On February 23 and 24, a formation meeting for formators and vocation promoters of the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno was held in the Philippines. The venue was the Recoletos Formation Center in Miranila, Quezon, Metro Manila. At the head of the organization was the President of the Secretariat for Initial Formation and Vocation Ministry of the Province, Fr. Kenneth Onda. The conference was attended by the President of the General Secretariat for Initial Formation and Vocation Ministry of the Order, Fr. Fabián Martín, and the Augustinian Recollect Fr. Rafael Castillo, prior of Oxnard Monastery, in California, United States.
During these two intense days, about 25 religious participated in the three training modules, which were jointly called St. Augustine and the art of accompanimentwhich had been offered the previous year to formators and vocation promoters at the Order’s School of Formation. In imum cordis. During the sessions, the videos corresponding to each module were shown, which were prepared by the Augustinian Recollects Fr. Bruno D’Andrea, Fr. Lucilo Echezarreta and Fr. José Manuel González Durán. The first deals with St. Augustine’s commentary on the passage of the disciples of Emmaus, prototype of all accompaniment; the second, interiority as a process of integration; and the third, accompaniment and discernment of St. Augustine through his letters.
For his part, Fr. Fabián Martín presented the Augustinian Recollect style of accompaniment, which is developed in the new Formation Plan Redi ad cor, Return to the Heart, with respect to initial formation. In his presentation he used a dynamic methodology in which he allowed the participants to share experiences and learning.
The meeting was marked by moments of reflection, celebration and prayer in a very fraternal atmosphere. In addition to the training sessions, Fr. Fabian Martin and Fr. Rafael Castillo visited the formation houses of the Province of St. Nicholas of the Philippines.
Since Fr. Fabian Martin is also the General Council’s liaison with the Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternities, a meeting was held with the fraternities of Manila and its surroundings in Miranila. In this act, Fr. Fabian Martin explained the essential features of the Rule of the Fraternity, inviting to the renewal of life in the fraternities.
