The thanksgiving Eucharist, celebrated at the parish of Our Lady of Consolation, brought together religious, ecclesiastical authorities, and faithful from across the country
The Prior General of the Order, Fray Miguel Ángel Hernández Domínguez, presided last Saturday, April 25, over the thanksgiving Eucharist on the occasion of the centenary of the Augustinian Recollect presence in the Argentine Republic, thus bringing to a close a jubilee year marked by grateful remembrance and the hopeful projection of the mission.
The celebration took place at 7:00 PM at the parish of Our Lady of Consolation in Buenos Aires, in a deeply moving atmosphere and with broad participation from religious, ecclesiastical authorities, and the faithful. The Secretary General of the Order, Fr. Luciano Audisio, was also present. Both interrupted the canonical visit they were carrying out in Brazil in order to accompany this significant moment in the history of the Province.
A celebration lived in communion
The Eucharist brought together communities from different Augustinian Recollect ministries throughout the country. From Santa Fe, Rosario, and Mar del Plata, faithful and religious—both from parishes and educational centers—traveled by coach to take part in this celebration, a visible sign of communion and of the deep roots of the Recollect mission in Argentina.
The liturgical act was not only a moment of thanksgiving, but also an encounter between generations who have shaped one hundred years of evangelizing presence.
Gratitude, memory, and hope
In his homily, the Prior General summarized the meaning of the centenary with words that set the tone for the entire celebration:
“We are closing a journey of one hundred years. And we do so as we have lived it: with gratitude, with memory, and with hope.”
Gratitude, he explained, is born of recognizing that “everything has been pure grace and mercy from God”, emphasizing that the history of the Order in Argentina is, above all, the history of divine action.
Memory, he added, “gives us identity,” for it allows us to recall the humble beginnings, the steps taken in fidelity, the courageous decisions, and also the frailties and new beginnings. However, he insisted that authentic memory does not remain in nostalgia, but rather discovers “the thread that runs through everything,” which is none other than God’s fidelity.
Finally, hope opens the future: “The story does not end here. Celebrating one hundred years is not closing a stage; it is opening a new one… We look ahead with confidence, not because we have everything clear, but because we know in whom we have placed our trust.”
A mission marked by closeness and accompaniment
Throughout the celebration, grateful remembrance was made of the first religious who arrived in 1925, as well as of so many who have sustained the mission in diverse contexts, often marked by social, ecclesial, and vocational difficulties.
The Prior General highlighted that the Recollect presence in Argentina has sought, throughout this century, to be a close Church, capable of welcoming, accompanying, and walking with the people of God. A mission lived in daily life, in simplicity, in the fidelity of each day.
Words of gratitude and continuity
At the end of the Eucharist, the Vicar of Argentina, Fr. Daniel Medina, addressed a few words of thanks to all those present, recalling the religious and faithful who, throughout these one hundred years, have been part of this shared journey.
The closing of the centenary is not presented as an end point, but as a new beginning. The celebration has left a clear call to continue the mission with creative fidelity, keeping the Augustinian Recollect spirit alive and responding to today’s challenges with hope.
