On the occasion of the Solemnity of St. Augustine, the Prior General of the Augustinian Recollects, Friar Miguel Ángel Hernández Domínguez, addresses a message to the entire Augustinian Recollect family. In his letter, he recalls that this year the motto of the pastoral course 2025-2026 is: “Proclaim Christ wherever you can”.
A call from the heart of San Agustín
The Prior General recalls that for St. Augustine, mission was not a strategic plan, but “an evangelical urgency: to bring Christ to all, at all times and from all our possibilities.an evangelical urgency: to bring Christ to everyone, at all times and in all our possibilities.“. He underlines that evangelizing does not admit excuses and that, as the Bishop of Hippo himself affirmed:
“do not put your contemplation before the needs of the Church”.
Missions: luminous pages of the Recollection
The message highlights the historical examples of the Augustinian Recollect missionaries who gave their lives in places like the Philippines, Japan, Cuba or Latin America. “The missions have been and continue to be the most precious flower of the Recollection. They have given us identity, cohesion, visibility and, above all, they have sanctified us,” says the Prior General.says the Prior General.
He recalls figures such as St. Ezekiel Moreno, St. Magdalene of Nagasaki, the martyrs of Japan or Bishop Ignacio Martinez in the Amazon, whose testimony shows that the mission is the best school of humility and charity.
The missionary spirit, key to renewal
Friar Miguel Angel Hernandez warns that “the lack of missionary spirit is born of the lack of religious spirit“. Mission, more than a geography, is an attitude that renews and purifies consecrated life. Hence the importance of recovering the passion for Christ and embracing the mission from any place: in a parish, a school, an educational community or in daily life.
Missionaries everywhere
The message recalls that everyone – religious, nuns, laity and youth – are called to be missionaries. “Sometimes it will be with the word, sometimes with prayer, witness, closeness or service“, he affirms. In this sense, the Prior General gives as an example Sister Cleusa Carolina Rody Coelho, martyr of the Brazilian Amazon, who faithfully accompanied the indigenous peoples until she gave her life in 1985.
Preparing for the solemnity
The Prior General invites that these days prior to the Solemnity be lived as an authentic spiritual preparation: with prayer, fraternity and renewed hope. In this way, the feast becomes not only a grateful remembrance, but also a missionary sending forth to live the charism with joy and commitment.
Read the complete message
From the Communications Office of the Augustinian Recollects we invite all the Augustinian Recollect family to read and meditate on the complete message of the Prior General. There you can deepen in his words and discover the richness of the invitation that he makes us to celebrate together the feast of our Father Saint Augustine.
A time of grace and conversion
The Prior General concludes with an invitation to each member of the Augustinian Recollect family:
“Maybe you don’t have far to go. Maybe the mission is right where you are.”
Finally, he quotes the words of Pope Francis: “Let us go out with fervent hearts, eyes open, feet on the way… to enkindle other hearts with the Word of God“.