Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity
For many Filipinos, Maguindanao would always be associated with the brutal killings of 58 people, including 32 journalists. It would be hard to say Maguindanao without having the word “massacre” at the back of your head. It has left a scar in our collective memory that is quite hard to move on. Given the province’s notorious reputation (now split into Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur), the Commission on Elections called on the Gubernatorial Candidates of two provinces to sign a Covenant of Peace, thereby enunciating the use of violence in these elections. To witness the mentioned covenant, the…

SARF-Vicariate of USA Newsletter (Thanksgiving 2020)
Thanksgiving greetings to all our Secular Augustinian Recollects, Guild members, and the Hispanic Committee as well as our parishioners at Sacred Heart Church! Welcome, Fr. Eric Crelencia, OAR. After traveling across country from Oxnard, California, where he had been stationed as assistant pastor for a number of years at Mary Star of the Sea Parish,…

Spiritual Warfare: SARF Recollection with Fray Mansueto
by Bro. Wilson Sy (SARF de Baguio) BAGUIO CITY–It’s that time of the year again when we remember our departed loved ones. Especially for Filipinos, this is also a significant time when we reunite with those who remained, particularly our families and relatives. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, had dramatically shifted how we experienced such commemoration…

SARF de Filipinas’ birthday tribute to Fray Selma
by Sis. Star A. Anotado (SARF de Antipolo) QUEZON CITY—For the first time, the Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity Philippines (SARF de Filipinas) organized a successful virtual birthday tribute for Fray Dionisio Q. Selma, OAR, Prior Provincial of the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno, who turned 61 on October 26, 2020. Ninety-six (96) SARF members from…

SARF de Filipinas online celebration: “Holding on to Faith in the Midst of Suffering”
by Sis. Yolanda V. Zaragoza (SARF de SEMoNoRe Chapter) and Lino Sumbillo Jr. (SARF de UNO-R Chapter) QUEZON CITY—God is good, all the time. The current pandemic did not hinder the Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity (SARF) from celebrating the feast of St. Magdalene of Nagasaki, Patroness of SARF, last October 20, 2020, with the theme “Holding…

SARF in Pangasinan initiated
Urbiztondo, PANGASINAN–On the feast day of St. Magdalene of Nagasaki, Fray Samson S. Silloriquez, OAR, Local Prior of the Recoletos de Urbiztondo, celebrated the Holy Eucharist together with the 16 aspirants to the Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity. As their local Spiritual Director, Fray Silloriquez has already initiated the formation program for these candidates since the…

SARF-Sierra Leone is Province’s 17th Chapter, joins virtual fiesta celebrations
QUEZON CITY – Aside from the online celebrations of the solemn feast of St. Magdalene of Nagasaki, patroness of the Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity (SARF) on October 20, the presence and presentation of “SARF de Sierra Leone” as the fraternity’s 17th chapter in the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno turned this year’s assembly on an…

SARF-Vicariate of USA Newsletter (October 2020)
Fall greetings to all our Secular Augustinian Recollects, Guild members, and the Hispanic Committee as well as our parishioners at Sacred Heart Church! St. Nicholas of Tolentine. Fr. John Gruben presided at the Mass celebrating the Feast of St. Nicholas of Tolentine on September 10 at the 9 am Mass at Sacred Heart Church, in…

SARF-Vicariate of USA Newsletter (August-September 2020)
Late summer greetings to all our Secular Augustinian Recollects, Guild members, and the Hispanic Committee as well as our parishioners at Sacred Heart Church! Augustinian Celebrations. All of the Augustinian feasts in August were impacted this year by the ongoing restrictions on gatherings due to the Covid-19 virus. All liturgical celebrations and other spiritual activities…

SARF-Vicariate of USA Newsletter (June 2020)
June greetings to all of our Secular Augustinian Recollects, Guild members, and the Hispanic Committee! The Sacred Heart/Tagaste community was pleasantly surprised to receive a letter from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, announcing that public Sunday Masses in the Archdiocese were being resumed on a restricted basis on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi,…