38 Augustinian Recollects who were chosen to plan for the future of the OAR the next six years opted for the objective, “to revitalize the Order starting from its charismatic identity in order to better fulfill the mission of evangelization.” In order to realize this, they invite all the 1,200 religious of the Institute to be open to and deepen their experience of God, to restructure the organisms of the Order, and intensify communion among them and with the entire Church.
Spiritual Life
And on the occasion of the centenary of the document, Religiosas Familias, which constituted the Augustinian Recollects – whose beginnings are traced back to 1588 – as a religious order, the chapter entrusts to the future prior general and his council the task of promoting the living out of the charism.
Among the points that were approved, the most distinguished and prevalent is the urgent call – to trust in God and to live radically the Gospel in order to grow in their spiritual life; to seek the harmony of prayer, fraternal life in common, study and the mission. In this manner and for the love of Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit, the religious can face their difficulties starting from faith and with humility and spirit of sacrifice. They can live joyfully the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience in a way that manifests the joy of the resurrection.
Restructuration
On the other hand, the chapter participants also determined that the process of revitalization should include the revision and adaptation of structures that provide favorable climate to consecrated life and lead the religious to the radical way of living out their charismatic identity. The process shall be realized in a climate of communitarian dialogue and discernment. The chapter also provided steps to be taken the next six years in order to realize said process.
New Evangelization
The Order accepts the invitation of the Church for the religious to be more determination to realize the New Evangelization, and urges all members of the Order – while in communion with the universal church and the local churches – to a conversion in their pastoral orientation, to a change from a “pastoral ministry that merely maintains to one that is decisively missionary” (Doc. Aparecida 370).
The religious who work in the mission apostolate are likewise asked to strengthen the spiritual growth of the mission communities, emphasizing on evangelization as source of fraternity and promotion of human dignity.
The chapter participants are conscious of the fact that the Augustinian Recollect charism is truly alive in the educational apostolate, and that today, this is one of the best and most important platforms of evangelization, especially of the young generation. Thus the chapter determines that there be a renewed commitment to this apostolate and asks that within the next six years there be declared a “Year of Augustinian Recollect Educational Apostolate”.
Haren Alde
The Augustinian Recollects, in response to the cry of the poor and in order to be more effective in their social apostolate, ask the future prior general to promote the professionalization of the non-governmental organization, Haren Alde, and initiate the process of providing it its own place and facilities.
The members of the same chapter also ask the next prior general to assign religious who will represent the Order in social and ecclesial forums for the promotion of justice, peace, and the integrity of creation, and for defense of life in all its stages. The chapter exhorts all communities and every religious to make their prophetic voice be heard, whenever possible and in whichever place they work.
Vocations and Formation
The chapter asks the prior general and all major superiors to exhort all the religious to be witnesses of authentic “vocation culture”. It proposed initiatives to promote vocation ministry and the pastoral care of the young. Among these are: the creation of local teams, the constitution of an interprovincial team that will prepare plans and common programs, and furtherance of the development of the Recollect Augustinian Youth (RAY) or the Juventud Agustino Recoleta (JAR). The importance of formation, both initial and continuing, was given serious consideration. The main challenges of initial formation are: the collaboration among the teams of formation of the different provinces, the elaboration of a program of proper formation and of common itinerary of formation.
Secular Fraternities
The Augustinian Recollects welcome the faithful who, according to their state and conditions of life, receive the call to live the Augustinian Recollect way of life and to share the mission that has been entrusted by the Church to the Order. The chapter provides practical ordinances for their fraternal life in common, their formation and apostolic service.
Communication
The chapter tasks the prior general to establish an office for communication that will be placed under the supervision of the prior general and his council. The same mandate urges the major authority to avail of the services of communication professionals or experts to better organize and coordinate the communication network of the Order. The said office shall prepare a master plan for the networking of the communication centers of the different provinces. It is hoped that through this office, clarity and oneness in communicating matters of the Order to the public reflect the union and concord of the Augustinian Recollects as a family.