ENJAR 2025: A Milestone for the Augustinian Recollect Youth in Brazil
For three days, the Santo Agostinho Site was transformed into the heart of the Augustinian Recollect youth ministry in Brazil. The first edition of the National Augustinian Recollect Youth Encounter (ENJAR 2025) brought together young people, advisors, and religious in an atmosphere of deep communion, learning, and celebration, initiating a renewed phase of work with young people in the country.
A Diverse and Committed National Representation
The meeting was attended by youth groups from different states of the country: Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Pará. Each delegation contributed its local reality, strengthening the sense of belonging and showing the richness of a youth movement that grows from plurality but walks united by the same charism.
In addition, friar advisors from Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, and Spain participated. Their presence reflected the international dimension of the Order and allowed young people to learn about diverse experiences of pastoral accompaniment. The friars shared teachings, celebrated the sacraments, and offered spaces for listening, strengthening the bond between religious life and youth.
An Encounter Marked by Augustinian Spirituality
The ENJAR 2025 program was designed to be a comprehensive experience. It included moments of community prayer, lectio divina, thematic workshops, dynamics of interiority, and Eucharistic celebrations. Each space sought to deepen the pillars of Augustinian spirituality: interiority, community, and the search for truth.
The phrase of Saint Augustine, “We walk together, as friends, towards the One who is our greatest good,” accompanied the formative dynamic of the meeting. Participants were invited to reflect on the importance of walking in community, cultivating true friendships, and living the faith from the openness of the heart.
The workshops addressed topics such as Christian leadership, vocational discernment, social mission, and community life. All of them were led by friars and young people with experience in the ARJ, fostering an intergenerational dialogue that enriched the formation.
Celebrations that Strengthen Faith and Identity
One of the most significant moments of the meeting was the central Eucharistic celebration, which brought together all the participants in an atmosphere of thanksgiving and joy. The liturgy highlighted the role of young people in the Church and the importance of accompanying them in their processes of spiritual growth.
There was also Eucharistic adoration, penitential spaces, and community dynamics that allowed each young person to connect with God from within, one of the most characteristic aspects of the Augustinian tradition.
Music, testimonies, cultural activities, and spontaneous coexistence completed the experience, creating solid bonds between young people from different regions and reinforcing their sense of mission within the Church.
A New Stage for the ARJ in Brazil
ENJAR 2025 was not only a well-organized event; it represented a firm step in the national articulation of the ARJ. For the first time, delegations from various regions of the country met to share experiences and chart common paths for the future.
This meeting allowed for:
-
strengthening the identity of the ARJ at the national level;
-
fostering dialogue between delegations and advisors;
-
identifying common challenges in the youth mission;
-
projecting new evangelization initiatives.
At the end of the event, the participants expressed the desire to continue walking together and consolidate ARJ Brazil as an active and missionary community. The Augustinian phrase “I have become a great question to myself” resonated as a call to continue deepening the search for God and the youth mission within the Church.
An Impulse that Transcends Borders
The impact of ENJAR 2025 extends beyond geography. The participation of advisors from different countries underscores the Order’s desire to strengthen youth ministry in Latin America and promote a common spirituality that responds to the current challenges of young people.
The meeting leaves as a legacy a more integrated community, a motivated youth, and a renewed commitment to continue building a close, joyful Church deeply rooted in the Gospel.
The fruits of ENJAR 2025 will continue to develop in each local group, with the certainty that, as Saint Augustine points out, the sincere search for truth always leads to hope.
