Official Translation of the Three Pillars

All Congregantes are instructed on the three pillars of the ACU: espiritualidad, professionalismo, y apostolado. The three pillars orient the life of a Congregante as he pursues his life in the world. Regardless of the vocation of a Congregante or his chosen profession, the Congregante strives to maintain a deep, personal relationship with our Lord through prayer, sacraments, and the Spiritual Exercises. He strives to conduct himself daily in his personal life, his family life, and his professional life, as another Christ - carrying himself as an exemplar man in the world always prepared to carry through mundane tasks with gratitude, difficult tasks with prudence, and courageously make tough decisions. The apostolate of the Congregante is another sign to the world that beyond his prayer and his work, the Congregante gives of his time, talent or treasure to the greater community in witness to the charity of Christ and our Church's commitment to the least among us. 

In the last few years, we have seen many of our seminal works translated from Spanish to English: the first history of the ACU by Miguel Figueroa Miranda, formation booklets by Dr. Ambrosio Gonzalez de Valle, and more recently the BIP publications. These translations allow us to transmit the rich history of the ACU to the younger generation who are predominantly English speakers. Moreover, our Esto Vir publication, weekly newsletter, and website are done in English. While unintended, the English translations of the three pillars were inconsistent across the various publications. These inconsistencies create confusion and can be interpreted as a break of the rich history and tradition of the ACU.

To maintain the continuity of the ACU's history, and to transmit in word and spirit the mission and purpose of the ACU, the Executive Committee has settled on an official English translation of the three pillars so that all of our communications are consistent. The official translation is: spirituality, professionalism, and apostolate. We ask for the cooperation of all Agrupados in sharing this official translation as you share the life of the ACU with friends and family whether in conversation or through the writing.