Augustinians open house of discernment for Hispanic aspirants

Published: 2006-07-17

VILLANOVA, Pa. (CNS) -- The Augustinians of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova have opened a house of discernment for Hispanic men called the Casa Augustin. A new release from the province said it hopes that Casa Augustin, located in Lawrence, Mass., will enhance opportunities for Hispanic vocations and increase vocations to the Augustinian order. The program is designed specifically for Spanish-speaking aspirants in need of spiritual, academic and linguistic preparation. Casa Augustin is a bilingual house so that participants may grasp a better understanding of the English language without losing their Hispanic heritage. Augustinian Father Luis Madera, director of Casa Augustin, was born in Puerto Rico. He made his profession as an Augustinian in 1995 and was ordained in 2000. He was associate pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Staten Island, N.Y., and returned to Lawrence last August. The Web site for the house of discernment is www.losagustinos.org.

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