On September 16, 1912, Pope St. Pius X granted to the Augustinian Recollects its juridical autonomy, declaring them as an Order with full rights. Coinciding with 100 years, they have celebrated the opening of the centenary and have done it in simultaneous manner in the 19 countries where they are present.
The main characteristic of the celebration has been the communion: generally there has been only one gathering in every country. This is well relevant in nations as Brazil, United States, Venezuela and Spain, where there are various provinces present.
The formulary has also been the same, that of the votive mass of St. Augustine from the missal of the Order, instead of the liturgy proper of that Sunday. For this purpose the permission of the Congregation of Worship in Vatican had been obtained. Likewise there was also the plenary indulgence granted by the Vatican, which converted the act of thanksgiving to the celebration of the pardon received and communicated.
The corresponding event in Spain has already been communicated in our website, presided by Cardinal Rouco Varela, archbishop of Madrid and president of the Episcopal Conference of Spain. We will complete now the report with the information of the other celebrations held around the world.
Mexico
Querétaro. The unveiling of a commemorative plaque by Miguel Miró, Prior General. In the Mexican Republic, there was a double celebration presided by the Prior General of the Order, Miguel Miro, who was there to participate in the 5th Assembly of the Augustinian Recollect Nuns in that country. The assembly started on the 15th in the monastery of St. Joseph in Tlaxcala and, after the inauguration, Miro proceeded to Queretaro where on the 16th, he presided the first celebration of the centenary, in the auditorium of Fray Luis de Leon College. Among those present in that celebration were the members of the religious community and the postulants of the seminary situated right in that same place, which significantly bears the name of St. Pius X, the Pope who granted the brief “Religiosas Familias”. Prior to that, in an improvised press conference hall, Miro entertained the different means of communication in that area, and responded satisfactorily to their inquiries and anxieties.
On the following day, Monday 17th, at 6:00 pm the inauguration took place in the temple of St. Monica for all the houses in the State of Mexico, Federal District, Queretaro and Cuernavaca. Right before that, he had a reunion with the 30 religious belonging to the two Provinces of the Order; afterwards there was an intense business meeting with the 300 members of the 8 Secular Augustinian Fraternity in the Capital.
Fr. General himself presided the Eucharist. Twenty two other priests concelebrated with him. The brothers of the Secular fraternity participated together with 9 Nuns from the two Recollect monasteries in Mexico City and a group of Augustinian Recollect Missionary Sisters with some young postulants.
During the homily, Fray Miro gave thanks to God for the various centuries of the history of the Order, as well as for the granting of the title of Order, one hundred years ago. Likewise, he emphasized the commitment that our history and our patrimony imply and the task of renewal to which the Spirit pushes us. He pointed out the importance of prayer of the contemplative sisters, the missionary spirit of the friars, the vocation of the laymen in the Church, from their family and their own surrounding. Every one is important, he said: “we take each one with joy and hope, because we have only one important mission in the life of the Church”.
Afterwards all those present shared the refreshment in the company of Carlos Briseño, an Augustinian Recollect, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Mexico.
Costa Rica
Caracas. A group of RAY The official visit of the Prior General to Costa Rica gave place to a solemn inauguration of the Centenary in the Church of the Ciudad de los Niños (Cartago) on the 19th of September, feast of St. Alonso de Orozco in the Augustinian Calendar. Miguel Miro presided and six religious who are members of the community concelebrated with him aside from Fr. Sergio Camarena, the secretary general. Among the multitude of faithful who filled in the church, there were the students, professors and collaborators of the Ciudad, all in their uniform, as well as the members of the Secular Fraternity The priests were also wearing chasubles with the Augustinian seal. From the top of the temple, parallel to the Risen Christ that presides over it, there was the streamer with the logo and theme of the Centenary: “1588-1812-2012: Before, Yesterday, Today and Forever”. It was a touching Eucharist, festive, youthful, and well participated, with abundant songs sung by the whole assembly.
Colombia
In Colombia, the Eucharist took place in a parish annexed to the central house in Bogota, and was presided by an Augustinian Recollect bishop Olavio Lopez Duque, anterior bishop of Casanare, the mission where the Order is present for 350 years. With Msgr. Lopez 30 Colombian religious concelebrated and, among those present, was a group of Augustinian Recollect Missionary Sisters, as well as a representation of the Augustinian Recollect Sisters for the Sick. There were also present four Secular Fraternities from Bogota. After the Eucharistic celebration a lunch was served at the Provincial House where the guests shared brotherly moments .
Philippines
Mexico City. Augustinian Recollect nuns In an archipelago as Philippines, it is quite expensive to have one common celebration. In this case, certain dispersion is justifiable. It is understandable that in central zone as in the Visayan Islands, particularly in the Island of Negros, the solemnity be celebrated in other dates. In Talisay (Negros Occidental), the event took place on the 1st , with a solemn Eucharistic celebration presided by the bishop of Bacolod, Vicente M. Navarra.Among those present, other than the religious from Bacolod and Talisay, were the members of the Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity from both cities and the students and faithful of the institutions administered in Talisay by the Recollects. A similar celebration was also held on 12th in another city of the same province, San Carlos, the formation house of Santo Tomas de Villanueva.
However, as that in the other parts of the Order, the main celebration took place on the 16th of September, although on this same day various masses were organized in the different regions. The principal one, as it could nothing less, took place in Manila, the basilica of San Sebastian, the neo-gothic steel church which represents best the recollect history in the Asian country.
The main celebrant invited to preside the celebration was one of the well known Filipino bishops, Teodoro Bacani, bishop emeritus of Novaliches. Other than being a professor in the Theologate of the Order in that country, during his younger years he was also the classmates of the first Filipino recollects
In the beautiful setting of San Sebastian, with Msgr. Bacani 40 religious concelebrated in the Eucharist with the presence of the formands, both from the theologate as well as the novitiate and a considerable number of Augustinian Recollect Sisters of the Philippines. And a multitude of the members of the Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity from all parts of Metro Manila who filled up the church, with the characteristic white habit and black belt they use during big occasions. Like in other places, after the Eucharistic celebration there was the fraternal agape.
Venezuela
In Caracas, the place for the celebration was the parish of St. Pius X, popularly known as sanctuary of St. Jude Thadeus. It was there where the Augustinian Recollect religious gathered for the celebration. The Superior of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova presided the Eucharist, accompanied by the Superior of the Province of St. Joseph together with a good number of religious, groups of the Secular Fraternity and the Augustinian Recollect Youth. After the celebration every one took part of the meal. As a souvenir, each one received a frame with an image of St. Pius X.
United States
The enormous extension of North America, wherein the Augustinian Recollects are distributed, made it practically impossible to have one celebration. They have to content themselves, at least for a moment, with having various Eucharistic commemorations for this event. There is a report that for the communities in New York City and in the State of New Jersey the Eucharistic celebration was held in Union City at the parish of St. Augustine.
Due to parochial Sunday obligations, the commemoration of the “Religiosas Familias” took place on the 17th in a Eucharist presided by Javier Tonatiuh Espinosa. Seven other Augustinian Recollects concelebrated with him, attended by the faithful from two parishes in Union City. There was a reserved place was occupied by the 2 groups of Secular Augustinian Recollects, the English speaking and the Spanish speaking.