Dear Friends,
Each year on 13 November, the Augustinians celebrate the Feast of All Saints of the Order. Familiar names include Augustine, Monica, Rita of Cascia, Nicholas of Tolentine, Thomas of Villanova and many others. What we often forget are the lesser known saints and blesseds who died for their Faith and are numbered among the Church’s martyrs.
In 2004, I had the good fortune to attend an Intermediate General Chapter of the Order at El Escorial, the royal palace monastery near Madrid, Spain. Our accommodation and meeting facilities were across the plaza at the University of Maria Christina and I recall each night looking across the courtyard at the magnificent, illuminated dome of the Basilica.
Once the residence of King Philip II of Spain, the building houses religious communities of Augustinians who provide education for young people and other ministries. Little did I realise the significant drama that affected those Augustinians during the Spanish Civil War which began in 1936, less than 100 years ago. The day after the war began, armed guards took up their posts at the doors of the palace. Once it was clear that the Augustinians would be taken prisoner, the Prior organised a farewell feast the night before their departure – perhaps an appropriate ‘Augustinian Way’ of preparing for martyrdom!
In all, five groups of Spanish Augustinians totalling 180 friars were martyred during the Civil War – their offence, being a priest or religious, loyal to the Christian Faith! The 65 members of the Escorial Communities and 33 other Augustinians were executed and are among the 498 Spanish Martyrs who were beatified - officially called ‘Blessed’ - by Pope Benedict XVI on 28 October 2007.
While not all those declared saint or blessed are martyrs, another group, the Martyrs of Japan, included hundreds of Augustinians – religious, priests, catechists and laity – from Spain, Portugal, Mexico and Japan. This persecution occurred during the period 1617-1637. The group reflects the close collaboration in ministry and community that existed even then between Augustinians and laity, a relationship within the Church promoted by Vatican II and reflective of our equal dignity through our shared Baptism.
This is the strength of the Body of Christ as we are united with the Saints and Mary Mother of Jesus, herself the focus of Augustinian devotion under 6 titles that together reflect the total engagement of our God with us through Jesus’ embracing fully our humanness:
Mother of Grace OR Lady of Grace Our Mother of Consolation
Our Lady of Good Counsel Our Lady of Help
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Our Lady of Childbirth or Motherhood
At this time, let us not forget our ‘family saints’ – a popular theme of mine, I know. We are a ‘remembering’ people and ‘memory makes present’. November is a wonderful time to ‘remember’ our story and ‘make present’ all those who have been part of our journey of Faith. Fr Dave