Since the mid-1980s, St. Augustine Province (along with St.
Nicholas, St. Joseph, and Consolation Province) has participated in an inter-provincial
novitiate sponsored by St. Nicholas Province in Monteagudo, Spain. The size
of the novitiate group varies each year with this year's group being one of
the larger ones, 19 in all. This year St. Augustine Province has one novice,
Fra. Eduardo Rodriguez. The following article consists of excerpts from his
experiences since arriving in Monteagudo together with photographs which show
some of the members of this year’s class.
Wednesday,
July 26
Departure from Newark, NJ to Madrid, Spain.
Thursday,
July 27
Arrival to Madrid, Spain at 10 a.m. Br. Alberto, Province of
St. Nicholas of Tolentine, and Friar Juan Jose Alfaro, Province of St.
Augustine picked me up.
Friday,
July 28
The first eight postulants soon to become novices were driven up
North from Las Rozas Formation House (Madrid) to El Convento de los Agustinos
(Convent of the Augustinians), Monteagudo (Navarra).
Sunday,
July 30
The eight postulants started our spiritual exercises at the monastery
at10:30 p.m. guided by the new ´Maestro de Novicios´ (Master
of Novices), Father Ricardo Mediavilla. Still waiting for 11 more postulants
to arrive, nine of the Province of St. Joseph (Venezuela) and two of
the Province of St. Nicholas of Tolentine (México). The spiritual
exercises will be until Friday, August 4.
The first eight who arrived were:
Province of
St. Nicholas of Tolentine:
Tadeo Wang, China
Guillermo Zhang, China
Jardson de Silva, Brazil
Josiberto de Bristo Brazil
Province of Saint Joseph:
Nicolás Vigo, Perú
Norbil Carrero, Perú
Province of Our Lady
of Consolation:
Asbel Trinidad, Dominican Republic
Province of Saint Augustine:
Eduardo Rodríguez USA
Fr. Ricardo Mediavilla began the Spiritual Exercises by
welcoming the eight of us and reassuring us to feel as being at home at the
monastery. On his introduction he told us that the objective of the novitiate
is:
“El profundizar y descubrir lo que significa/es la
vida religiosa: La Llamada de Jesús.”
(To go deeply into and discover what religious life means/is: The Call of Jesus.)
He continued to remind us and keep in mind throughout
the year: how has my response been in listening Jesus´ Call?
Saturday,
August 5
During the 8:00 a.m. Eucharistic Celebration the
eight postulants officially became novices by the presentation of Fr.
Ricardo Mediavilla and Fr. Miguel Angel Tejada´s (Prior of the
Monastery) acceptance.
Prior Fr. Miguel Angel Tejada welcomed us to our new lifestyle
as Augustinian Recollect religious members of the community with warmth
and joyful words as well as with some recommendations to overcome any
social and psychological barriers to prevent us from listening to God’s
Word and Will in our hearts and minds.
Saturday,
August 19
By this date, all nineteen (19) novices and postulants were present.
Only eight of us have finished the spiritual exercises, and eleven are
still in the process for their late arrival. Seven of the eight who completed
our spiritual exercises were allowed by our Fr. Ricardo to wear the habit
of the order for the first time on the Feast of St. Ezequiel Moreno celebrating
his first century anniversary of his death.
