Members of all the Mexican Augustinian Recollect family: Friars, missionaries, Augustinian Recollect Sisters, aspirants, Secular Augustinian Recollects, gathered to celebrate the birth of the Secular Fraternity “Saint Magdalene of Nagasaki.” More than thirty brothers and sisters representing the seven fraternities of Mexico City and the State of Mexico came to be part of the celebration. In Mexico there are nine secular fraternities comprised of 370 members.
< The Eucharist was presided by Carlos González, Vicar of Mexico, who was accompanied by another eight Augustinian Recollect celebrants. After Mass the celebration continued in the pre-school patio of the College of Fray Luis de León with a dinner, that began with an enthusiastic welcoming by Javier Ruiz, prior of the community. Rosaluz Galindo, president of postulants, Fraternity of Saint Augustine in Mexico, also welcomed those gathered. During dinner the Rios sisters sang some songs from the recording, “La fuerza de tu corazón”.
Fr. Iván Cano, assistant of the new fraternity, said: “it is difficult to describe what happened here, but you can ask anyone who lived it: there was harmony from beginning to end, joy at every moment, there was a increase in fraternal family bonds, increase in faith; thanksgiving, surprises, excitement…unity of hearts. There was fraternity Augustinian Recollect style.”