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Annual Retreat of the Vicariate The first week of September the members of the Augustinian Vicariate of St. John of Sahagun, came together in a reteat house in the city of Chiclayo (half way between Trujillo and Chulucanas) for their annual retreat. The director of the retreat was Fr. Alberto Bochatey, OSA from Argentina who directed the friars in a reflection on the recently updated Constitutions of the Order. They were updated at the General Chapter of 2007 in Rome and offered a rich source for prayer and dialogue during the 5 day long retreat. During the retreat we also marked significant anniversaries. Fr. Art Purcaro (40 years) and Fr. Charlie Bodden (39 years) celebrated their profession anniversaries on Sept 3 and on Sept 4th we marked the 40 priesthood anniversary of John Dowling since the Vicariate would not be able to gather all together on the December date. After the retreat, most of the friars stayed for two days of "down time" together, which was marked by a pilgrimage to a site that is popular in Peruvian devotional practices, the Cross of Motupe. It is a cross in a small cave near the town of Motupe which is an hour north-east of Chiclayo. The following day mass was celebrated at the Augustinian high school in Chiclayo, and then we had a farewell lunch on the nearby beach with a splendid sun, but still too cool to take a dip in the ocean. |
