In a historic event, the Prior Provincials and counselors of the two Augustinian Provinces in the Philipines – Province of Santo Nino de Cebu – Philippines and the recently created Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus in the Philippines – held a joint meeting for the first time.
The meeting was co-presided by the two Prior Provincials, Rev. Fr. Andres Rivera Jr., of Cebuanae Province, and Rev. Fr. Dante Bendoy, OSA of the Most Holy Name Province.
The library of Convento de San Agustin, Intramuros, Manila was the venue of the historic meeting on June 13, 2022.
The agenda of the meeting is how the two provinces can collaborate in serving the Filipinos through the Augustinian way of life and mission.
The two Provinces had already built strong collaborations before the joint meeting.
First, the then Vicariate of the Orient sends their college aspirants to take up an AB Philosophy degree at the St. Thomas of Villanova Institute in San Agustin Center of Studies, Quezon City. Some solemn professed friars from the same vicariate also taught at the Institute.
Second, when sending novices to the Asia Pacific Augustinian Novitiate in Talisay City, Cebu for the joint novitiate program of the different circumscriptions of the Order in the Asia Pacific region in 2016.
Through the meeting, the two leaders of each Province hope to have more collaborations and build stronger fraternal relationships as Augustinians serve the Filipino Catholic faithful.
