The principal aim of the gathering was none else than to encourage all the members of the Order to join efforts and help fulfill a mission that pertains to the whole Augustinian Recollect family, that is, to be near the underprivileged. Hence, the emphasis of the meeting was on the revitalization of Haren Alde as an effective instrument in the social outreach of the whole Order, and in the need to unite and coordinate our efforts in the task of augmenting the material and personnel resources for the development of more initiatives and projects.
The encounter started on Friday evening. After accommodating the participants, who came from very different regions of Spain (Basque Region, Castille – Leon, Aragon, Madrid, Castille – La Mancha, Andalusia), Haren Alde president Fr. Manuel Fernandez, OAR, welcomed everyone and explained the significance of the gathering. The delegation from Donosti took charge of coordinating during the whole encounter the moments of prayer.
Experts
On Saturday, the conferences were delivered after the Eucharist. The previous Prior General of the Order, Fr. Javier Pipaón, discussed the origins of Haren Alde. King Juan Carlos University (Madrid) professor Pablo Martínez de Anguita, expert in international cooperation, talked about the importance of NGOs for Development. Ms. Inés Parrondo Orduña, of the Commission for Mission and Social Development of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine, and the Augustinian Recollect Antonio Carrón spoke about volunteer work.
The NGO delegates utilized the last session, coming after the committee works earlier in the afternoon, to take some strategic decisions. For the members of Haren Alde, the challenge of spreading the importance and possibilities of the NGO to all sectors of the Order of Augustinian Recollects is one of the most important tasks.
The Eucharistic celebration ended the 2nd Haren Alde Day, which has meant a new step in the growth and strengthening of this Augustinian instrument “in favor of others”, especially of the most underprivileged.