The year 2024 is being a period of celebration and grateful memory for the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova. It commemorates 125 years of presence in Brazil and Venezuela and 100 years in Argentina, among other milestones. In addition, this year is marked by the completion of various restoration works and upcoming inaugurations. 
Fr. Javier Tello, Prior Provincial, emphasized that “this year is, without a doubt, a unique opportunity to strengthen our mission and renew our commitment to Augustinian values. Not only do we remember our history, but we reaffirm our vocation of service and our responsibility to the communities in which we are present”.
From Cáceres, via Salamanca, Venezuela and Rome to Brazil
“I am from a small town called Hernán Pérez, in the Sierra de Gata, in Cáceres (Spain),” shared Friar Javier as he recalled his childhood and his first steps in the religious vocation. He entered the Colegio Santo Tomás de Villanueva in Salamanca, where he decided to give his life to God in the Order. 
After completing his initial formation, his first assignments were in Spain, Venezuela and, later, at the General Curia of the Order in Rome, as Secretary General. On January 5, 2019, his life took a new turn when he was assigned to Brazil: “I didn’t know any Portuguese… I came on an adventure. After five years here, I still say that I speak perfect ‘portuñol’, and they always laugh. But it’s true. It’s a mixture, but they understand me, which is the important thing”.
As Prior Provincial, Friar Javier is responsible for animating the life and mission of the Province in the five countries in which it is present: Argentina (6 communities), Spain (11 communities), Brazil (14 communities), Peru (6 communities) and Venezuela (7 communities).
A year of celebration and grateful memory: Venezuela, Brazil and Argentina
During 2024, several commemorative events and other significant milestones for the Province coincided. One of the most relevant was the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the presence in Venezuela, whose inauguration took place on December 5, 2023 in Caracas, in a Mass presided by the Provincial and will be closed this coming December 5 with the presence of the Prior General. 
On that occasion, he stressed that “this commemoration not only refers to the past, but is evidence that love continues to enliven the hearts of those who have joined this spiritual journey. Throughout more than a century, the call to go beyond persists, keeping alive the flame of hope”. Despite the challenges of the Venezuelan context, the celebration became a palpable testimony of how this heritage endures and continues to inspire life. The theme of the anniversary was “125 years, a legacy of gratitude and hope”.
Another outstanding celebration was that of the 125th anniversary of the arrival of the Augustinian Recollects in Brazil. Ribeirão Preto and Rio de Janeiro are being the main scenarios of the celebrations. Coinciding with this event, in the month of May, the reinauguration of the Capelinha and the Augustinian Institute of Philosophy in Franca was celebrated, which, according to Fr. Tello, are “an important symbol of the educational and formative mission of the Augustinian Recollects in the country”.
In addition to these events, there will be the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the mission of Labrea, in the State of Amazonas, which is served by the Province of St. Nicholas of Tolentino.
In Rio de Janeiro, work is also nearing completion on the new parish church of Santa Rita de Casia, in the Novo Leblon area of La Barra, “which will serve pastoral and social action needs and will house the community that until now has lived in the Santo Agostinho de Novo Leblon School,” says Tello . 
In the same city, the Santa Monica Polyclinic, which recently celebrated 40 years of service to the community, providing health care to low-income people, will be moved to a new five-story building dedicated exclusively to medical care, improving its service capacity. This is part of the closing of the 125th anniversary of our presence in the Land of the Holy Cross.
The first centenary of the presence of the Augustinian Recollects in Argentina will be celebrated this coming year. “In January 2025, we will start the Dario Quintana on the 18th and on the 19th a photographic exhibition dedicated to the history of the Order in the country will be inaugurated”. said Tello. The events will continue throughout the coming year.
The importance of remembering and being grateful for the history we have lived through
Fr. Javier highlighted the importance of remembering history and how these acts of remembrance are an engine of hope: “To remember is not only to look back, but to understand that this memory propels us forward. As we say in Venezuela: ‘to remember is to live’. This phrase should be important to us, not only as a devotional act, but as a call to action. To remember is to live because it connects us with our roots, with all that we have received from our ancestors, and pushes us to continue building the mission they started. It is not only to relive the past, it is to take that legacy in our hands and make it live on in our works and in our daily lives”.
Tello also pointed out the current challenges of the Order: “We are limited, we know that our forces are few and that vocations are a challenge, but we continue to bet on the mission. It is true that we do not have houses full of postulants, but we do not give up. The mission continues because we believe that the presence of the Augustinian Recollects, our community life and our dedication to the most needy continue to have meaning in the life of the Church”.
In spite of the difficulties in the area of vocations, Fr. Javier is optimistic about the future of the mission of the Augustinian Recollects. “We know that the challenges are great, but we continue to bet on unity, on the strength of our community. Every step we take, from the smallest to the biggest, we have to do it as a community, not as solitary individuals. 
This is one of the great challenges: that every mission, every project, every pastoral work is carried out in community, because if not, we will not be doing it well. If we are not able to work together, to embrace our projects as one body, we will not get far. We want the future of our Order to be built together, with one heart and one soul”.