After two weeks of visiting communities and apostolic works of the Augustinian Recollects in the United States, the Prior General has concluded his tour of the country. As Fr. Miguel Angel pointed out:
“this visit was highlighted by moments of fraternal and spiritual encounter, which reflected the vitality of the U.S. Catholic Church and the Hispanic community’s deep connection to its faith.”
The Prior General’s tour began in Santa Ana, California, where he visited the parishes of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of the Pillar. There, he celebrated the Eucharist with the faithful whose fervent participation and the vibrant life of their communities was for him “a clear sign of the living faith in the region”. In the words of the Prior General, “the vitality of the Church in the United States” is strongly manifested in the Hispanic communities that, week after week, congregate with remarkable enthusiasm.
Miguel Angel met with the religious who serve in these parishes, as well as with the pastoral councils, the Augustinian Recollect Youth (JAR) and the Secular Fraternity. For him, each of these meetings represented “an opportunity to strengthen the shared faith and establish a close dialogue” with those who make up the pastoral life of the local communities . “The fraternity of the OAR communities has received us as true brothers”, he expressed in gratitude for the warm welcome they extended to him.
From California, Fr. Miguel Angel headed to the East Coast, starting in Union City, New Jersey. There he visited St. Nicholas Monastery, where the Augustinian Recollects serve the parishes of Holy Family and St. Augustine. At this stage of his visit, he observed an environment different from that of the western part of the country, but equally full of life and devotion, highlighting the commitment of the religious to offer constant spiritual support to the Hispanic community.
During his visit to Suffern, New York, the Prior General visited the community of Sacred Heart and the former Tagaste Friary, which was the formation house of the former Province of St. Augustine. Miguel Angel shared a day of fellowship with the religious of this community, which became a space to strengthen the bonds among the religious and to reaffirm the commitment to their mission.
An atmosphere full of life and devotion, highlighting the commitment of the religious to offer constant spiritual support to the Hispanic community.
In his visits to the communities, Friar Miguel Angel expressed his admiration for the elderly friars, who “could be resting in the convents of their countries of origin and are here at the foot of the cannon, committed to evangelization and pastoral work in these lands.”
The last stage of his journey took him to Belvidere, where he visited the Augustinian Recollect Nuns. This meeting was described by the Prior General as a “profoundly fraternal moment that allowed to further strengthen the bonds of the religious family”, sharing the same mission and spirituality. Luciano Audisio, Secretary General, who accompanied Friar Miguel Ángel on this tour, “the Prior General’s visit not only served to accompany and encourage the communities in their evangelizing work, but also to recognize the valuable service that each of the friars and nuns contribute to the Order in the United States.
“With a heart full of gratitude for the experiences shared and blessings received.”
On Sunday, November 3, the last day in the USA, Friar Miguel Angel left for Rome, “with a heart full of gratitude for the experiences shared and the blessings received”. For him, “the commitment of the Augustinian Recollects with the Hispanic community in the United States is a testimony of faith and dedication, in a country where the Order continues its pastoral and evangelizing work with firmness and hope”.