The aspirants and postulants residing in the Saint Ezekiel Moreno Postulancy of the Augustinian Recollects in Pozos de Santa Ana (San José, Costa Rica) carry out pastoral activities during the first semester of the course such as visiting and accompanying rural communities or actively participating in the activities of the Delegation of Costa Rica, a Central American country where there are four communities of the Augustinian Recollects and a cloistered monastery of the contemplative Augustinian Recollect Nuns.
Thus, during Holy Week, seven postulants participated in the pastoral and community life of four rural communities (Perla, Waldeck, Cultivez and Unión Campesina) located in the Parish of Saint Joseph Patriarch in Siquirres, about 135 kilometers from the Postulancy, in the Atlantic coastal Province of Limon.
On April 22, the postulants were able to attend the meeting of the religious members of the Costa Rican Delegation with the Council of the Vicariate of Mexico and Costa Rica, which took place at the postulancy. The meeting aimed to evaluate the work carried out and finalize preparations for the 129th Provincial Chapter.
Two days later, on the feast of the Conversion of Saint Augustine, the ceremonies to continue the formation process took place. Alejandro and Pablo Ariel received the book of Saint Augustine‘s Confessions, thus marking their beginning on the path of vocational discernment within the first year of the Postulancy.
For his part, Marco Aurelio received the silver cross while Luis Daniel and Ahunder received the image of Saint Augustine, the symbol of the pre-novitiate, having begun their last year at the House of Formation in Costa Rica.
On April 25, the postulants played a special role in the preparation and liturgy of the priestly ordination of the Augustinian Recollect Bernal Guerrero, a former seminarian of that formation house and originally from the same town of Pozos de Santa Ana.
The ordination took place at the Parish of the Immaculate Conception in that town, served by the Augustinian Recollects since its founding 25 years ago. The following day, at 3:30 p.m., his first Mass was celebrated there. Bernal is the first member of that parish community to be ordained a priest, and he does so within the Augustinian Recollect consecrated life.
On May 1st, the Postulancy participated in the annual pilgrimage of the Augustinian Recollect Family in Costa Rica to the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Angels. The pilgrimage departed from the Boys’ Town in Agua Caliente de Cartago at 9:15 a.m. and the central event of the day was a Mass in honor of the patron saint of Costa Rica at 11:00 a.m. Afterwards, everyone participated in a gathering at 1:00 p.m. at the Boys’ Town.
