THE FIRST AUGUSTINIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS FOR THE LAITY
Augustine down by the riverside
Splash! In a life spanning the 4th and 5th centuries Augustine cast the great rocks of his teaching, learning and wisdom in the pool of the Church. Even that great intellect could not envisage that some of the ripples would lap on the banks of the Murray in the first years of the 21st century - but they did, as we gathered in Echuca on Friday 27th April 2001 for the first Augustinian National Congress for the Laity.
"I have lifted my soul to you, O Lord, as if I carried a jug to a fountain"-these beautiful words from Augustine were used by Fr Paul Maloney OSA in the welcoming liturgy as he blessed the jug and bowl used throughout the Congress to carry water as a sign of the symbolic incorporation of Christians into Christ through baptism. Crafted by Eric McKinnon of Manly Vale Parish, the jug and bowl were some of the very visual symbols of the Congress. Eric, unable to be with us, was yet still present in the work of his hands.
In the light and airy space of the old parish hall, our Congress centre, the parish banners were joined by the congress banner with its unifying water symbolism, the work of Glenn Roberts of Echuca.
The heart is part of the Augustinian emblem and it was from the heart that our Congress speakers animated us. Our group discussions after each talk ensured that we were not idle bystanders. This article can reflect only a few brief impressions of an outstanding experience given to us by these speakers.
Following our welcoming liturgy, Sister Lorraine Testa OSA, of the Melbourne community of Augustinian nuns and a school principal, told of her journey from a faith filled Maltese Australian family to the realisation that her home was within the walls of Augustinian spirituality. Lorraine grabbed our attention, enlivened us with her concept of the 'city dwellers' - those active in the centre of Church life - and the "fringe dwellers". "Being Augustinian is not a spectator sport!". We now realised that the Congress was up and running.
Pat Mullins from Brisbane grew up in an Augustinian parish, was educated in an Augustinian college, Villanova, and was, for a time, a student of the Augustinian Clayfield seminary. His Augustinian background is reflected in a lively sharing of a Christian family life with his Anglican wife and their children. Amid the demands of busy professional responsibilities - he a solicitor, his wife a Supreme Court judge - they have found time to serve the community as office holders in church, professional and other bodies.
Our first day ended with Margaret Wilcox from W.A., a painter and sculptor, presenting, with obvious dedication and enthusiasm, slides of her unique paintings and sculptures depicting Augustinian concepts.
On the second day Paul Griffiths of Manly Vale Parish looked to the account of Augustine's struggles as an inspiration for the title of his talk, "Confessions of an Ordinary Australian". This was a frank and courageous account of the lows and highs of his journey to where he now finds himself, an active committed Christian family man.
The other second day speaker travelled a mere 10,000 kms from Tulsa, Oklahoma for the sole purpose of attending the Congress. Father Theodore ("Ted") Tack OSA is a teacher, author and a Past Prior General of the Augustinians. His talks, "Building Community and Searching for God, An Augustinian Approach" and "The Christian Life: An Augustinian Perspective" commanded our attention. He, like a good teacher, greatly helped us by supplying sheets containing the quotations from scripture, Augustine and other sources with which his talks were peppered.
On the first afternoon we were led towards the Murray. By a small lagoon, we witnessed a dance by young men, students of the local Catholic High School and representatives of a people already possessing an ancient spirituality of this land when Augustine lived.
We then boarded a paddle-wheeler for a cruise with a purpose. In a brief ceremony, Father Laurie Mooney OSA and others disembarked upstream to collect some Murray water. At the next morning's liturgy, led by Father John McCall OSA, this water was poured from the jug into the bowl and then waters from the various parishes and localities represented were brought forward to mingle with this. Thus was symbolised the mingling into one community of the 134 participants in the Congress. Into the bowl were poured even water, shells and sand from the Indian Ocean on the other side of the continent. All dipped their hands into the mingled waters.
Another mingling took place when we gathered at a local club on Saturday evening for the Congress Dinner. An unexpected interruption was the arrival of the all singing and dancing "Brigidine Nuns", obviously following the rule of St. Whoopi Goldberg. The resemblance of the exuberant sisters to some of the sober local parishioners was thought remarkable.
A participant in the Congress could not fail to appreciate the immense amount of work put in by the organising committee, under the leadership of Augustinian Friends co-Leaders, Anne Halloway and Peter Moriarty of Manly Vale and St Clair Parishes, the Echuca committee and the many helpers and, of course, the Augustinians. Irresistible morning and afternoon teas and lunches made sure that material, as well as spiritual needs, were satisfied (or too well satisfied?). The organisers no doubt had their anxieties but, to the observer, the Congress, like the Murray, seemed to flow along. Our master of ceremonies, Kevin Hadley of Manly Vale Parish made sure we adhered to the exacting timetable.
But there had to be an end on Sunday. A business session, a reflective liturgy and discussion, a concelebrated Mass to which the magnificent local choir added so much and our farewells at the lunchtime BBQ.
What cannot be fully conveyed in words is the spirit which pervaded the Congress. All one can say to those who were not there is "Try next time!".
Warwick Jones
Back to June 2001 News Bulletin
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