granada. It is a place deservingly called "recollect " due to the many presence of the recollect friars and nuns in this town. Likewise because in Motril lie the mortal remains of the augustinian recollects martyred during the Spanish civil war of 1936-1939 and who are already declared as blessed by the Church.
The annual gathering of formation is organized by the three augustinian recollect houses of formation in Spain. From Motril, passing through Almeria, the excursionists arrived in Calahonda (Granada), a place with its tranquil beaches and a very nice view of the Spanish Mediterranean. Such panorama and surroundings encouraged a good number of them to plunge into the water and swim. Before going back to Monachil they visited the caves of Nerja (Malaga, Spain).
On a Sunday, afternoon September 6 there was a brief tour within the capital of Granada. In the same city there was enough time to visit or view the exhibit organized by the province of St. Thomas of Villanova in Hospitalicos. The guide was Jesus Cerezal Fernandez, the commissioner of the exhibit. These young religious took advantage of their weekend to visit Alhambra and the gardens of Generalife.
Spiritual Retreat based on "Confessions"
On the third week these young religious from the three houses of formation of Spain, had their annual retreat. They were guided by the augustinian fathers Andres Niño and Felix Rodriguez Olmo. Their reflections, meditation were based principally from the "Confession" of St. Augustine.