On Monday, November 17, the Assembly of the Delegation of the Province of St. Nicholas of Tolentine of the Augustinian Recollects in England began in Honiton (Devon), with the attendance of all the Recollects in the country, distributed in three religious communities: four in St. Anne, in London; two friars in Cheniston Gardens, also in London; and four in Honiton, Devon.
The first day covered two topics: the Augustinian Recollect Secular Fraternities and the ARCORES Network. There are two Fraternities in the country: the one in Honiton, with members of a fairly advanced average age, and the one in London, which is affiliated with the Latin American Chaplaincy, uses Spanish as its primary language, and whose members are considerably younger.
The establishment of ARCORES UK to become part of the Augustinian-Recollect International Solidarity Network is a path that is difficult and complicated a priori, given the differences in legislation and the fact that Brexit has introduced more complex obstacles for NGOs that operate in the country as a branch of a foreign NGO.
In addition to these two issues, an attempt was made to reach an agreement on the location for the meetings, training courses, and spiritual exercises in England, which are usually held in Honiton, but several voices suggested that they could be held in London.
On Tuesday the 18th, the dialogue focused on the internal life of the communities: the adequacy of the number of members in each house; the quality of community life and the atmosphere of coexistence; the quality of apostolic service; co-responsibility with the laity; the number of ministries and how they are carried out. The final session addressed the situation and a possible plan of action for the former Ivybridge monastery.
On Wednesday the 19th, a detailed study was carried out on each of the religious communities, the two in London and the one in Honiton; regarding the Saint Rita Pastoral Center in Devon, its economic situation and forms of promotion and efficiency were discussed; and the situation of the parish of Ottery Saint Mary, which is served from the Honiton community, was also discussed.
Regarding London, discussions focused on the financial situation of the St. Anne community in Vauxhall and its support for the parish and the Latin American Chaplaincy, as well as potential synergies in this dual ministries. Regarding the Cheniston Gardens residence, its importance lies in receiving visitors and serving as a welcoming place for religious people studying the English language
The final day of the England Delegation Assembly concluded with the presentation and discussion of various suggestions for the 129th Provincial Chapter in May 2026.
