Although they had their formation in Spain, the seven religious came from five countries as far as China, Panama, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Brazil. The diversity of places of origin is a good sign of the sociological transformation which the Order of the Augustinian Recollects is witnessing, an Order founded in Spain in 1588 and for centuries was exclusively Spanish.
During the last part of 20th century 58% of the friars were of Spanish nationality. The crisis of vocation, with the consequent increase of the middle age, resulted to the reduction of this percentage to the actual 45%. On the contrary, the Americans have increased, moving up from 28 to 37 percent, a higher growth which the Order also has experienced in Asiatic continent, where the religious, mostly Filipinos, have moved up from 13 to 17 percent.
Service
In his homily during the ceremony of ordination, Msgr. Hernandez Sola gave emphasis to the idea of service. It could not be otherwise, since it had something to do with diaconal ordination and, in the dictionary and in the history, diaconia implies service. The Order changes its skin, opening itself to new places, but continues to be the same through the service it renders to the Church and to the people, out of the gift received from God.