The 2025 Formation Week of the Augustinian Recollect Nuns of the Federation of Mexico took place from September 1 to 5 at the House of Recollection of the Augustinian Recollects in Ahuatepec (Morelos, Mexico), on the outskirts of Cuernavaca.
44 nuns from various Mexican monasteries have gathered, convened by their Federation, to train and reflect on the founding experience and on two Augustinian charismatic notes: “searching and encounter” and “discernment” as necessary elements for a real experience of the contemplative vocation.
The Augustinian Recollect Martín Luengo, vicar of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine of the Augustinian Recollects for Mexico and Costa Rica, has coordinated the training activities, which have consisted of conferences, personal reflections and readings, and group work, later shared in a general assembly.
The atmosphere has always been one of great fraternity, with the nuns having a real opportunity to share their life, vocation, and spiritual experience with nuns from other monasteries with whom they do not normally maintain personal contact.
Other daily activities, such as daily housekeeping (meals, cleaning) and recreation, rest, or birthday celebrations, allowed for quality time to share a specific vocation, contemplation, which is one of the most special and demanding within the Catholic Church.
The “founding experience” is, within Catholic spirituality, the moment or accumulation of moments constituted in a process by which personal life acquires a new meaning and a personal vocation is assumed or an intense spiritual experience is lived.
In the case of the contemplative Augustinian Recollect charism, despite being a personal and concrete experience, it entails a transformation towards the assumption of community life centered on the daily encounter with God with an eye toward constant intercession for others, for all of humanity.
Reflecting on their founding experience, the 44 nuns recalled their personal history and recreated how they definitively established their personal identity in the contemplative vocation, so that each one could understand, love, and share their life.
The Formation Week continued with more specific themes of the Augustinian Recollect charism: “Search and Encounter” and “Discernment.” It concluded with a Mass of great thanksgiving for the five days of fraternal joy, human and spiritual coexistence, and mutual reinforcement. As an anecdote, they were able to congratulate one of the newly ordained Augustinian Recollect priests, José Antonio Hernández, for whom they organized a traditional hand-kissing ceremony after sharing one of his first Eucharists with them.
