The anthem for the 2026-2027 pastoral year now has a music video. The new audiovisual production, premiered this September 18, explores the life and mission of the Augustinian Recollect Family as a tribute to those who accompany, serve, and proclaim the Gospel throughout the world.
The music that will accompany the Augustinian Recollect Family during the 2026-2027 pastoral year is now filled with faces, places, and shared experiences. This September 18 marks the premiere of the official music video for “Accompanying Towards the Truth”, the anthem presented last August 28 to give voice and rhythm to the new pastoral theme.
The music video, produced by the Communications Office, aims to be a tribute to the entire Augustinian Recollect Family: religious men and women, lay people, young people, educational communities, parishes, missions, and social projects that, from very different realities, bring to life the mission of accompaniment. The images dialogue with the song’s message to remind us that no one walks alone and that every encounter can become an opportunity to discover Christ within ourselves and in the faces of others.
A Music Video with the Faces of a Family
“Accompanying Towards the Truth” speaks of interiority, fraternity, and mission. The music video translates these ideas into audiovisual language and showcases the richness of a family present in different countries, cultures, and apostolic fields. More than illustrating a song, the production seeks to reflect a way of life. Each image refers to the people who offer accompaniment from a parish, a school, a mission, a convent, a social project, or a youth community. These are different expressions of the same vocation: to walk alongside others and help them encounter Christ.
The result is a mosaic of the Augustinian Recollect Family and, at the same time, an invitation. Whoever watches the music video is not just a spectator: they are also called to recognize themselves within this story and to ask themselves whom they can accompany in their daily lives.
From Chihuahua for the Entire Augustinian Recollect Family
The creation of the anthem was once again in the hands of members of the Augustinian Recollect Youth (JAR) community in Chihuahua, Mexico. Their talent, generosity, and pastoral sensitivity have made it possible to transform the pastoral year’s theme into a song designed to be prayed, sung, and shared.
The singer-songwriters of “Accompanying Towards the Truth” are Paulina Cano Espino, Nancy Cervantes Porras, Carlos Estrada Palomares, and Fray Bernal Guerrero Sandí. The musical production was handled by Mario Ríos Sosa and Héber Hermosillo Sánchez.
From Recoletos.org, we once again thank all of them for their work and their willingness to put their gifts at the service of the entire family. Thanks to their dedication, the pastoral year has an anthem capable of uniting voices and communities across distances.
An Invitation to Enter Within
For Nancy Cervantes Porras, the composition was born from one of Saint Augustine’s most famous affirmations: “Do not go outside, enter into yourself; truth dwells in the inner man.” This call to interiority runs through the entire song. The search for truth begins in the heart, but it is not lived in isolation. It requires encounter, discernment, and a community that helps each person recognize themselves as a child of God.
Nancy experienced the creative process from a particularly significant situation. Due to work reasons, she was far from her city, her family, and her community. The distance made the composition more difficult, but it also allowed her to experience the meaning of the theme in a new way. For her, “Accompanying Towards the Truth” is “a hug to the heart for those of us who are far away” and a way to remember that, even at a distance, it is possible to feel part of a community walking united towards Christ.
A Song Built Together
Carlos Estrada Palomares highlights that the anthem was born from reading the pastoral material and the spirituality of Saint Augustine. The team wanted to convey the search for truth, the importance of walking together, and the value of community.
Therefore, the process was not merely about finding rhyming words. Each verse was reviewed to preserve its meaning and maintain a common thread throughout the song. Personal ideas were shared, corrected, and enriched until they formed a shared work. This work continued even during the recording, when some changes were still introduced to express the message more clearly.
Carlos experiences the premiere with joy, emotion, and responsibility. The anthem was born from those who composed and performed it, but its vocation is to become a song for everyone. Now, with the arrival of the music video, this communal dimension becomes even more visible.
The Path of Accompaniment Made into Song
The structure of the anthem also follows the spiritual itinerary of accompaniment. Héber Hermosillo Sánchez explains that the first stanzas begin with the restless heart of which Saint Augustine speaks at the beginning of the Confessions.
The burning flame and the unquenchable thirst represent the longing for God present in the deepest part of the human being. Before accompanying others, each person needs to discover that desire and allow themselves to be accompanied.
The pre-chorus then reminds us that accompaniment is a vocation and a mission. God calls each person by name, with their history and experiences, to help others encounter Him. This accompaniment is not carried out theoretically, but “hand in hand,” walking from the concrete reality of each person. The chorus summarizes the meaning of the Augustinian Recollect charism: to accompany everyone towards Christ, the ultimate and eternal Truth. This is a mission that can be lived in any place and circumstance.
The final verses lead back to interiority and remind us that God is present amidst fear and fragility. He is in the heart of each person and in the brother who walks beside them: two realities that should never be separated.
Press Play and Join the Journey
The music video for «Accompanying Towards the Truth» is intended to accompany gatherings, celebrations, parishes, schools, religious communities, youth groups, missions, and pastoral projects throughout the 2026-2027 year.
Its premiere is also an occasion to thank the work of those who made both the song and its audiovisual production possible. Every voice, every image, and every community represented contributes to conveying the same message: we are called to walk together.
Press play, share the music video, and let this song accompany you during the new pastoral year. Truth is sought within, discovered in Christ, and achieved by walking in community.
Credits for “Accompanying Towards the Truth”
Singer-songwriters: Paulina Cano Espino, Nancy Cervantes Porras, Carlos Estrada Palomares, and Friar Bernal Guerrero Sandí, OAR.
Musical Production: Mario Ríos Sosa and Héber Hermosillo Sánchez.
Community: Augustinian Recollect Youth of Chihuahua, Mexico.
Music Video: Communications Office.
