The executive committee and collaborators of the Institute of Augustinian Spirituality, Institutum Spiritualitatis Augustinianae (ISA), met in Rome from January 28 to 30, 2025.
This meeting, scheduled to evaluate the past six years of ISA activities in preparation for the 2025 Ordinary General Chapter, was attended by its governing council, composed of an executive committee of four friars. Its president, the vicar general and assistant for North America, Father Joseph Farrell, the vice president and treasurer, Fr. Pasquale Cormio; its secretary, Father Robert Guessetto, and Father Enrique Martín Sanz. They are responsible for working day-to-day with 10 other friars from the five geographic regions where the Order is present, namely:
Asia-Pacific: Andrew Batayola (CEB), Metro Xavier Kalathiparambil (IND)
Africa: Martin Davakan (BEL), Jude Ossai (NIG)
Northern Europe: John Hennebry (HIB)
Southern Europe: Paolo Del Bianco (ITA)
North America: Alvin Paligutan (CAL), Joseph Mostardi (VIL)
Latin America: Jeferson Felipe Gomes da Silva Cruz (BRN), Wilder Vásquez Saldaña (CHU).
"One of the many projects of the Institute in recent years was the organization of a three-month course on Augustinian Spirituality for friars and sisters," Father Joseph told us at the conclusion of the meeting. "All ISA members recognize the importance of this course and the need for structural changes in the program if we want to continue serving the brothers and sisters seeking to renew or improve their Augustinian spiritual journey," said the ISA president, who also assured that "recommendations will be made to the next Governing Board of the Institute to ensure that this program can continue."
Within the ordinary work of the ISA are regional retreats with an Augustinian theme, pilgrimages to places of prayer and worship within the Order, collaboration with centers of Augustinian spirituality around the world, and promotion of training programs for formators and vocation promoters.
"The truth is, we want to promote our Augustinian spirituality, delve into the documents A Time for Hope (ISA) and Renovatio (CGI 22), and promote the annual Day of Prayer every November 13."
"Our task now is to evaluate what the past six years of cooperation among all the collaborators of the Institute of Augustinian Spirituality have been, to whom we are deeply grateful, and present it to the next government of the General Curia," concluded Father Joseph Farrell.
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