In the arms of Our Lady of Guadalupe
On November 8, the Augustinian Recollect Family in Mexico City and Querétaro joined together in a Jubilee pilgrimage to the Basilica of Guadalupe. Religious, contemplative and active nuns, Secular Fraternities, Augustinian Recollect Youth, postulants, parish groups, and CARDI volunteers thus sought to gain the Jubilee 2025 Pilgrims of Hope together.
Augustinian Recollect Martín Luengo, vicar for Mexico and Costa Rica of the Province of St. Nicholas of Tolentine of the Augustinian Recollects, invited everyone to cross the Holy Door as a symbol of unity and an explicit expression of fraternity.
Participants gathered at the Peralvillo roundabout in Mexico City to walk the approximately five kilometers to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, participating in prayers, songs, and moments of reflection.
Francisco Javier Acero, Augustinian Recollect and auxiliary bishop of Mexico, presided over the Eucharist at 1:00 p.m. and emphasized the importance of being attentive to the needs of others, prioritizing real relationships over virtual ones, and never forgetting the suffering Jesus who lives all around us, present in the homeless, migrants, and all who suffer for any reason.
Jubilee with the Prior General in Madrid
Also on November 8th, a jubilee pilgrimage of the Augustinian Recollect Family was organized in Madrid to the Almudena Cathedral within the framework of the renewal visit being carried out by the Prior General to the Recollect communities in the country.
Recollect religious, contemplative Augustinian Recollect nuns in Madrid and Colmenar de Oreja, and the Comendadoras de Santiago, active religious, Augustinian Recollect Secular Fraternities, Augustinian Recollect Youth, the Association of Mothers of Saint Monica, and parish and educational ministries in the Community of Madrid and Guadalajara were invited to participate.
The day began at nine in the morning at the Royal Monastery of the Incarnation, located 600 meters from the Almudena Cathedral, which is reached by crossing the pedestrian area of the Plaza de Oriente and the Royal Palace.
After a brief prayer in the monastery church, the pilgrimage began, accompanied by Augustinian chants and prayers. Before entering the cathedral and crossing the Holy Door, there was also a prayer of praise to Our Lady of Almudena.
Around 400 people participated in the pilgrimage and afterwards in the Eucharist presided over by the Prior General, accompanied by 40 Augustinian Recollect concelebrants, a diocesan priest who is a friend of the Recollects, and Aurelio Cayón, Vicar of the Archdiocese for Consecrated Life.
The homily was beautiful and full of the Augustinian Recollect spirit. The choir of the Augustinian High School of Madrid provided the music.
After the Eucharist, there was a floral offering to Our Lady of Almudena, which concluded with the singing of the Salve Regina and the hymn Joseph. The Prior General, an Augustinian Recollect nun, and an Augustinian Recollect Missionary placed the offering at the feet of the Virgin.
School Jubilee in Valladolid
First-year Baccalaureate students from the Saint Augustine High School of the Augustinian Recollects in Valladolid, Spain, also participated in a School Jubilee along with the other educational centers in the city on Thursday, October 30.
Zorrilla Square was the meeting point; from there, with a raised cross carried at the front by the students, the pilgrims continued to Portugalete Square, next to the Cathedral, where they were joined by the Archbishop of Valladolid, Luis Argüello.
After a brief prayer, they passed through the Holy Door, a sign of communion and participation in the Jubilee. The bishop presided over the Eucharist in a festive and participatory atmosphere, with students taking part in the readings, the offertory, the hymns, and the common prayers. One of the most significant moments was the lighting of a candle by a representative from each school as a sign of unity in faith and the educational mission.
The Cathedral was beautifully decorated with drawings and crafts made by students from the schools, adding a touch of color and creativity. One of the accompanying teachers highlighted the students’ exemplary behavior and the joyful and communal atmosphere experienced throughout the day: “It was a very beautiful and engaging experience; our students enjoyed it immensely and were involved at all times.”
