Father General visits Recoletos de Laray, urges confreres to remain united

Laray, Talisay City, CEBU – “Remain united as a community!” Those were the fatherly words of assurance and support that Fray Miguel Miró gave to the community of Recoletos de Laray during his whole-day visit here on February 18.

The pastoral visit that started at midmorning consisted mainly of community conference, individual dialogue, visit to the areas of apostolate, holy mass, and a joint talk with other Recoletos Family members in the parish.

During the community conference, Fray Constantino Real, local prior, recalled that the major superior reminded them of the fundamentals of religious life as Augustinian Recollects. As a father who is supposed to know the real state of the life and mission of his confreres, Father General advised them to continue living out the communitarian dimension of their Recoletos way of life: “Remain united as a community.” With that, he said, the brothers can then go out and be “creators of communion” among those they are serving.

The community of Recoletos de Laray is also composed of Fray Renie Villalino, parish priest of Our Lady of Consolation Parish-Recoletos (OLP-R); Fray Michael Catama, OLCP-R parochial vicar; Fray Invenzor Melgazo, local procurator; and Fray John Paul Tanquis, assistant to the parish administrator of the St. Augustine of Hippo Quasi Parish-Recoletos (SAHQP-R).

In the afternoon, Father General was able to see for himself the recently established quasi parish in Inayawan, a barangay that belongs to Cebu City. Fray Real was appointed parish administrator of the said quasi parish.

The 6PM concelebrated mass at OLCP-R church was presided by Fray Villalino, who also gave the homily. Members of the Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity (SARF) – Laray Chapter, and those of the Recollect Augustinian Youth (RAY) participated in the mass.

Both the SARF and RAY members also attended the post-dinner joint conference by Father General, with Fray René Paglinawan as the interpreter. To the SARF members, Father General said: “You cannot be a member of the SARF and wear a long face, you must have the joy in your heart because the key to following Jesus is in being a joy to others.”

And to the RAY members, he said: “The youth must have a restless heart like that of Augustine, passionately and constantly in search for the Lord – the source of all purpose and meaning of life”.

Earlier in his conversation with the brothers of the community, Father General told them that the SARF and RAY members are to “walk with us” and to “grow together” in our aspiration for a more authentic living of the Augustinian Recollect charism. “In this journey, we are to aspire, to seek and to experience the joy of belongingness as the criterion for a better understanding of an Augustinian Recollect identity.”