According to the famous saying of Pope Francis, in order to be a good shepherd of the Church “one must have the smell of a sheep.” That means the task of a bishop or a priest does not consist in being a good administrator or an efficient official, but in being in contact with the faithful making their problems and aspirations one’s own. The same can be said of the superiors of a religious community and, with more reason, of the Prior General of an Order.
Hence, in the case of the Prior General of the Order of the Augustinian Recollects, Miguel Miró, one of his first duties is to visit the communities, to judge their mood or views and exhort the religious to persevere in a life that is more on consonance with their charism. It is what he had done in China during the second half of August, and has continued doing in Colombia since the end of the same month. Last August 29, immediately after celebrating the feast of St. Augustine, he flew to Bogotá so that, with this as headquarters and in coordination with Provincial Curia of the Province of Our Lady of the Candles, he could spend a month visiting the 23 Recollect communities of Colombia.
He travelled first to the mission of Casanare, now Apostolic Vicariate of Trinidad, on Northeast part of the country. And later on he travelled through the 19 parishes and four churches, as well as the eight academic institutions (one university and seven colleges) that the Order has in this South American country. He reserved special care for the tree seminaries where the aspirants to Augustinian Recollect life are formed.
Recognition in Manizales
The Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Interior view Two principal milestones mark the visit of the General to the Colombian communities. In the first place, the closing ceremony, last September 14, of the Centenary Year of the granting of the brief Religiosas Familias, by St. Pius X giving the title of Order to the Augustinian Recollects.
The second milestone took place in the City of Manizales (Caldas), where the Order has two communities: the Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the House of Formation St. Augustine in the area known as La Linda. The Prior General arrived at Manizales on the 25th, and on that day and the next an Augustinian Historical Week took place in the splendid neo-Gothic church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with the theme “112 Years of Evangelizing”, making reference to the time that had elapsed since the Augustinian Recollects established themselves in the coffee-growing capital, on March 2 of 1901. What was then, according to the description of Miguel Miró, the outskirts of the city, poor and furrowed by streams”, today it is officially recognized as the barrio of the Augustinians.
The activities that took place during these two days were varied. The Week was opened with a concert in the charge of the Chamber Orchestra of Caldas. The emotional act of the institutional recognition of the Augustinian Recollects in the person of their Prior General followed. To Fray Miguel Miró was given the golden key of the municipality of Manizales, as well as an award of the Government of the Department of Caldas. Likewise, Miró received a diploma from the Centro de Historia and another from Asociación de Periodistas (Association of Journalists) of the City of Manizales. Finally, the Week ended with two conferences: one about “Los Agustinos Recoletos in Manizales. Una Historia” (The Augustinian Recollects in Manizales. A History), in the charge of Juan Pablo Rivera of Centro de Historia de Manizales (Center of History of Manizales), and the second (on the 26th) about “Los vitrales de la Iglesia de los Agustinos”, ( The Stained-glass Windows of the Church of the Augustinians), by Vicente Fernán Arango Estrada.
Thanksgiving Speech
In the required response to the recognition, Father General delivered a speech which he started by giving thanks to the authorities for the distinctions received. Later he recalled the time of the arrival of the first Recollects, the construction of the first church made of wood, and the construction during twelve years (1914-1926) of what it is now, “one of the most beautiful of Colombia and of the Order”, according to him.
In addition to the structure of the actual parish church, “with airs of a basilica”, Miró also underscored the importance of the splendid stained-glass windows, which “allow that light of the Mystery colored by the Augustinian saints become alive.” And he did not forget to mention the organ with 3000 pipes, brought from Barcelona (Spain) in 1908 and restored after 100 years, which harmoniously accompanies the fervent prayers of the faithful of the Sacred Heart of Jesus”. This three-keyboard organ that passes as the greatest of Colombia, would play a leading part in various on concerts and guided visits during the following days.
And the General concluded his speech with a reflection which, from a distant past, he extracted for the present lessons of life: “The Augustinian Recollects of Manizales were not discouraged in the face of difficulties. These stimulated them to confide more in the Lord and continue working with enthusiasm. We can even say that they made them more creative and kept them more united to the faithful. We wish to serve this people, to foster the new evangelization, to promote justice and establish peace in Manizales, in Colombia and in the whole world. To do great works we need to be united, those who come to church and those who see the church from the outside. We are all beloved children of God”.
Finally, of all this there was a proper review in the local newspaper which, not satisfied with it, interviewed the Prior General. The most well-known daily of Manizales, La Patria, in its edition of September 26, posed to him diverse questions about varied topics such as the renewal of the Church, peace in Colombia and the work of Pope Francis. And one of the local television stations did the same thing.