In the 17th century the first foundation of the Order was also made in Brazil. The Province founded in Spain in 1926 now has responsibility for a vice-province in Brazil, with some houses there that go back to 1910.
Members of the Province of Malta also have houses in Brazil. The province in Spain founded in 1895 has members working in Brazil since 1929.
In the previous century in Latin America, Mariano de la Mata Aparício O.S.A. (1905-1983) was a member of the Order of Saint Augustine who was born in Spain by who worked in Brazil.
He became known for his great observance of his religious obligations, for the way in which he ministered to his people, for his sense of union with nature and for his special concern for the needs of the poor people.
The Congregation of Saints in Rome in 1999 approved the continuation of the necessary steps to have Mariano officially declared a saint. On 20th October 2004 the formal decision was given for Mariano to be declared "Venerable."
Another meeting of the Congregation of Saints on 2nd Februray 2005 unanimously approved the miracle attributed to him.
In the normal course of events, he was declared a "Blessed" by the Church in November 2006. Go to: http://www.midwestaugustinians.org/saintsc_marianomata.html
At present, members from four different Provinces of the Order work in Brazil in four different areas (called circumscriptions), and do so in relative independence of one another.
At an Assembly of some members of these four circumscriptions early in 2005, steps further steps toward integration were proposed and accepted.
As well, on 13th February 2006 the residential part of Saint Augustine's College in San Paolo, Brazil was made an inter-vicariate seminary and the house of Augustinian formation for professed of the Order of Saint Augustine who are studying theology within Brazil.
Soon afterwards they started to make part of the community of Our Lady of Good Counsel (Vicariate of Castile) where the Augustinian Theologate of Brazil now is. Five friars (Vicariate of Castile 3, Vicariate of Consolation 1, Province of 1) make up the Formation Team led by Fr. Cláudio Camargo O.S.A. (Castile). The Prior is Fr. Rafael de la Torre O.S.A. (Province of Spain). As of March 2007, there are 10 Augustinian professed students in the house.
Sixteen postulants from different circumscriptions are in 2007 at the Seminário Santo Agistinho, Rolândia (Paraná). The formators are Fr. Maciel Alves Bueno (Malta) and Fr. Rafael Manrique (Spain). Six more postulants (late vocations) are in Bragança Paulista, where the formator is Fr. Artur Vianna from the Vicariate of Our Lady Consolation.
In Belo Horizonte (Fraternidade Agostiniana, Barreiro – Vic. of Our Lady Consolation) in 2007 there are sixteen pre-novices studying Philosophy. The Formator is Fr. Márcio Vidal (Cons).
On 16th November 2011 the four European Provinces operating in Brazil (i.e., three of the Spanish Provinces and the Province of Malta) met in San Paulo, Brazil to further the possibility of forming a Province of Brazil. There was sufficent progress to form the intention of formally raising the matter at the Order's next international General Chapter in 2013.
(Continued on the next page.)
Photos (right):
Colégio Augustiniano Mendel, San Paolo, Brazil.
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