Francisco Javier Jimenez, prior provincial of St. Nicholas of Tolentine, presided the mass. With him were José Ramón Perez and Manuel Beaumont, prior provincial of St. Joseph and Our Lady of Consolation, together with another forty Augustinian recollect concelebrants that work in many parts of the world.
In the homily, Francisco Javier Jimenez recalled certain expressions that the same young men had shared with him times before. Phrases like: “I search happiness and the Order offers me a way to find it”. “I hear Christ’s calling and I want to respond to his offer”. “My desire is not to live for myself but for others”. With these ideas, the fraternal life in community and the evangelization mission we all have was exposed clearly in the homily.
Chinese Augustinian Recollects
Fr. Provincial also mentioned his last trip to China where he met up with a dozen of friars that have not had the same opportunity of formation as those in Monteagudo. “Your preparation is in many ways much better than theirs and this should help you live your vocation in greater faithfulness.
Each of the novices than passed to do their profession publicly and then sign it on the altar.
Profession Rites
Each of the novices than passed to do their profession publicly and then sign it on the altar. Then they received the Augustinian recollect habit and our Constitutions. And the rites of profession closed with the hug of acceptance from all the Augustinian recollect friars present. Mass followed at its normal pace. At the end of the celebration, the old negro hymn “Amazing Grace” was sung. And final words were heard by Jose Ramon Perez, Manuel Beaumont and Miguel Angel Tejada, novitiate superior. After the solemn blessing the Salve was sung.
The Order’s Novitiates
And life goes on in the novitiate in Monteagudo. Soon, new thirteen novices will start their experience also from different countries and provinces. Apart from the novitiate in Spain, there are two more in our Order: Desierto de la Candelaria in Colombia with seven novices and in Antipolo City in the Philippines with sixteen novices. Last year in the Colombian novitiate, two Filipino friars made their profession there: Mark Ryan Tibulan Prado and Steve Paolo Velasco Lanuza.
Diversity enriches the life, communion and mission of our Order.
The New Religious
Diversity enriches the life, communion and mission of our Order. These are the names of the newly professed.
St. Nicholas Province
Marcos Eduardo Araya Calderón (Costa Rica), Miguel Angel Espinosa Duran (Mexico),
Heber Guadalupe Hermosillo Sanchez (Mexico), Eduardo Jose Ortiz Zúñiga (Costa Rica),
Luis Diego Ramírez Alvarez (Costa Rica), Douglas Rhys Beard (England)
St Joseph Province
Alexander Javier D´Vicente Medina (Venezuela), Freddy Humberto Daza Amaya
(Venezuela), Manuel Fernandez Fernandez (Perú), Lubin Jesus Moreno Meneses
(Venezuela), Jose Emmanuel Torres (Venezuela)
Our Lady of Consolation Province
Anicet Samedi David (Haiti)