The elevation of Bishop Jose Luis Lacunza to the College of Cardinals delayed the start of the Provincial Chapter of the Philippine Province. The Prior General of the Order, Miguel Miro, could not forgo the consistory last February 14 in which the Augustinian Recollect bishop was to receive his red hat. Unfortunately he could no longer be around for the concelebrated Mass with the Pope the following day. Early in the morning he had to fly to Manila. From Manila he had yet to proceed to Cebu City where on Tuesday he opened the sixth Provincial chapter of the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno.
The 25 other capitulars did not waste their time. Since February 13, Friday, they had a retreat at Talavera House of Prayer which is the venue of the chapter on a hill overlooking the city. Fasting and praying they prepared themselves for the transcendental event. The outgoing provincial, Lauro Larlar, was the one who directed the moments of reflection.
The Prior General opened the Chapter urging the delegates of the Province to live this moment of grace in joy and fidelity. After having mentioned the five confreres in the missión of Sierra Leone, he asks them to have in mind the five fundamental points, namely, Jesus the Lord as the center; the Augustinian Recollect identity and the sense of Order, not only of Province; the life in community and being united in prayer and in evangelization; the consistency between the our Word and our life; the vow of poverty and the various faces of poverty in the society. He further stressed that we are the sequel of a missionary history and that the Order is into revitalization and restructuring. He said that the Augustinian Recollects live in the providential moment to renew our loyalty to the Spirit and in order to achieve it we need to walk together towards the same direction. He emphasized especially this last point. And in conclusión he proposed as guide what the Holy Father Francis said in the Synod on Family: “Speak clearly and listen with humility.”
From then on the Chapter began to review the life of the Province during the past three years and how the 20 or so communities are at present. In the personal reflection of each delegate, in the study group discussions and in the general assembly, the three questions proposed by the Prior General will resound: What does the Lord want of us today? What does the Church expect of us today? What kind of common life are we called to live? The responses will later form the life and mission project of the Province which the chapter is expected to articulate.
On Saturday, as the week ended, the series of reflection and discussion finally bore fruit – the primary objective which will serve as guide in the decisions and efforts of the Chapter. According to this objective, the Recollect Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno desires to experience a deeper personal and communitarian encounter with Christ by becoming missionary disciples and prophetic witnesses of the Joy of the Gospel among the poor, faithful to our charism and our life and mission project.