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Donations
Who will replace them? Dear old and new friends of the Augustinian Recollects, Every year our vocation director presents me with a calendar indicating when the annual Vocational Visit to each of the parishes staffed by Augustinian Recollects will take place. The purpose of this Visit is to raise funds for the support of the young men who are preparing to become Augustinian Recollect priests, brothers, or deacons. During the visit the vocation director is present to celebrate Mass and help the local priests and brothers with the other duties around the parish. The students accompany him and speak at each of the Masses, sharing their "vocation story" with the people. They are also available to greet the people as they leave church, and to answer any questions they may have about their personal vocations or Augustinian Recollect vocations in general. The second collection taken up at each of the Masses during the Vocation Visitation is earmarked for "The Burse" or Educational Fund of the Province. This fund is dedicated exclusively to help meet the personal, medical, and educational expenses of our students during the years in which they prepare for a life time of service to the People of God. At a time when vocations have been steadily declining and many of our current priests and religious are already well beyond retirement age many people ask about their current religious leaders: "Who will replace them?" The Augustinian Recollects have been working diligently in the field of vocational promotion (recruitment), and those efforts have begun to produce fruit in a fine group of young men who are eager and willing to assume the burden of pastoral care to our Catholic people. These young men are a cross section of American society today; that means they come from many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. They are virtually all blessed with being bilingual, knowing both English and Spanish. We know that Spanish-speaking peoples are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States today. Our community, then, is uniquely qualified to reach out to this group and to work with them in ministering to their spiritual and social needs. We as Augustinian Recollects are optimistic about our future and the future of the Catholic Church, given the example of both the young people who are joining us and the older friars, whose example of fidelity, generosity, and joy often serve as models and sources of inspiration for them. We can't, however, go it alone. As our numbers increase, so do our expenses. We ask for your prayers, for your support, and for your financial contributions. Some of you may choose to join our Guild, others to remember us in your wills, while still others may want to make direct contributions or pledges to help us to serve our Catholic people better. We are grateful for whatever you can do to support us in our efforts to answer that question that grows more urgent each day: "Who will replace them?" Sincerely yours, To make a contribution or pledge to our Educational Fund please contact our Development Office at SAprovince@yahoo.com
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