AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD – December 2006

(Because of the vacation period, there will be no bulletin in January 2007. The next bulletin will be uploaded on 1st February 2007.)

The promise and the fulfillment

While Jesus was asleep in the boat, the disciples were almost shipwrecked. Jesus was sleeping and the disciples were in a state. This wind was howling, the waves were breaking, the boat was sinking. Why? Because Jesus was sleeping. So also with you; when the storms of temptation are raging in this world, your mind, your boat so to say, is in a state.

Why, if not because your faith is asleep? You see, that’s what the apostle Paul says, that Christ lives in our hearts, or minds, through faith. So rouse Christ in your mind, get your faith awake, and let your conscience be calmed, your boat delivered.

Realize that the one who made you the promises is truthful and trustworthy. He hasn’t yet shown you everything, because it isn’t yet time for him to do so. He has already shown you a great many things, though.

He promised you his Christ, and he gave him; he promised his resurrection, and he gave it; he promised his gospel, and he gave it; he promised his Church, spread throughout the whole world, and he gave it; the very afflictions and disasters piled one on top of the other in human affairs, he foretold and has shown. How much is left? What was promised has been fulfilled, what was foretold has been fulfilled.

St Augustine: Sermon 38, 10

APAC Augustinian Spirituality Conference

Two Australian Augustinians were the presenters (see photo below) at Augustinian Spirituality Conference that took place in the Philippines on 19th-24th November 2006.

They were Frs Laurence Mooney and Paul Maloney from the Centre for Augustinian Spirituality, which is located at Greystanes (western Sydney), Australia.

The six-day conference was under the auspices of the Asia-Pacific Augustinian Conference (APAC) of the extended Augustinian family. For details of the program of the conference elsewhere on this web site, click here.

One of the forty-seven participants was Fr Bernard Holzer, who is an Augustinian of the Assumption based in Manila. In his written his reflections on the conference he stated, “I felt an Augustinian family atmosphere from the very start.  Both speakers, Fr. Paul Maloney and Fr. Laurence (Laurie) Mooney, made this possible by asking all of us to share our life experience.”

He continued, “Saint Augustine was very much present through his writings, especially his Confessions, through his sermons and his Commentaries on the Psalms.  Printed reproductions of some of the frescoes of Augustine in the Church of Saint Augustine in San Gimignano (Italy) added also a lot to his presence among us.” (These frescoes can be seen on the Internet at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/jod/augustine/gozzoli.html )

“Augustine was truly made present to us through his human and spiritual experience by the presentations of Paul and Laurie: they were clear, simple, shared with empathy, always referring to the texts of Augustine and our personal experience.”

“I was struck by the presentation on the dynamics of the prayer of Augustine made by Paul: never before had I understood so well the illumined relationship of Augustine with God. And Laurie opened my eyes on the social praxis of Augustine.  Thus, I learned that Augustine had written a number of letters against capital punishment and that many of his writings had a clear ecological flavour.”

St Augustine's College, Brookvale

HELPING ORPHANS IN THE PHILIPPINES

St Augustine's College in Brookvale (Sydney), Australia has a strong connection with the Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation who run educational facilities in the Philippines along with an Orphanage in Bulacan, not far from Manila.  Sister Joan O.S.A., a member of the chaplaincy team at Brookvale, is an Augustinian Sister of Our Lady of Consolation.

The Sisters' orphanage (see photo) at Bulacan houses up to 20 children who have come to them in sad circumstances, the underlying theme being poverty. Each year students of St Augustine’s College raise funds to send to the orphanage to help with the day to day running of this important charitable organisation.  The students at the College are keen to make a difference to these children’s lives.

In an Australian household, when a member of a family becomes sick the rest of the family become vulnerable.  We treat the sick with medicine and if necessary keep them away from other people to eliminate transfer of the infection.  At the orphanage they desperately need an infirmary to allow the children to be isolated from their peers and to dramatically reduce cross contamination. 

Diseases can consist of mumps, chicken pox, scabies and mosquito related infections.  The heat can intensify transferring of the infections at a faster rate.

In "The Augustinian Orphanage Project”, the College proposes to build an addition to the orphanage consisting of a simple two room area housing up to eight children, with a separate bathroom area. This would enable staff to quarantine the children until their health has returned.

St Augustine’s College TAS lay teachers Mr Craig Jeffery and Mr Peter Jones have investigated building the new facility at the premises, but due to restrictions on materials, tools and the tropical heat of summer in the Philippines, they plan to build the facility in a prefabricated kit form in Sydney and to ship the kit along with tools and materials over to Manila.

During the Fourth Term 2006 and over the Christmas school vacation period, the College is calling on students to support this worthy cause via fundraising projects to help pay for the Aus$30,000 bill to complete this much needed project.  To date the parent and Augustinian community have been very supportive.

In April 2007 it is planned that ten students will accompany the two TAS teachers to Bulacan to assemble the infirmary.  The initial construction will have occurred at the College in Brookvale, Australia.  The prefabrication will then be shipped in a container from the College along with other donated materials. 

The College is also calling on the general public for support, both financially and in materials and transportation.  The following wish list covers construction timber, glass windows, roofing, insulation, air conditioning units, bathroom supplies and construction tools.   The facility also needs to be fitted out with six bunk beds.

If you can help, please contact Craig Jeffery at the College on cjeffery@saintaug.nsw.edu.au or phone the College office on (02) 9938 8200.(During school vacation time, use the e-mail address only.) The ‘wish list’ for materials is also available on the College website, as indicated below.

Go to http://www.saintaug.nsw.edu.au, and then click on the special pages on the project within the College Life section of the web site.

Delegation of Korea

The Australian Province of the Augustinians rejoices with our brothers in Korea (where three Australian Augustinians assist the local ministry) with the announcement of an ordination to the priesthood on 27th December 2006.

Paolo Kim (pictured) was born in Incheon, South Korea, and graduated in environmental engineering in 1998.

Deciding to become an Augustinian, he undertook his novitiate and a Bachelor of Theology degree in Korea, and was then sent to Rome to undertake a Master’s degree in Patristic Theology at the Augustinianum in Rome.

He was solemnly professed in Incheon on 5th September 2005 during the celebration of the Korean Augustinian Delegation's 20th anniversary, and was ordained a deacon in Rome by Cardinal Walter Kasper in March 2006.

After ordination to the priesthood on 27th December 2006 at the hands of Bishop
Boniface Choi, Bishop of Incheon, he will return to Rome to complete his patristic studies.

Sixty photos of the Order of Saint Augustine in Korea are available on the Internet by selecting the photo gallery named Korea after you click on http://www.augnet.org/default.asp?ipageid=6

A little further afield, two locally-born Augustinians will receive priesthood in India on 27th and 28th December in their home parishes.

Holy Spirit Parish, St Clair

Holy Spirit Parish, with is situated at Saint Clair on the western environs of Sydney, Australia, was founded twenty-five years ago, and has been staffed by the Order of Saint Augustine for the past eleven years.

The silver jubilee of the parish was marked by over ten days of celebrations late in October 2006.

This milestone was also marked by the publication of a special historical booklet.

Parishioner Kathy Yates commented that the celebrations gave a tremendous boost to the parish. She said, “The feedback has been overwhelming. Many remarks centred on the beautiful liturgical and social celebrations that took place. Other people expressed delight at the great warmth and spirit evident at all the activities. Persons who once lived at St Clair and who returned for the jubilee celebrations told us that they sense that our parish is as vibrant as it ever was.”

Present at the celebrations was the presence of Fr Brian Rooney, who was the founding pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in 1981. In the photo above, he is seen cutting the silver jubilee cake with the present moderator (at left) Fr Brian Fitzpatrick O.S.A. and Most Rev. Kevin  Manning (Bishop of Parramatta).

The parish web site is http://www.holyspiritstclair.com.au

Augustinian Parish of South Yarra

The end is in sight for renovation work on the former St. Joseph's Primary School building (photo above) and the Augustinian parish grounds at South Yarra, Melbourne, Australia.

The former parish school building will continue its life as a commodious Parish Centre. Many parish and local community groups are looking forward to this a great deal.

The Parish is planning a grand opening for this new St. Joseph's Parish Centre on Sunday, 3rd December 2006.

Anyone interested in being included in the invitation list can contact South Yarra Parish on 03 9827-4689.

Events at the opening ceremony will be reported here in next month's news column.

Parish of North Harbour

The creation of the Parish of North Harbour occurred by the union of the parishes of Manly (Saint Kieran’s) and Balgowlah (St Cecilia’s) in metropolitan Sydney, Australia in July 2006.

The Order of Saint Augustine is responsible to the Diocese of Broken Bay for the parish's ministry.

The first eighteen months for the new Parish Pastoral Council for the newly formed Community of North Harbour was a busy one.

The year began with the Parish Assembly that saw a good number of parishioners come together to set out a vision for our community. Shortly after the Assembly the Council put aside some time to develop a Pastoral Plan for the Parish. The planning process challenged the Council to identify practical strategies that could be implemented.

Key achievements thus far include: the development of the Pastoral Plan, the appointment of our new Family & Youth Co-ordinator, the review of parish Lenten programs, and an initial review of musical direction in the liturgy within the parish.

Key initiatives planned for the next year include (1) whole community catechises: this strategy has been effectively applied in other parishes to assist in faith formation for all parishioners, both adults and youth. (2) Social Program: a co-ordinated strategy developed and implemented to provide enhanced social interaction, hospitality and support within the parish. (3) Building better linkages with groups within the Parish. (4) Further developing the Family & Youth Ministry.

The chairperson of the Parish Council is Mr Matt Cooper.

The web site of the new Parish of North Harbour is http://www.northharbour.catholicau.com

Augustinian Formation Association (A.F.A.)

The AFA prays for and raises funds for the formation of future Augustinians. Based in Sydney, its office bearers for 2006 are Trudi McFadden (president), Eddie Robinson (treasurer), Lesley Sing (assistant treasurer) and Yvonne Clark (secretary).

The November 2006 event of the AFA was their annual end-of-year dinner on Saturday, 25th November in Dee Why (Sydney), Australia (see photo).

For more details about the Augustinian Formation Association generally, contact the Provincial Office in Brookvale (Sydney) by phone: (w) 02 9905 3049.

Priesthood for a Villanova past pupil

Twenty-eight years after leaving Villanova College, the Order’s upper primary and secondary day school in Coorparoo (Brisbane), Australia, Eugene Ashkar (at right of photo) was ordained to the Catholic priesthood on 16th September this year.

For him it has been a long journey to this goal. After completing Senior year at Villanova in 1979, Eugene took a variety of jobs while he waited acceptance into the Redemptorist Order to study for the priesthood. In 1984 he began his studies in Melbourne, but later discerned that God was not calling him to this order.

Eugene returned to Brisbane and entered the Queensland Ambulance Service. He rapidly attained national registration as a paramedic. While on holidays he met and later joined another religious institute, where he remained as a religious brother for eleven years.

In 2000 Eugene entered the diocesan regional seminary for Victoria and Tasmania, and began again his discernment towards the priesthood. Throughout the last six and a half years he has studied Latin, philosophy, church history, theology and Scripture, as well as engaging in active pastoral ministry.

On 24th July 24 2004, he was ordained a deacon, and on 16th September 2006 with three other candidates was ordained to the priesthood for the Melbourne Archdiocese.

Villanova hosts Education Week 2006

In the Archdiocese of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, Catholic Education Week 2006 was officially launched in the Hanrahan Theatre at Villanova College, the Order’s upper primary and secondary school for over 900 male day pupils.

The theme for the Week was “It’s all about the Spirit.”  This was immediately thrust before the audience by the combined Villanova Loreto Orchestra and choir presenting a stirring arrangement of “Dry Your Tears Afrika” from the film Amistad, which told of the spirited struggle of the black African people who had been brought to the Americas as slaves.

As well as being involved on stage, Villanova students acted as car parking attendants, guides, ushers and hospitality waiters. They drew many favourable comments from all who had anything to do with the celebrations.

The invited guests at the launch included the Governor of Queensland (see photo above), the Archbishop of Brisbane and two assistant Bishops, the representative of the Premier and the Minister for Education and the Arts, a number of local, state and federal politicians, and the Directors of Catholic Education from across the State of Queensland.

To cap off a significant involvement by the College in Catholic Education Week, the patron of Catholic Education Week for 2006 was Villanova past pupil, Andrew Slack a Villanova graduate of the Class of 1972 and College Captain in that year.

The Hanrahan Theatre was an impressive venue for this Catholic Education Week ceremony. It can function as a theatre seating 500 or as two separate lecture theatres and/or a smaller theatre to seat 170. It was opened with a series of concerts in May 2005.

More about the Hanrahan Theatre and the Villanova Symphony Orchestra will appear here in the January 2007 edition of this news column.

The Villanova College web site is: http://www.vnc.qld.edu.au

Third National Augustinian Congress for the Laity, April 2007

.Planning for the Third National Congress for the Laity is well under way.

This Congress, to be held in South Yarra, Melbourne, runs from Friday 20th April 2007 to Sunday 22nd April 2007. The keynote speaker will be Fr Art Purcaro O.S.A.. He is from the United States, and is presently stationed in Rome as an Assistant General of the Order.

The title is: Augustine, Ancient & New Vision for the Future. So how about coming to Melbourne in 2007 to experience Augustine in Autumn?!

For further information about the Augustinian lay congress in Melbourne in April 2007, contact Augustinian Friends via the parish office of the Augustinian parish of South Yarra (ph. 03 9827 9117), or contact Fr Paul Maloney O.S.A. at the Centre for Augustinian Spirituality, 2 Hewitt Avenue, Greystanes, NSW 2145 (phone 02 9631 0340) or by e-mail at paulmal@bigpond.com.au

Masters Degree Program in Augustine

A summer program leading to a Master of Arts degree in the study of St Augustine has begun at at Quezon City in Metro Manila. The venue is the Saint Augustine Centre of Studies (SACS - see photo below).

The new Masters program was officially launched at the SACS graduation ceremony on 27th March 2006, and the first units of the program were taught from 10th April to 20th May 2006.

The teachers of these units were Fr Arnel Dizon O.S.A. (An Introduction to St Augustine), Fr Pederito Aparece O.S.A. (Augustine and Neo-Platonism), and Dr Macario Ofilada Ph.D. (The Dialogues of Augustine). All units are taught in the English language, and there are choices of topics in every course.

There are choices of outcome available within the program. These give different options such as equipping the student to teach Augustine to others, or else preparing the student for further studies in Augustine at a doctoral level.

For example the option that leads to a Master of Arts in Teaching Augustine studies Augustinian pedagogy, Neo-Platonism, Augustinian metaphysics and Augustine’s theory of knowledge. It then surveys Augustine’s sermons, letters, and major books.

The full program is expected to require three summers of classes by each student, and variously also some comprehensive examinations or the writing of a thesis. Students from overseas or other parts of the Philippine can apply for summer accommodation as SACS, depending on its availability.

The next courses will be offered in April-May 2007. Printed information on the course in general and in particular, plus enrolment details, are available in a brochure that may be obtained by writing to the St Thomas of Villanova Institute of Philosophy, Saint Augustine Center of Studies, Fisheries Street, Visayas Avenue, 1100 Quezon City, Philippines.

For information about the M.A. program, persons in Australia can contact the Augustinian Provincial Office at Brookvale, Sydney by telephoning (02) 9905.3049 during office hours.

Augnet: whats new?!

Augnet, a comprehensive web site on Saint Augustine and the Order of Saint Augustine, was fully redesigned and renovated in May 2006.

It now carries over 1,180 pages of text, which also contain over 1,555 illustrations. The Augnet web site was officially "launched" at a ceremony in Sydney in August 2002, with the Augustinian Prior General from Rome as the guest of honour.

New technical features in the renovated Augnet include a search engine, which searches every page of Augnet for any word or phrase that is nominated by a user, and a site map, which quickly allows a visitor to see and understand the local arrangement of Augnet's sections and sub-sections.

About 1,830 large images in extensive photo galleries illustrate of Augustinian events and places internationally. The photo galleries most recently added illustrate Augustinian ministry in India, London (England) and at the Escorial (Spain).

There were 14,422 separate visits to the Augnet website during the calendar month of November 2006, which is an average of almost 500 visitors a day.

Visit this web site at http://www.augnet.org

FOR SOME CURRENT NEWS ABOUT THE ORDER OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA Click here

AUGUSTINIAN CENTRE FOR SPIRITUALITY PROGRAM 2006
2 Hewitt Avenue
Greystanes 2145
Enquiries 9896 6794
www.augustinians.org.au/communities/greystanes.html