The Order will share on social media a triduum of preparation in honor of Saint Joseph, protector of the Augustinian Recollects
The Prior General of the Order of Augustinian Recollects, Friar Miguel Ángel Hernández Domínguez, has addressed a circular letter to the entire Augustinian Recollect Family, inviting them to prepare spiritually for the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, patron and protector of the Order.
In his message, dated in São Paulo on March 16, 2026, the Prior General proposes contemplating the figure of Saint Joseph as “a craftsman of peace”, a silent and courageous man who knew how to respond with prudence, obedience to God, and tenderness in the most difficult situations.
Saint Joseph, craftsman of peace
Drawing inspiration from the Gospel accounts, Friar Miguel Ángel recalls that Joseph had neither weapons nor power to face the threats surrounding the Holy Family. His strength lay in his trust in God and in his ability to protect life and hope even in times of persecution and violence.
In his reflection, he proposes a symbolic image: the workshop of Saint Joseph, where the carpenter’s tools become instruments of reconciliation. The hammer serves to build understanding, the plane to smooth over misunderstandings, and the nails to uphold gestures of forgiveness.
From this image, the Prior General invites the entire Augustinian Recollect Family—religious men and women, contemplative nuns, lay fraternities, young people, Monica Mothers, and lay collaborators—to draw spiritually near to that workshop in order to learn how to build peace in everyday life.
Building peace in everyday life
The circular letter emphasizes that being a craftsman of peace does not consist in performing great extraordinary deeds, but in faithfully living the small daily decisions: listening before judging, reaching out to those who are alone, forgiving before reproaching, and always choosing paths of reconciliation.
In a world marked by conflicts and wars, the Prior General recalls that the example of Saint Joseph remains timely: his courage did not consist in defeating anyone, but in protecting life, family, and hope.
Preparation for the Solemnity of Saint Joseph
On the occasion of the Solemnity of March 19, through the Order’s digital channels, the entire Augustinian Recollect Family will be offered a triduum of preparation in honor of Saint Joseph, which will be shared on the institution’s social media.
This initiative seeks to help communities, fraternities, and the faithful to live these days as a time of prayer and reflection centered on the example of the saint who protects the Order.
An example for the Augustinian Recollect Missionary Year
The Prior General concludes his message by recalling that, in the Augustinian Recollect Missionary Year, the figure of Saint Joseph invites us to rediscover the value of mission lived with simplicity and perseverance.
Like the carpenter of Nazareth, the mission is often carried out in everyday life: in closeness to people, in humble service, and in daily fidelity to the Gospel.
“May Saint Joseph, craftsman of peace, teach us to build each day the world God dreams of,” the Prior General concludes in his message to the Augustinian Recollect Family.
From Blindness to Light: The Path of Faith in the Gospel of the Man Born Blind