The Prior General of the Order of Augustinian Recollects, Fr. Miguel Ángel Hernández, visited the communities in Pamplona from February 16 to 18: Santa Mónica (Beloso), the parish of Our Lady of Peace, and the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception of the Augustinian Recollects, emphasizing the fruitfulness of consecrated life at all its stages.
The Prior General visits the Augustinian Recollect communities in Pamplona
From February 16 to 18, the Prior General of the Order of Augustinian Recollects, Fr. Miguel Ángel Hernández, made a pastoral visit to the Augustinian Recollect communities in Pamplona: the Santa Mónica house (Beloso), the parish of Our Lady of Peace, and the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception of the Augustinian Recollects. These three complementary presences express the richness of Augustinian Recollect life: the care of elderly friars, the dynamism of parish pastoral work, and the silent strength of contemplative life.
Santa Mónica (Beloso): the mission that becomes intercession
The Santa Mónica community welcomes elderly and assisted friars, religious who have dedicated their lives in parishes, schools, missions, and various responsibilities within the Order. In his meeting with them, the Prior General explicitly wished to acknowledge this history of fidelity accumulated over decades.
“A house like this is not simply a place of residence; it is a sacred place,” he affirmed, emphasizing that it embodies a long trajectory of dedication to the service of the Gospel and the Order.
Far from understanding this stage as a passive time, Fr. Miguel Ángel recalled that the fruitfulness of religious life is not measured by external activity, but by union with the Lord. When strength diminishes, he explained, interiority can grow; when the pace slows, the heart can expand.
In this sense, he encouraged the friars to live this stage as an authentic mission of intercession: prayer for vocations, for young people in discernment, for missionaries, and for communities going through complex times. “Consecrated life does not retire; it changes form, but it does not lose meaning,” he reminded them.
Our Lady of Peace: tradition, charity, and a strong youth impulse
The parish of Our Lady of Peace, served by four religious, all of advanced age, is a pastoral reference point in the Diocese of Pamplona, especially in the youth sector.
During the visit, the Prior General presided over the Ash Wednesday Eucharist, sharing the beginning of Lent with the parish community. Although the program did not include specific meetings with groups, he was able to confirm the vitality of this ecclesial presence.
One of the most significant features is the Catholic scout group, with nearly 300 members from different parts of Pamplona. This is a well-established tradition in the parish, recognized in the diocese for its organization and commitment. Diocesan priests also collaborate in the gatherings and camps, accompanying young people in activities that require greater physical effort.
Alongside this youth dimension, the parish maintains intense charitable work through Caritas, which assists about 14 families, as well as three marriage groups that strengthen family pastoral care. Every Sunday, a significant number of faithful participate in the celebration of faith, forming a vibrant and rooted community.
In this context, the parish of Peace appears as an eloquent sign of continuity: elderly religious who, with generosity and experience, sustain a community where youth and Christian life flourish.
The Immaculate Conception: the silent strength of enclosure
The visit also included a meeting with the community of the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception of the Augustinian Recollects. The contemplative life of these sisters expresses another essential dimension of the Augustinian Recollect charism: the search for God in community, through silence, liturgy, and constant prayer for the Church and the world.
The fraternal dialogue allowed for the sharing of concerns and hopes, in communion with the Order and with the diocesan Church. The presence of the Prior General was intended as a sign of closeness and unity, reminding that enclosure does not isolate, but rather expands the heart to spiritually embrace the needs of the People of God.
One mission, diverse expressions
The pastoral visit to Pamplona has highlighted the complementarity of these three communities: the elderly friars who sustain the mission with their prayer in Santa Mónica; the parish that combines tradition, charity, and a notable youth presence; and the contemplative monastery that safeguards the prayerful dimension of the charism.
In all of them beats the same vocation: to live the Gospel according to the spirit of Saint Augustine and to serve the Church from communion and interiority. The presence of the Prior General has been, above all, a gesture of gratitude and confirmation: to give thanks for what has been sown over the years and to encourage them to continue offering, at every stage of life, a renewed “yes” to the Lord.
