On May 25, 2024, a meeting of the Social Apostolate Commission (CAS) of the Order was held in Sitio Agostinho, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
The meeting was attended by the head of the CAS of the Province of San Nicolás de Tolentino, Fr. Alberto Moreno; the CAS representative of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova, Fr. Simón Puertas Pérez; the Executive Director of ARCORES International, Javier Sanchez; the representative of the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno and ARCORES Sierra Leone, Fr. Vincent Cadeliña; and the president of the CAS of the Order and general councilor, Fr. Jaazeal Jakosalem.
The meeting focused on three key points:
- Updating of meetings: Coordination with the Secretariat for Ministerial and Missionary Apostolates.
- ResultsDiscussion on the results of the meeting with the Priors Provincial and the dialogue between the OAR Bishops and ARCORES.
- ARCORES ServicesCAS, on behalf of ARCORES, provided information and offered services to coordinate and support current and planned social ministries in the provinces and local ministries.
In addition, other issues were discussed such as the deadline and tentative distribution of the CAS/ARCORES statutes, participation in meetings and conferences with the international office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) and other entities, and the involvement of ARCORES in training.
During the meeting, ARCORES’ support to social projects in the OAR Bishops’ territories was highlighted. Javier Sanchez presented the solidarity network as the social arm of the Augustinian Recollect Family, with the main mission of responding to the needs of the poor. He also pointed out that there is a willingness to support projects in the service areas of the bishops and several queries and clarifications were resolved in this regard.
The meeting was also an opportunity for the members of the Commission to visit
LAR Santa Monica,
a social project of the Province of St. Nicholas in Fortaleza (Brazil) that is dedicated to the integral formation of girls who have suffered physical and sexual abuse. During the visit, the center’s team was thanked, including the head of LAR Santa Monica Fr. José CorcuerraWe are grateful for the commitment and dedication of our lay administrators, tutors, psychologists and educators. In addition, an overview of ARCORES’ commitment to respond to global social challenges was presented.
Community Visit in Guaraciaba do Norte, Ceará (Brazil)
Located in the mountainous area of Ceará, belonging to the Diocese of Tianguá, the missionary and pastoral work of the Augustinian Recollects in Guaraciaba do Norte continues to strengthen the faith of the local population. This visit was an opportunity to dialogue with the missionary community about the Order’s global social projects and to encourage them to continue their efforts in the mission area.
The social project ‘Villas de Los Padres’ was visited, where more than 80 houses have been built to help the local population. In addition, a visit was made to the Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe, where Fr. Alberto Moreno celebrated mass with the Augustinian Recollect Nuns. Fr. Tagoy encouraged the nuns to actively participate in the social apostolate within their capabilities and assured ARCORES of their continued support.
This meeting and the visits made reflect the Order’s ongoing commitment to serving communities in need and promoting social justice globally.
