From an early age, Fernando Butron has walked hand in hand with faith. Raised in a Catholic family, he found his first connection with spirituality in the school of St. Rita of Cascia, of the Order of Augustinian Recollects: “From the age of four, the school gave me my first approach to the figure of St. Augustine and his message, which would later mark my whole life”. And now, this economist by profession, is also the coordinator of the Center of Augustinian Recollect Spirituality (CEAR) in Lima (Peru).
But he was not always close to the Church. During his university years, he distanced himself, as he himself recounts, although an initiation retreat in 2004 at the age of 18 radically changed his perspective: “That experience was the moment of my conversion. I decided to live my faith in a fervent and committed way, serving in whatever God entrusted to me.” Since then, Fernando has dedicated his life to living the Augustinian charism, passing through various stages and responsibilities within the Order.
Fernando found a spiritual home in the Augustinian Recollect Youth (ARY), where he stayed for 12 years.The Augustinian Recollect Youth taught me what it means to live in community, gave me my best friends and my first experience of mission and apostolate. It was there that I learned to find God in interiority and to serve others,” he explains.
“The Secular Fraternity consolidated my experience”.
Later, in 2020, together with community companions, he took the step towards the Secular Fraternity of the Augustinian Recollects: “The fraternity consolidated my experience. It allowed me to sit at the table with my fraternal brothers and with the friars, sharing the charism of St. Augustine in a mature and loving community”. The pandemic marked his first steps in this group, with virtual formation and postulancy, but the experience was enriching: “Since then, I understand that the main thing is to recognize ourselves as children of God and what we are essentially in life. Not so much what we do, but what we are, because what we do will come as a consequence of what we are and what we live”.
“CEAR is a vehicle”
In 2019, Fernando took on a new challenge: to coordinate the Center of Augustinian Recollect Spirituality (CEAR) in Peru, a recent ministry in the country and which seeks to revitalize the faith: “The CEAR is a vehicle to provide experiences of God through formation, accompaniment and social action. It is a new way of reaching out to those who are far from the Church or who are looking for a deeper meaning in their lives,” he explains enthusiastically.
The challenges have not been few. Starting this ministry during the pandemic was complex, but Fernando emphasizes that the CEAR managed to remain active even in the most difficult moments. Now, in the presenciality, he focuses on spreading the charism of St. Augustine and responding to the needs of the people of God: “Each activity allows us to discover the thirst for God in people. From a simple workshop on emotional intelligence to a spiritual retreat, we see how the Holy Spirit transforms lives“.
“Listening to the inner teacher”.
Fernando observes with hope the faith in Peru, a country marked by deep popular devotions. However, he also recognizes the challenges: “Individualism, consumerism and lack of interiority are risks we face. We need to rediscover ourselves daily and listen to the inner teacher, as St. Augustine said.”
For Fernando, the call is clear:“We must allow ourselves to fall in love with God in the little things of everyday life. As Pope Francis says, the founding encounter with Christ must be constantly renewed. That is our mission at CEAR: to help people encounter God in the everyday.”
“The catechist of my family.”
In addition to his work in the Order, Fernando, who became a father a year ago, finds a special mission in his family. As a confirmation catechist for 18 years, he now considers himself “the catechist of my family”. Together with his wife, he seeks to reflect God’s love to his son: “I try to give them what God, in his mercy, has given me over the years”.