22nd Anniversary of the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno: A Challenge to Put into Practice the Word

QUEZON CITY—As culminating activity of Recoletos de Provincialate’s Augustinian Recollects Spiritual Exercises (ARSE), the community of St. Ezekiel Moreno Provincial House celebrated the 22^nd founding anniversary of the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno with the simple yet meaningful celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the bread and butter of religious life, with Fray Dionisio Selma, OAR, Prior Provincial, as the main celebrant. The said celebration was held in the chapel of the said convent last November 28, 2020 at 10:15 in the morning with the rest of the members of the community as concelebrants.

Fray Selma in his opening words in the celebration of the Mass, addressed the community to put into practice all the inputs that were shared by Fray René Paglinawan, OAR, in the said retreat. As a fruit, all the inputs should be seen through the service that each member renders to one another, otherwise, everything will just remain in the cognitive. This call of the prior provincial is in line with the theme of the 2020 ARSE “’Put into Practice the Word’ James 1:22, A Prophetic Community and in Solidarity with the Poor in the Letter of St. James.”

It was also timely because Fray Giovanni Gil Magbojos, OAR, a missionary to Taiwan who is with the community presently as he is recovering from his illness, is celebrating his 7^th Presbyteral Anniversary. Being so, he was asked to share his reflections. In his homily, Fray Magbojos shared his struggles with the illness that he has contracted. With that, he shared with the community that even the most difficult situation or condition we are in, God wants us to draw something good from it. “The realization that we would derive from it would benefit everyone. This would serve then as our mission,” he said. In the end, he challenged the community to have a conscious effort to proclaim Jesus to everyone starting with the community and to anywhere the Church may need the services of the religious of the Order.

The ARSE retreat, that was held in the same convent, started last November 24, 2020 and culminated with the anniversary of the Province. After the celebration the community gathered at the façade of the convent for the picture taking and a sumptuous meal was shared by everyone.