On December 4 – the eve of the Recollection – the young religious made the solemn profession of his vows in the Ciudad de los Niños, in Costa Rica, accompanied by his family.
The Augustinian Recollect Alberto Valecillos made the solemn profession of his vows last Wednesday, December 4. The young man, a native of Venezuela, said yes to Christ definitively in the Ciudad de los Niños, in Cartago (Costa Rica), where he is currently carrying out his pastoral work. In addition to his family, he was accompanied by members of the educational community of the center, as well as by Augustinian Recollect religious from the Vicariate of Mexico and Costa Rica.
The Augustinian Recollect bishop, Angel San Casimiro, presided at the Eucharist which, at the request of the ordaining religious, had several gestures of solidarity in favor of his country, Venezuela. Throughout the celebration there was remembrance of the Venezuelan people and especially of the Venezuelan Augustinian Recollect communities.
Together with the Augustinian Recollect prelate, the vicar provincial of Mexico and Costa Rica, Javier Acero, concelebrated the Eucharist. He remembered in the celebration his sisters Mélida and Gabriela, who could not be present due to different circumstances. In his homily, the vicar underlined three ideas that are fundamental in the life of an Augustinian Recollect: the origin, the conviction and the charism for the Church. Our community brothers are these,” said Javier Acer, “and they are your reference to follow Christ in the crucial moments of your life. He also warned them that “the charism you have chosen is for the Church”. Regarding his current work, he assured him that “the work that is carried out in the Ciudad de los Niños is carried out with its own style: the Augustinian Recollect”.
After reading the formula of his profession, each one of the religious present at the ceremony received him with a hug welcoming him into the community of the Augustinian Recollects. The students of the Ciudad de los Niños gave him a strong applause, thanking him also for his dedication and the work done during this course as a teacher in the technical school of St. Augustine.