Order of Augustinian Recollects

Order of Augustinian Recollects
Abbreviation	Augustinians Recollects
Formation	1588
Type	Catholic religious order
Website	agustinosrecoletos.org

Augustinian Recollects' coat of arms

Augustinian Recollect novices at the Monasterio de Marcilla in Navarra, Spain

History

The Order of Augustinian Recollects or simply the Augustinian Recollects are a Roman Catholic mendicant Catholic religious order of friars and nuns. They are a reformist offshoot from the Augustinian hermit friars and follow the same Rule of St. Augustine.

They were founded in 16th-century Spain as a separate province of the Augustinian friars under their own Vicar General. Through the 5th Determination of the Chapter of Toledo, it was decided that:

Since there are among us, or at least maybe, some who have greater love for monastic perfection and want to follow a more austere plan of life, we ought to favor their legitimate desire by not placing obstacles to the Holy Spirit; having previously consulted our most Reverend Father General and implored his leave, we determine that in our Province three or more monasteries of men and as many of women be designated or established; in them a more austere kind of life is to be practiced; its manner is to be regulated, after mature reflection, by the Father Provincial with his Definitorum.^[1]

Their reform emphasized fidelity to the Rule of St. Augustine. The reformers placed special emphasis on community prayer and simplicity of life.

On 5 June 1621, the Recollects was raised to the level of an autonomous Religious Congregation, giving it the right to divide itself into provinces. They were formally recognized as a mendicant Order in the Catholic Church in 1912, the last to be so designated.

There quickly developed the interest to share in this spirituality among lay men and women. Thus was born the Third Order of the Recollects of St. Augustine. They publicly declare promises to seek to follow the teachings of St. Augustine. Modern changes in the Roman Catholic Church has led to an increased sense of the place of the laity in the work of the Church. As part of the Order, they now share in the work of the friars, and have been re-organized as the Secular Augustinian Recollects.

Global Recollect presence

The Recollects are present in 19 countries including in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, England, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Spain, Taiwan, the United States, and Venezuela. As of 1997, the Recollects numbered 1,258 in 201 religious houses,^[2] distributed into eight provinces (regions) in four continents, but strongest in Spain, the Philippines and Colombia. The official languages of the Order are Spanish, English, and Portuguese.

The OAR Missions

Augustinian Recollects in the Philippines

Main article: The Augustinian Recollect Province of Saint Ezequiél Moreno

With their arrival in May 1609, the Recollects became one of the most important groups in the history of the evangelization of the Philippines. Many times, the areas given to this Order were the poorest islands in the archipelago. Oftentimes, the ones that are not desired by other orders because of distance from the mainland ^[3].

Being a contemplative Order, it was not really their main goal to evangelize the country. Yet because of the great need of evangelizers, the friars in the Philippines became more active than in the other parts of the world. Most of their houses were just formation centers; yet they were forced to open them to the public because the faithful would still go and attend Sunday services with the friars.

Their first house was built in Bagumbayan, outside the walls of Manila. Later, they also built a house within the walls which became their house for the next hundreds of years. It was only after the World War II that they were forced to abandon the convent because it became virtually uninhabitable.

Their first parish was in Masinloc, Zambales. However, this has already been transferred to the management of the Diocese. Other parishes that were given to them early in their ministry in the Philippines were that of Mabalacat, Pampanga; Capaz, Tarlac; and Mamban.

They also had missions in Palawan, Calamianes and Caraga (in the northeastern part of Mindanao). They laid the foundation for the capital of Palawan, which is known as Puerto Princesa City. Mindoro and Bohol became part of their missions as well.

The province that was most heavily influenced by the Order is the island of Negros (now divided into two, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental). Until the present times, the Recollect friars still form a significant segment of the clergy. Most of the towns in both provinces are also bearing names of towns similar to those of Spain, mainly the places where missionaries came from.

Since the creation of the Province of Saint Ezekiel Moreno, the Philiipine Province was officially separated from the Province of Saint Nicolas de Tolentino. Now, the Philippine Province not only supervises the different missions in the Philippines but also in Sierra Leone and China.

The OAR Learning Institutions

Today, the Order administers two universities: the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (founded 1941) in Bacolod City and University of San Jose - Recoletos (founded 1947) in Cebu City. They also administer 3 colleges; San Sebastian College - Recoletos (founded 1941 in Manila); San Sebastian College - Recoletos (founded 1966 in Cavite City); Colegio de Santo Tomas-Recoletos founded in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental; as well as two secondary schools namely Colegio San Nicolas de Tolentino - Recoletos in Talisay City, Negros Occidental and San Pedro Academy in Caidiocan, Valencia, Negros Oriental.

Formation Houses and Seminaries includes the Santo Tomas de Villanueva Recoletos Formation House (High School) in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental; Casiciaco Recoleos Seminary / Seminario Mayor - Recoletos de Baguio (Philosophy) in Baguio City; and the Recoletos Formation Center (Theology) in Mira-Nila Homes, Quezon City.

Augustinian Recollects in China

The Recollect foundation in Taiwan is based at Kaohsiung City.^[4][5] They are supported by Filipino Recollects from the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno.

See also

• Augustinians
• Augustinian nuns
• The Augustinian Recollect Province of Saint Ezequiél Moreno
• Secular Augustinian Recollects

External links

• The Augustinian Recollects. Page office
• The Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno, Philippines
• The Augustinian Recollects. USA
• Text of the Rule of St. Augustine

References

1. ^ Chapter of Toledo 5th Determination
2. ^ "A thumbnail history of the Augustinian Recollects". Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20080503173214/http://www.recoletos.ph/article/articleview/37/1/7. Retrieved 2008-05-16. 
3. ^ Historia de la Iglesia en Hispanoamérica y Filipinas, Volume II (p.711), Isaco Rodríguez, Madrid 1992
4. ^ "Order of Augustinian Recollects: China and Taiwan". http://www.agustinosrecoletos.com/estaticos/view/41/96?lang=en_US. Retrieved 2008-05-16. 
5. ^ "St. Joseph Parish Golden Anniversary". Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20080503173209/http://www.recoletos.ph/article/articleview/155/1/11/. Retrieved 2008-05-16. 

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Jackson, Samuel Macauley, ed (1914). "^{article name needed}". New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge (third ed.). London and New York: Funk and Wagnalls.