Atlanta ACU Lechon and Pastoral Visit
Last weekend Atlanta maintained its annual tradition begun in 1979 of the Lechon Asado, roasting a whole pig in the infamous Caja China. The annual event affords the ACU community in Atlanta an opportunity to bring Agrupados together in the preparation and cooking of the pig, to invite new candidates, for educational and spiritual development, as well as for the ACU wives and children to share in the ACU "Patio". This year the event was visited by Father Rojas, SJ, the ACU Director, Dr. Manny Anton, ACU National President and Seth Caraecle, our new Management Administrator. The event also convened numerous students from Georgia Tech, the University of Miami student formation group, from the Puerto Rico student group led by Xavier Vera Bernier, and Luis Mena, leader of the new Group developing in Santo Domingo. They were joined Saturday morning by Ramiro Rodriguez, Instructor for the Texas ACU Mission, as well as his seminarian son, Ramiro Jr.
The event began on Friday when many of the visiting students spent the day in activities at Stone Mountain, Georgia. That evening the Atlanta ACU leadership and the visiting students spent the evening preparing the pig and marinating. The UM and PR students were able to share dinner at a unique Atlanta restaurant serving exotic oriental foods.
The next morning the students, led by Lorenzo Leon of Atlanta, prepared the pig and cooked it. Midmorning, Alex Saker, president of the Atlanta ACU led an Instruction for the students in which a number of the older Agrupados and student leaders contributed thoughts on the life of the Agrupado as well as the history of each group.
Subsequently, Fr. Rojas led the mass for the entire community as the women and children arrived. After lunch and several hours of patio, the students and others helped to clean up and the students went to an Atlanta soccer game led by Seth.
The weekend was notable for the hard work done by those preparing, the community built among the various groups of students visiting ACU Atlanta, and the ACU spirit felt during the instruction, mass, and patio. ACU Atlanta continues to be blessed as it begins its new apostolate with the IHM men's group, works to develop relationships with the universities, and works closely on collaboration with Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center.
