This past year, we have had 11 novices preparing to take the next step in their spiritual journey. That next step? Professing their first vows as Augustinians.
These eleven men hailed from all across the United States. Actually, our novitiate this year was even more diverse than that! We had men from the Dominican Republic, Pakistan, and one more from Japan: Atsushi Kuwahara.
All other 10 novices professed their first vows in Chicago on July 31, 2016 - you can see pictures from their professions by clicking here. Atsushi wanted to wait, though, so that he may return home to profess his vows in his homeland.
Why has he entered Augustinian formation in the United States in the first place you ask? The Augustinians from the United States began serving as missionaries in Japan in the 1950s. Today, our missions are under the leadership of the Augustinian Province of St. Thomas of Villanova in Villanova, Pennsylvania. He, like some others from Japan, have found the inter-cultural formation process in the United States to be enriching.
Congratulations, Brother Atsushi. It is an honor to have you as one of our largest classes of newly professed Augustinians in decades!
