On a day marked by fraternity, prayer and grateful remembrance, the Prior General of the Augustinian Recollects, Friar Miguel Angel Hernandez, presided over a Eucharist in the church of the International College of St. Ildefonso in Rome. Religious of less than five and more than fifty years of profession shared together this celebration as part of their journey of ongoing formation.
A day of communion between generations
This Wednesday, the community of St. Ildefonso International College in Rome welcomed a particularly meaningful moment: the celebration of the
Jubilee of the Consecrated Life
for Augustinian Recollect religious of two stages of life -those with less than five years of solemn
less than five years of solemn profession
and those with
more than fifty years
. Within the framework of the program of
ongoing training program in stages, the
the day was a true symbol of the
walking together
The experience of the elders enlightened the enthusiasm of the younger ones.
A homily that touches the heart
During the Eucharist, the Prior General,
Miguel Ángel Hernández
Miguel Angel Hernandez, delivered a homily focused on the
mercy of God
and the need for
a transformed heart.
. Starting from the biblical figure of Jonah and the Our Father, Friar Miguel Ángel encouraged the religious not to act from the logic of judgment, but from the tenderness of God.
“I don’t want the world to be as I dream it, but as you dream it,” he said, citing the Lord’s Prayer as a school of communion and inner transformation.
To the elderly: gratitude and light
In his message, the Prior General expressed his deep appreciation to the religious with more than half a century of dedication:
I thank God for your fidelity.
Those of you who have given more than half a century of life are a beacon of the Recollection: your light guides, encourages and teaches us to love more.#AnnounceChrist #ConsecratedLifehttps://t.co/e5AhN2sdO0– Miguel Ángel Hernández (@PriorGeneralOAR) October 8, 2025
Their witness,” he added, “is prophetic in a changing world, not because they have been perfect, but because they have always trusted more in the love of God than in their own strength.
To young people: trust without fear
Friar Miguel Ángel also addressed some very close words to the religious who are living their first years of life as solemnly professed members of our Order:
To the young people: do not be afraid if you discover something of Jonah’s heart.
The Lord is not looking for perfect hearts, but hearts that give themselves out of love for God.#AnnounceChrist #ConsecratedLife– Miguel Ángel Hernández (@PriorGeneralOAR) October 8, 2025
He encouraged them to live their vocation as a pilgrimage of transformationtrusting that God continues to work even when we do not feel it.
A common call to pray with truth
The message was clear to all: young and old are called to live their consecration
to live their consecration in truth, to let themselves be shaped by the Word, to be men of deep prayer and merciful hearts.
to let themselves be molded by the Word, to be men of deep prayer and merciful hearts.
“The world needs courageous, compassionate, religious witnesses capable of looking with tenderness even at a sinful Nineveh,” he said forcefully.
He also recalled that the Jubilee should not be lived only as an external celebration, but as an interior invitation to move from justice that excludes to hope that embraces; from duty fulfilled to prayer that transforms. an interior invitation to move from justice that excludes to hope that embraces; from duty fulfilled to prayer that transforms…..
