In the heart of the historic convent of Monteagudo, in northern Spain, twelve young men from different corners of the world are living an experience that will profoundly mark their lives. Since August 2024, these novices of the Provinces of St. Nicholas of Tolentine and St. Thomas of Villanova are immersed in the novitiate, a key stage in their formation process within the Order of Augustinian Recollects, which will end in August 2025.
Monteagudo is one of the three novitiates that the Order has in the world. Along with it, the novitiate of Desierto de la Candelaria in Colombia and that of Antipolo in the Philippines also function. Each one offers a unique experience, but all share the same purpose: to be a place of deep initiation into the Gospel way of life, as lived by the Son of God and proposed by the Augustinian Recollect charism.
According to the Constitutions of the Order, the novitiate should be a true “integral initiation to the kind of life that the Son of God assumed and that He proposes to us in the Gospel”. It is a time to know more deeply the divine vocation and to experience the Augustinian Recollect way of life in all its dimensions: silence, prayer, community life, detachment and charity.
A fraternity that transcends borders
Randall, from Costa Rica, expresses it clearly: “Something that always strikes me about the Augustinian Recollect Order is its familiarity, that welcome that you always find in every house”. This warmth and sense of belonging is lived daily in Monteagudo, where novices from countries as diverse as Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Venezuela and Costa Rica live together. ” We come from different cultures, from different countries, of different ages, and that enriches us on a personal and community level,” says Emiliano, from Argentina.
Life in community, one of the pillars of the Augustinian charism, is not only an ideal, but a palpable experience. Jonas, from Brazil, sums it up in a phrase that reflects the Augustinian essence:
“Nobody is perfect, but a team can be.”
Interiority: the way to the heart of God
Beyond the fraternal living together, the novitiate is distinguished by its strong spiritual dimension. “This novitiate year is a time of much silence and much personal discernment in order to truly respond to the Lord,” confesses Brian, from Venezuela. It is a time to interiorize, to discover the voice of God in the depths of the soul, and to let that voice shape the heart.
“Interiority and silence, that is what one seeks and what one wants,” says Fernando, from Argentina. In this sense, the accompaniment of the formators, especially the master of novices, is crucial. As the Constitutions indicate, they must instruct “principally in the love and charity of God and neighbor, and in the sure way of this, which is the mortification of the affections and the detachment from all things”.
Testimonies of dedication and hope
Each of these young people has left behind a different life. Some studied engineering, psychology or physical education; others worked as lawyers, administrators or gardeners. All, without exception, were reached by a greater calling. “It is worth venturing on this path, understanding that Christ is accompanying us at all times,” expresses Gustavo, from Paraguay.
The novitiate is not an end, but a threshold. It is the immediate preparation for embracing religious life in full freedom and maturity. “This process has been for me an experience of interiority. It is a time of help, of listening, of making decisions,” says Bruno, from Brazil. And this discernment is not alone:
“What he will find here is a family, he will find brothers who will accompany him and together we will try to walk towards God”.
A stage that leaves its mark
A stage that leaves its markWhat the novices are living in Monteagudo is not just a year of formation. It is a time that “penetrates the depths of the conscience” and, as the Order says, should be able to mark one’s existence. ” The Lord gives the strength to continue and with the light of the Holy Spirit illuminates this path,” concludes Erickson, from Costa Rica.
A few months away from the end of this stage in August 2025, these twelve young people continue to walk, in community, with their eyes fixed on God and their hearts open to his will. “Do not be afraid,” they insist again and again. Because when Christ calls, it is worth answering.