The Prior General of the Augustinian Recollects, Friar Miguel Angel Hernandez, tells us in first person how he is living the visit of renewal to the Vicariate of Peru of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova. After intense days in Chota and Cajamarca, he has arrived in Chiclayo, where he has been able to witness the enthusiasm and vitality of the local community, in which the legacy of the now Pope Leo XIV is strongly perceived.
Prior General Friar Miguel Angel Hernandez shares his impressions of the renewal visit he is making in Peru. From Chiclayo, the former diocese of Pope Leo XIV, he speaks of living communities and a mission full of hope.
A community that breathes faith
“We have a beautiful parish, Our Lady of Consolation, with a lot of activity, a lot of pastoral work, groups, movements…”, Friar Miguel Angel tells us from Chiclayo.Miguel Angel shares with us from Chiclayo. The enthusiasm of the faithful can be perceived in every corner:
“a church very well attended at all celebrations, a constant line at confessions, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every day”.
The Augustinian Recollect community in Chiclayo, which has deep roots in the city, continues today to be a beacon of evangelical life. “It is a privilege to be able to work in a community like this,” he says with gratitude.he says with gratitude.
The echo of Pope Leo XIV in his former diocese
The passage of the then Bishop Robert Prevost in Chiclayo has not been forgotten. “The repercussion of the election of Pope Leo XIV in these lands is noticeable in all the churches”, emphasizes Friar Miguel Angel.Miguel Angel emphasizes. In the parishes there are banners, portraits and even life-size images of the new Pontiff:
“people are very proud and very happy, because he was very loved.”
This climate of affection for Pope Leo XIV reinforces the pastoral commitment of the communities that he himself accompanied, and becomes one more reason for hope for the mission that the Augustinian Recollects continue in the region.
From the highlands to the coast: mission with identity
Before arriving in Chiclayo, the Prior General had toured Cajamarca and Chota, two Augustinian Recollect communities located in the highlands of the country. “Cajamarca is a mission area, where everything is still to be done”, he explains.he explains. There, the friars work with dedication in remote and extensive areas: “we have to take the Church out of the temple and bring it to the streets, to the squares, to the houses”.
On the other hand, Chota represents a consolidated model: “the Augustinian Recollects brand in Chota is a brand of prestige, of good work.”. The parish of Santa Monica, the headquarters of ARCORES Peru and Radio Santa Monica make up an evangelizing tripod which, according to him, has served as an inspiration to other dioceses.
A mission that continues
The visit to Peru, marked by fraternal accompaniment and listening, is also an opportunity to renew the missionary spirit:
“Thank you for your dedication, God continues to do great things in this land”, concludes Friar Michelangelo.
From Chiclayo, the Prior General is preparing to continue his journey. His passage through Peru is being a living testimony of shared hope, communion in diversity and fidelity to the evangelizing vocation of the Order.
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