The Latin American Augustinian Youth Meeting brings together 200 young people from 13 countries in Belo Horizonte: prayer, pilgrimage, friendship, and St. Augustine

From July 17 to 22, Santo Agostinho School – Belo Horizonte Campus, in Brazil, hosted more than 200 young people from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, and Venezuela for the third Latin American Meeting of Augustinian Youth.

This event was made possible thanks to the organization of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation of Brazil and the invaluable collaboration of the Province of Brazil.

“A great deal of effort went into making this gathering a reality,” shared Father Alexander Lam, General Assistant for Latin America, who, together with the Prior General, accompanied our young people during those days, listening to their concerns and sharing the same spirit: love for Saint Augustine, who calls and unites us.

“They were days of prayer, of being with the Lord in the Eucharist, of deepening friendships, and of setting out on the journey—such as the pilgrimage to visit the patroness of Minas Gerais, Our Lady of Mercy.”

Organized by the Vocational and Youth Ministry program of OALA – the Organization of Augustinians of Latin America and the Caribbean – this third edition, following those held in 2011 in Lima and in 2015 in Argentina, adopted as its theme “Pilgrims of Hope” and as its motto “All my hope is in your mercy!” (Confessions X, 29, 40).

“What impressed me most was the young people’s ability to enter fully into the activities,” Father Lam observed. “Also, their eagerness to be with people and to engage in apostolic work.” The participants had the opportunity to carry out several initiatives in the areas surrounding the school and to share their passion for Christ and for our holy father Augustine.

The program featured formative activities, workshops, and a range of conferences. Especially noteworthy was the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in Barreiro, part of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation, where the ELJA (Latin American Encounter with Augustinian Youth)  coincided with the EJC, the Encounter of Young People with Christ, which gathered nearly 2,000 participants.

Ultimately, these were days of communion, joy, spirituality, and a lived experience of fraternity among young people who are inspired by the Augustinian charism and committed to building a more just, more compassionate, more Augustinian world.