Father Alejandro presides over the general assembly of the Federation of the Vicariates of Peru: changes in the houses of formation and a path toward possible unification

From July 8 to 10, the General Assembly of the Federation of Augustinian Vicariates of Peru was held in Lima, at the house of La Encantada.

Accompanied by the Prior General, Father Alejandro Moral, twenty-one friars took part, elected by the council of each of the three vicariates, namely: the Vicariate of Iquitos, the Vicariate of Apurímac, and the Vicariate of Chulucanas.

The primary objective of this assembly was to engage in dialogue and to explore the possibilities of taking “consistent steps,” as explained by Father Alexander Lam, Assistant General for Latin America, toward the eventual establishment of a new Province. During these sessions of evaluation, our brothers determined that while the ultimate goal is to unify the vicariates, there nevertheless “remains much work to be done regarding the definition of the vision and mission of this new longed-for reality,” as Father Alejandro remarked in statements to the Communication Office of the General Curia.

Changes in the Houses of Formation

Among the measures and commitments adopted, the friars resolved to renew the work of the Federation’s commissions with greater dedication than has been the case thus far. At the same time, the assembly decided to amend the Federation’s statutes so that the houses of formation would henceforth fall directly under the authority of the President of the Federation. In this way, the President becomes the major superior of the religious assigned to the Federation’s houses. The current President is Father Juan Seminario, of the Vicariate of Chulucanas.

At present, the vicariates’ houses of formation are: the pre-seminary of Iquitos, and the house of formation in Trujillo, where philosophy is studied prior to the novitiate, and to which the students return afterward for their studies in theology. This arrangement means that the religious assigned to these houses will now be directly subject to the authority of the President of the Federation. “It represents a new way of supporting and better accompanying these centers.”

Finally, the Augustinian brothers of the three vicariates of Peru will report at the next Ordinary General Chapter, to be held in Rome this coming September, on the steps taken thus far and the prospects for the future.

A Process in Dialogue with the Province of Our Lady of Grace

Another central issue addressed during the assembly was the decision to resume permanent dialogue with the Province of Our Lady of Grace of Peru and to encourage its active participation in this process of unification.