Father Provincial emphasizes importance of Renewal Visit

BAGUIO CITY–Fray Dionisio Q. Selma, OAR, Prior Provincial of the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno of the Order of Augustinian Recollects, had the Visit of Renewal to the community of Casiciaco Recoletos Seminary, last June 4-5 2021. Recoletos de Baguio was the first community that the Prior Provincial visited for this quadrennium’s Renewal Visit and his last in his capacity as the Prior Provincial before his term ends by next year.

“Renewal Visit is different from Fraternal Visit,” emphasized the Prior Provincial in his homily in the Votive Mass in honor of the Good Shepherd.

Though the Visit of Renewal is “more serious,” Fray Selma assured the community that he brought a blessing of peace when he prayed “(M)ay we be positive not of COVID, but with Love of God, which brings us to union, peace, and harmony.”

“The main purpose of the visit is to know the state of the community, to re-affirm religious life more fully, and the charity and unity between the brothers, as well as to correct any abuses (Constitutions no. 464),” stated Fray Amado Emmanuel Bolilia, OAR, the Pro-Provincial Secretary, in his introduction.

The Prior Provincial also shared that the renewal visit is part of the preparation for 56^th General Chapter on March 2022 which will be followed by the 8^th Provincial Chapter on May 2022.

The Visit of Renewal is part of the duties of the Prior Provincial to personally visit all the communities of the whole province once during his term of office.

Dialogue with the Seminarians

As part of the renewal visit of the Prior Provincial to the communities, “is to have dialogue with the communities, with the secular fraternity or its representatives and, according to the circumstances of place and the people concerned, with groups dedicated to the different apostolates (Const. 467).”

On the night after his arrival, Fray Selma held the dialogue with the seminarians at the Capilla de Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Seminary Chapel).

He reminded the seminarians to always journey together and help one another whilst knowing the other brothers’ strengths and weaknesses.

The prior provincial enumerated three reasons why a religious leave the Order, that is, the absence of spiritual life, loss of sense of belongingness, and affective problems which the religious have.

Fray Selma gave the seminarians questions to ponder in relation to their vocations.

He said, “You must ask yourselves, how much did I give? What can I still give? Am I willing to share, forgive and corrected, remaining open to God’s grace?”

On the last day of the Visit, Fr. Selma held a dialogue with the representatives of the SARF (Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity) Baguio Chapter and the RAY (Recollect Augustinian Youth) de Baguio.