Recollects’ Prior General visits Recoletos de Antipolo

Silent Welcome

As a novitiate house, St. Ezekiel Moreno Novitiate-Recoletos (SEMoNoRe) has a silent environment for contemplation and mental prayer. This remains unchanged despite the arrival of the Prior General of the Order of Augustinian Recollects, Rev. Fr. Miguel Ángel Hernández Domínguez, OAR, and his secretary, Rev. Fr. Luciano Audisio, OAR.

This does not mean, however, that they were not welcomed by the community. Upon his arrival at 11:40 in the morning of October 21, 2023, the bell was tolled and the local prior, Rev. Fr. Dionisio Selma, OAR, greeted the Prior General while the novices and prenovices continued their rosary and midday prayer in the chapel. After this, Fr. Hernandez and Fr. Audisio were welcomed by the Antipolo community with applause.

Encounter with the Father General

At 3:00 in the afternoon, the Recollect family of Antipolo, including the Recollect Augustinian Youth (RAY) and Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity (SARF), met Fr. Hernandez.

Fr. Hernandez expressed his joy and gratitude for the warm welcome that he received, not just in Antipolo but in other communities that he has gone to in the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno.

“I was also very happy to see the different places founded by the Recollects here in the Philippines,” Fr. Hernandez added.

Fr. Hernandez also said that he was so proud being a Recollect after seeing the fruits of the labors of the pioneering Recollect missionaries.

In his sharing, Fr. Hernandez encouraged the community to take care of the SARF. The Prior General also informed the community that there will be an International encounter of SARF in Brazil and hoped that the SARF members in the Philippines could join.

Fr. Hernandez gave the same appreciation to the RAY members and told them how important they were to the Order.

As for the seminarians, the Prior General said, “This is the time for you to be in love with God; may it be through your study or the Word of God. Just do not be reluctant to the Holy Spirit.”

Some questions were posed during the encounter as well. Fr. Rommel Rubia, the Master of the Novices, asked about the plans of the Order in trying to solve the distance between the different provinces and whether the secular priests could also be admitted to the SARF. In these questions, the Prior General positively answered that some actions like making the Philippines one of the hosts in international gatherings may be considered. With regard to the second question the Father General answered, “As long as there is no confusion regarding the way of life that they are following, such an action is not prohibited.”

Rev. Fr. Ronel Gealon, OAR, the local prior of Recoletos de Pililia, asked the Prior General about his thoughts with regard to the prenovitiate program of the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno. The Prior General answered that he respects the uniqueness of each Province.

“It does not mean that if the other provinces do not have this you must not also have it,” Fr. Hernandez answered. “But I cannot say whether it is bad or not that is the reason why I would like to hear it from the formands themselves,” he added.

The Prior General expressed his desire to meet the formands in particular once more to hear their opinions and status about the formation they are undergoing in the Philippine Province.

The encounter ended through a series of picture-taking of the Recollect members present.

A Simple Dinner

After the encounter, the Recoletos de Antipolo community gathered together for the Vespers. After which, they proceeded to the refectory for dinner.

Right after dinner, the prenovices sang Eres Tu to the Prior General while the SARF Antipolo danced Tayo na sa Antipolo. The RAY members presented The Greatest Dream dance.

The Prior General left Antipolo right after breakfast the next day, October 29, 2023, and went to the Recoletos de Pililia community.