More than 200 people participated in the event held at the Augustinian North School in Bogotá, as part of the celebrations for the Conversion of Saint Augustine and Our Mother of Good Counsel.
A classic work that is once again heard in community
On April 27, the Augustinian North School in Bogotá hosted the presentation in Colombia of the complete audiobook of Saint Augustine’s Confessions, a joint initiative of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA) and the Order of Augustinian Recollects (OAR). The event gathered more than 200 members of the Augustinian family—friars, laypeople, religious sisters, and members of various branches linked to the charism—in an atmosphere of fraternity and communion.
The presentation was framed within the celebrations of the Conversion of Saint Augustine and Our Mother of Good Counsel, highlighting the deeply spiritual and ecclesial nature of the project.
A common project in service of the Church
The audiobook, available for free on digital platforms such as YouTube, Google Books, Apple Books, Storytel, Spotify, and many more, is the result of collaboration between the communication offices of both orders. It is a choral work featuring voices from across the Spanish-speaking Augustinian family: friars, laypeople, Monica Mothers, religious sisters, and secular fraternities.
During the presentation, its triple purpose was highlighted:
- Cultural, by disseminating Augustinian thought and charism.
- Spiritual, by facilitating prayerful listening to a work originally conceived to be heard.
- Charitable, as all proceeds generated from plays are fully allocated to the Apostolic Almonry for the Holy Father’s charitable works.
In this regard, the organizers emphasized the importance of listening to the content directly on official platforms, avoiding downloads, to contribute to this solidarity purpose.
A synodal and communal experience
The event was attended by the Prior Provincial of the Province of Our Lady of Candelaria of the Augustinian Recollects, Fray José David Niño Gómez, and the Prior Provincial of the Province of Our Lady of Grace of the Order of Saint Augustine, Fray Mauricio Saavedra Monroy, as well as the communication director of the Augustinian Recollects, Fray Alfonso Dávila Lovelín, the operational promoter of the project.
In his speech, Fray Alfonso Dávila emphasized the deeply communal nature of the initiative:
“This audiobook is the union of a family that has much to tell… the Augustinian family wants to read this important work to the world.”
He also recalled that The Confessions were not written to be merely read, but to be heard, thus recovering their original dimension.
For their part, the provincial priors highlighted the spiritual value of the project as a means to bring the faithful closer to a living experience of prayer, in continuity with the tradition of the Church.
Keys to understanding The Confessions
The event included an introductory lecture on the work, given by Fray John Eder Delgado Lasso, OAR, who offered a theological and spiritual reading of the Augustinian text.
In his address, he explained:
- The meaning of the term confessio as confession of sins, profession of faith, and praise.
- The structure in 13 books, from autobiography (books 1–9) to reflection on memory, time, and creation (books 10–13).
- Saint Augustine’s inner journey, which leads from the recognition of one’s own history to the encounter with God in interiority.
Furthermore, he emphasized the pastoral purpose of the work: to inspire conversion, strengthen trust in grace, and lead to the knowledge and love of God.
“Reading with the ears”: an invitation to prayerful listening
One of the most significant moments was the audition of the first minutes of Book I, where the famous invocation resonates:
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
The presentation highlighted that this audiobook recovers the oral dimension of the work, in line with its historical reception in the 4th and 5th centuries, when most of the faithful accessed texts through listening.
A global project with ecclesial roots
The audiobook was produced from the text provided by the Spanish Augustinian Federation, with a translation by Fray Ángel Custodio Vega Rodríguez, OSA, and revision by Fray José Rodríguez Díez, OAR. Production was handled by Blanca Serrano, with executive production by the Communication Office of the Augustinian Recollects.
The project also features the participation of the Priors General of both orders, Fray Joseph Farrell, OSA, and Fray Miguel Ángel Hernández, OAR, who invite listeners to embark on this “inner journey” guided by the voice of Saint Augustine.
An open invitation to the entire Church
The presentation concluded with an invitation to continue personal and communal listening to the audiobook, to share it, and to disseminate it as an instrument of evangelization.
Beyond its cultural value, this initiative is presented as a spiritual proposal for the contemporary world: a path of interiority, conversion, and encounter with God, in tune with the restless heart of Saint Augustine.
