Rome, where the songs of the youth still resound after the Jubilee of this summer, was also the scene of the meeting of the General Secretariat for Vocation Ministry of the Order of Augustinian Recollects. General Secretariat for Vocation Ministry of the Order of Augustinian Recollects.. In this framework of prayer and communion, four religious – Fr.Fabian Martin, Bro. John Eduard Olarte, Bro. Danilo Souza and Bro.– Gidion Antolín – gathered to reflect on the current challenges of vocation ministry and to dream together about the future of the mission.
Vocation: more than a program, a culture of life
“The objective is to adjust the vocation ministry to the new global plan of formation of the Augustinian Recollect family”, he affirmed. Fabian MartinFabian Martin, president of the Secretariat. For him, the challenge is immense:
“We need to create a vocational culture in our communities. Specific activities are not enough. Vocation must be breathed in every house, in every community, in every fraternal encounter”.
The religious also stressed the need to train pastoral agents:
“A young person needs references who know how to accompany, and for that we must form ourselves better, with humility, to offer solid and humane discernment processes”.
Listening to and understanding the new generations
For his part, Friar John Eduard Olarte shared the importance of looking at young people with new eyes:
“Sometimes we are afraid to approach them because we don’t understand their languages or their realities. But vocation is not a matter of languages, but of hearts. The real challenge is to get to know them and walk with them.”
Olarte added that this meeting in Rome was a sign of hope:
“I take with me the certainty that we do not work alone. Even though we come from different provinces, we speak the same language of the Gospel and that gives us strength as an Order”.
Accompany with patience and freedom
From his experience in direct accompaniment, Friar Danilo Souza stressed the importance of respecting the rhythm of each young person:
“Today a young person tells you ‘yes,’ tomorrow he tells you ‘no.’ And that’s fine. Our role is not to force, but to accompany. Even if he decides not to go ahead, that too is a vocation: that of having discerned freely.”
In this sense, he recalled that accompaniment requires patience and trust in God:
“Our mission is to sow. The fruits are gathered by the Lord, in his own time and in his own way”.
Beyond cultures and languages
The contribution of Friar Gidion AntolinGidion Antolín, from the Philippines, emphasized the value of unity in diversity:
“For me, language is a challenge, but here I have understood that it’s not about words. It is about mission. We are apostles of Christ, called to holiness, each one from his own reality and culture”.
His testimony highlighted the fact that vocation ministry is not uniform, but a mosaic that, united, reflects the richness of the Augustinian Recollect family in the world.
A family on the way
The meeting in Rome showed how, despite geographical and cultural distances, the Augustinian Recollect charism continues to be a point of union. The four promoters agreed that vocation work is not limited to recruiting young people, but to offering paths of encounter with Christ.
As St. Augustine reminded us, “with one heart and one soul directed towards God”, the Augustinian Recollect family wants to continue accompanying the new generations with hope, patience and passion.