“Today we have the challenge of making evangelization the core of our educational centers.”

On February 8 and 9, 2025, the Colegio San Agustín of Madrid was the epicenter of pedagogical and pastoral reflection in the 31st edition of the Aula Agustiniana de Educación. Under the motto “Mission of the Augustinian Teacher: Educator and Witness”, this event reaffirmed the importance of the Augustinian educational mission.the event reaffirmed the importance of education as a vocation and witness of Christian faith and the charism of St. Augustine.

Organized by the Education Commission of the Spanish Augustinian Federation (FAE), the congress attracted teachers from Augustinian educational centers throughout Spain. This year, in an extraordinary way, there was the presence of representatives of the EDUCAR Network from other countries, among them Josefa Guzman (Ciudad de los Niños, Costa Rica) and Jessica Alba (Colegio Santa Rita, Peru). Through four presentations, the participants reflected on the evangelizing dimension of education and the impact of their work in the formation of new generations.

Evangelization at the heart of education

The congress was inaugurated with the lecture “Our educational centers and their evangelizing action today”, by Juan Manuel de Alarcón.Juan Manuel de Alarcón, who stressed that “today we have the challenge of making evangelization and educational pastoral care the central nucleus of our educational centers”. Alarcón stressed the need to offer a pedagogy centered on God and the values of the Gospel, adapting to the challenges of a society in constant change.

“Today, in a context of loneliness, isolation and individualism, community is a profound call to a new way of life. And we Christians have it in our veins that nothing is done if it is not in the context of community, nothing is understood, nothing is lived, nothing is saved, nothing is healed if it is not in the context of community.”

The vocation of the Augustinian teacher

In the second session, “Why me, why me, for whom me?Óscar Alonso delved into the identity of the Augustinian educator as a witness of faith. “We need educators who give witness to someone, not to ourselves. We give testimony of Jesus of Nazareth, through the prism of Augustine and the rest of the founders.” he affirmed. His speech emphasized the pedagogy of interiority and the need to “take care of what defines us as Catholic and Augustinian schools”, inviting the attendees to rediscover their vocation and mission within the educational community.

Music as an educational and evangelizing tool

One of the most innovative moments of the meeting was the lecture-concert “Sharing the God of life through music”, starring Nico Montero. With a mixture of reflection and art, the singer-songwriter demonstrated the power of music as a tool to connect with feelings, reason and faith: “Education is my passion and I have discovered with many data, in addition to empirical and observable, that music has a tremendous capacity to connect with feelings, with what are the senses and also with thoughts, with reason”. He also shared his experience of reencounter with the Augustinian charism, affirming that, in spite of his Salesian vocation, “I already feel like an Augustinian”.

The authenticity of the educator: a living testimony

The closing of the congress was in charge of Fr. Isaac Estévez with the speech “And you, teacher, what are you selling? Attitudes of the Augustinian educator”.. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of authenticity and coherence in the teaching profession: “The task and function of an educator is to stimulate, provoke and drag; it is to teach, delight and move. That is the great challenge we have as educators.” He also emphasized that “in our schools, the day we lose a little bit of this evangelizing dimension, we will have lost the total sense of existence and of what St. Augustine wanted at some point in time.

An encounter that reinforces Augustinian educational identity

Year after year, the Aula Agustiniana de Educación continues to consolidate itself as a space for formation and reflection for Augustinian teachers, offering a forum to share experiences and strengthen the identity of their centers.

“After 31 editions, the Augustinian Classroom of Education continues to be a beacon that illuminates the path of those who assume the noble task of educating with passion, hope and faith,” says Juan Luis Gonzalez, one of the organizers. In the words of Isaac Estevez:

“In the end, what has to be transmitted is the good news, the good news that is Jesus Christ.”