Javier Guerra, prior general of the Order, joined the father provincials of St. Rita, Francisco Sevolani, and St. Thomas Villanueva, Miguel Angel Hernandez. The liturgical celebration counted with the presence of 35 augustinian recollect priests and hundreds of faithful and members of the secular fraternity present in all the ministries of that the province has in Brazil: Ribeirão Preto, Franca, Igarapava, Muqui, Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Castelo, Vitória, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.
Bishop Hernandez himself worked twelve years in the Province of St. Rita before becoming a bishop. He encouraged the recollects with the following words:
We must be live as passionate disciples of Christ and for His cause. “Our story must continue. We must announce the Good News of Christ in our communities.
We must be witnesses of a living God in the midst of a secularized world. We must be live as passionate disciples of Christ and for His cause.
It is necessary that we walk ahead and continue. Christ’s cause is good. The resurrected Christ that lives amongst us supports this cause”.