“We study with joy as a response of love to the Lord”

The Prior General closed the academic year with a Eucharist at the International College of St. Ildefonso and St. Thomas of Villanova in Rome.

The Order of Augustinian Recollects closed the academic year 2019-2020 in Rome on Wednesday, July 1. The Prior General, Miguel Miró, celebrated the closing Eucharist at the International College of St. Ildefonso and St. Thomas of Villanova, where the Augustinian Recollect religious who are studying and specializing in the Italian capital reside. With the presence of the two communities of the Order in Rome, the religious bid farewell with a simple Eucharist to an anomalous course marked by the coronavirus pandemic.

In his homily, Miró thanked God for the gifts received during this course, especially during the most difficult weeks of the COVID-19 in Italy. The Prior General quoted one of the phrases from Psalm 117, “Let us thank the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endures forever”, and recalled the aim of studies in the Order: “It is not a question of power but of service; we study with joy as a response of love to the Lord”.

Miguel Miró also recalled that the importance of study is not “a year or two but a lifetime. Likewise, he indicated the relevance that the community of Sistina – as the international school is known – has because of its diversity. “Being here is an opportunity to live an experience of communion,” he said.

The celebration was especially important for the four young people who have finished their studies and are returning to their communities. For them, the Prior General had a pleasant memory at the Eucharist.