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AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD - for August 2010

Love, and the Lord will draw near

Don’t look for a high mountain, where you may kid yourself that you are nearer to God.

If you lift yourself high up, he withdraws far away from you; if you humble yourself low, he bends down to you.

The tax collector stood a long way off, and that made it all the easier for God to draw near to him; he didn’t even dare to raise his eyes to heaven, and he already had with him the one who made heaven. So how are we to take delight in the Lord if the Lord is so far away from us?

But don’t let him be far away! It’s you who make him be far away. Love and he will draw near; love and he will live with you. The Lord is very near; do not be anxious at all.

Do you want to see how he is with you if your love? God is love. Why let your thoughts and fancies fly far and wide, as you say to yourself, “Can you imagine what God is? Can you imagine what God is like?” Whatever you suppose, he isn’t that: whatever you grasp with your thought, he isn’t that. If it were what he is, it could not be grasped by thought. But so that you may have a taste of him, God is love. You are going to say to me, “Can you imagine what love is?”

Love is what we love with. What do we love? A good beyond words, a good that does good, a good that is the creator of all goods. Let him delight you from whom you have whatever else delights you. I don’t mean sin, because sin alone you do not have from him. Apart from sin, it is from him that you have whatever else you have.

St Augustine: Sermon 21, 2.....

 

Emergency: Pakistan Floods Appeal

In August 2010 a humanitarian disaster of massive proportions has hit Pakistan, with an estimated twenty million people affected by the worst floods the country has seen in decades.

Pakistan is a country in South Asia, bordering India, Iran and Afghanistan. Of the population of 173 million, 60% live on less than $2 a day.

Caritas Australia is accepting donations to their Pakistan Floods appeal online at http://www.caritas.org.au or in Australia phone tollfree 1800 024 413.


Provincial Chapter

Every four years each Province within the Order of St Augustine conducts a formal gathering to review its progress and to consider new policies, in accordance with the Augustinian Constitutions. This happened most recently in the Australasian Province for six days during July. The Prior General, the Order's international leader, came to Australia to preside at the Chapter.

The Prior General (at left in photo) re-installed Fr Tony Banks O.S.A. as the Provincial of the Australasian Province for a second four-year term.

The Australasian Province has responsibility for the Augustinian communities in eastern Australia, and three communities in South Korea, where the Order has now been present for twenty-five years.

Annual International Course

The annual Augustinian course on the United Nations and the Social Doctrine of the Church will be held for Augustinian delegates of Justice and Peace in August 2010. For the first time it will take place in Australia.

It will be conducted at St Joseph’s Parish in South Yarra, Melbourne, Australia (see photo) from the 25th-28th August 2010. As usual, it will be followed by the annual DPI/NGO Conference, from 30th August to 1st September 2010.

(The Augustinian Order participates in an NGO – a non-government organization – that is registered at the United Nations). The leader of the NGO is an Augustinian from Nigeria, Fr Emeka Obiezu O.S.A.

For more information, contact Fr Brian Fitzpatrick O.S.A. (pmo87330@bigpond.net.au).

Fourth Australian Augustinian Lay Congress

Participants at the 4th Augustinian National Lay Congress pondered the Christian call to spirituality in the 21st century.

The Congress was held at Villanova College in Coorparoo (Brisbane) on Friday (all day) to Sunday (half day) 2nd-4th July 2010.

The theme of the Congress was captured in the words of St Augustine, “Go forth on your path. It exists only through your walking.” The principal speaker was Dr Joseph Kelley, from the United States; another speaker was Mr Paul Wilson of Sydney. Seventy persons from various parts of Australia attended the Congress.

An invitation was extended by the Augustinian Friends group of Mareeba for Congress participants to travel for four days to Augustinian sites in Far North Queensland immediately after the Congress. Eleven persons accepted the offer, and were taken to Cairns, Innisfail, Mareeba and Cooktown by their Mareeba hosts.

St Augustine’s College, Sydney

St Augustine's College is an Augustinian day school for over 1,000 male day pupils in the upper primary and secondary years of education. Founded in 1956, it is located at Brookvale (Sydney), Australia.


Photo: The college's Brimson Centre

In the Senior School a proposed Italian Study Tour has been announced for April 2011. Of special interest to students of History and Italian, the tour will visit Venice, Verona, Florence, Pisa, San Gimignano and Rome.

The College's web site is www.saintaug.nsw.edu.au


Villanova College, Coorparoo

Villanova is a college of the Order of Saint Augustine at Coorparoo in Brisbane, Australia. Villanova is a day school of over 1,000 male day students in the upper primary and secondary years of education. It began at a smaller location in Whinstanes (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) on 25th January 1948, and moved to its present site at Coorparoo in 1954.

...... ..............

Photo: Hanrahan Theatre, Villanova College.

Plans are well in hand for the 20th annual QCMF festival of music in August 2010. Six Villanova choirs, bands, strings groups or ensembles will perform on the evening of Thursday, 12th August, eight on Friday, eleven on Saturday, and one on Sunday. These activities will variously take place at Villanova in Goold Hall and the Augustine Centre, and at St James's Church at Old Cleveland Road.

A special concert to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the annual QCMF will be held at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Southbank, Brisbane on 15th August 2010.

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

 

Augustinian Parish, Coorparoo

The Parish of St James, Coorparoo (Brisbane) has been in the care of the Augustinians since 1952. Villanova College, also conducted by the Order, is located within the parish.

...................Photo: Sanctuary of St James's Church, Coorparoo.

The former convent building on the parish grounds has been given a successful new role. Named Good Samaritan House in honour of its original occupants, the building is now leased by Centacare, the Church's agency for Catholic social welfare.

The parish moderator, Fr Dave Austin O.S.A. reported, “Centacare Disability Services Unit at Coorparoo has been operating for over twelve months now, and the twelve staff who work there are very happy with the partnership between the Parish and Centacare.”

He continued, “Centacare's presence in the Parish is valued by parishioners for a variety of reasons, including the fact that the former parish convent building is being put to worthwhile use and the importance of outreach by the Church to those with disabilities.” 

For further information about the parish and its activities, contact the parish office at (07) 3397 1671 during office hours, or view the parish web site: http://www.stjames-coorparoo.org.au/

 

St Thomas of Villanova Parish, Mareeba

The Parish of St Thomas of Villanova in Mareeba has been staffed by the Order of Saint Augustine since it began almost a century ago. Mareeba is located on the tableland behind the tropical tourist city of Cairns, in northern Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Diocese of Cairns.

Under a "cathedral" of trees on the banks of the Barron River not far from Mareeba, the indigenous people of the parish hosted a Bush Mass on Sunday, 16th May. Celebrated by Fr Rob Greenup (Mareeba), the Mass was preceded by an "earth," "water," and "smoking" rite.

The homily was preached by Deacon Ralph. After Mass there was billy tea and damper prepared by the indigenous hosts of the afternoon, and a time for conversation. This Bush Mass is an annual event in the Mareeba Parish.


Augustinian Parish, St Clair

Holy Spirit Parish at St Clair in western Sydney, Australia, was established twenty-five years ago, and has been administered by the Order of Saint Augustine for the past eleven years.

Photo: Entrance of Holy Spirit Church

Recent issues of the parish Sunday bulletin have described segments of the life of Mary MacKillop, who later in 2010 will become Australia's first canonized saint.

Mary MacKillop was only twenty-four years of age when she co-founded the Josephite Sisters. It was the youthful energy and idealism of Mary MacKillop, Archbishop Polding, Caroline Chisholm and others who in the nineteenth century established Australia's first real Catholic Church community.

The web site of Holy Spirit Parish is located on the Internet at http://www.holyspiritstclair.com.au


Augustinians in South Korea

The Order of Saint Augustine first went to South Korea in 1985, and two Australian Augustinians were in the group of four priests initially sent there. The Order in Korea accepted its first Korean-born candidates in 1990, and still regards the task of training its Korean-born Augustinians as a primary ministry.

The Augustinian Delegation of Korea now staffs three communities, located at Incheon, Kanghwa Island and Yeon-Chon (north of Seoul).

The Augustinian Delegation has nine Koreans in solemn vows (five priests and four lay brothers), three in simple vows, one novice and two postulants. There are also three expatriate Augustinian priests, two from the Cebu Province (Philippines) and one from Australia.

In September 2010 the Delegation looks forward to its twenty-fifth anniversary.

For a summary elsewhere on this web site of Augustinian involvement in South Korea since the Order's arrival there in 1985, click here.

For news on this web site about the Augustinians in Korea and in other areas of the Asia-Pacific, click here.


Augustinian Parish of North Harbour, Sydney

The Catholic Community of North Harbour in the Diocese of Broken Bay is the union, which happened on 1st July 2006, of the two previous adjacent Augustinian-administered parishes of Manly Vale and Balgowlah, which are located in the northern beaches area of Sydney.

The Augustinians began their pastoral leadership in Manly Vale in 1952 and at Balgowlah in 2004.

A weekend "away" retreat for many of the seventy-eight North Harbour staff, liturgical ministers, music ministers, parish interns and children's liturgy leaders took place on 1st-2nd May 2010 at Mittagong.

The organisers, who were parish members, named the weekend “Ignite”.

A number of suggestions made at the Ignite weekend have already been implemented, including steps to reintroduce Children's Liturgy at Sr Cecilia's Church, and plans to conduct a monthly "Open Mic" night to allow the further development of musical and vocal talent within the parish.
...... Photo: 'Ignite' Planning Team.

As well, a Cantor Club has been formed, which meets occasionally. Under the leadership of Ben Marshall, the club meets at St Cecilia’s Church, Balgowlah to encourage choral singing.

The new parish web site has been launched. It is to be found at
http://www.northharbourcatholic.org.au


St Joseph's Parish, South Yarra

In Melbourne, the capital city of the Australian State of Victoria, the Augustinians have care of the Parish of Saint Joseph, South Yarra. The parish also has a second church, dedicated to St Thomas Aquinas, at Bromby Street, South Yarra. The Order of St Augustine has ministered in the parish since 1976.

The parish has announced the recent completion of two new crisis shelter units (see photo at left) in a vacant parish building at 54 Fitzgerald Street, towards the edge of the parish property.

This project was made possible by the supervision and generous support of the St Joseph's Emergency Housing Association.

The premises were blessed and opened on Sunday, 2nd May 2010 at 11.30 am.

The parish priest, Fr Brian Buckley O.S.A., commented, “The two units have indeed been in use continuously since May, with full occupancy. The only people that generally get a chance there now are family groups with young children - such is the demand from that category. Our first child has also been born to a couple there.”

Whenever a vacancy occurs in one of the units, the Parish emails this information to twenty-seven emergency housing placement contacts. These agencies are from as far afield as the Mornington Peninsula, Lilydale and Sunshine. Vacancies are generally gone within a few hours, and some within minutes.

The South Yarra parish website is: http://www.parishofsouthyarra.org.au


Augustinian Centre for Spirituality

A small oasis of quiet and hospitality in western suburban Sydney, Australia, the Augustinian Centre for Spirituality at Greystanes (photo below) assists persons and groups of all faith backgrounds in their spiritual journey.

Its resident Augustinian community offers spiritual direction, reflection days, courses in prayer and meditation, and individual residential directed retreats.

The 2010 program of prayer days and courses is available on this web site: click here.

For more information on the Centre, please phone (02) 9896 6749, or e-mail osaspirit@bigpond.com.au


Augustinian Formation Association (A.F.A.)

The Augustinian Formation Association prays for and raises funds for the formation of current Augustinian candidates and for future Augustinians.

It has now fulfilled this role for a number of decades.

Based in Sydney, Australia, its current office bearers are Trudi McFadden (president), Eddie Robinson (treasurer), Lesley Sing (assistant treasurer) and Yvonne Clark (secretary).

The AFA is hoping to expand its membership, especially seeing that the number of Augustinian students in formation is increasing, meaning that additional support would be very timely.

To obtain more details about the Augustinian Formation Association, contact the staff of the Provincial Office on (w) (02) 9905 3049.


Augustinian Friends

Augustinian Friends is a lay group conducted in Australia for those wishing to learn more about the spirituality of Saint Augustine of Hippo, and to have contact with others who share this goal. Branches of the Friends operate at a number of Augustinian venues in Brisbane, Mareeba, Melbourne, Northern Victoria, and Sydney.

The Friends' newsletter, Amici, has now reached its tenth anniversary, and much has happened within Augustinian Friends during this decade. For example, there have been three Lay Congresses: in Echuca in 2001, Sydney (Brookvale) in 2004, and in Melbourne (South Yarra) in 2007.

The annual meeting of the National Committee of Augustinian Friends took place at the Augustinian Centre for Spirituality at Greystanes (Sydney) on the weekend of 6th-8th November 2009 (see photo below).

The meeting also approved a parish programme for the Easter period developed by the Augustinian Spirituality Team. Local Augustinian groups will offer to run the programme in Augustinian parishes. It is particularly suitable for those who have just completed the RCIA programme

The leader of the Augustinian Friends is Sylvia Phillips, and Fr. Paul Maloney O.S.A. is the chaplain of the group.

The English and U.S. Augustinians are involved with generally similar Augustinian Friends movements in their respective nations.

In England, “Friends of Augustine” has now begun its own website:
http://www.friendsofaugustine.org In the United States, the web site is http://www.augustinianfriends.org

For an Amici newsletter subscription or for any additional information on the Friends, contact Fr Paul Maloney at Greystanes (Sydney) at paulmal@bigpond.com.au or phone him on (02) 9631 0340.

For additional information about Augustinian Friends on this web site, click here.


Augustinian Volunteers Australia 2010

The Augustinian Justice and Peace Course, which is used as part of the formation program for Augustinian Volunteers Australia, was conducted at Augustinian Priory, Brookvale (Sydney) during the three weeks from 1st – 20th February 2010.

There were six candidates for Augustinian Volunteers Australia 2010. Two came from Brisbane, and the four from the Sydney region are from the Augustinian Parishes of St Clair (Parramatta Diocese) and North Harbour (Broken Bay Diocese). 

More details about Augustinian Volunteers Australia are available on the social justice section of this web site.

Contact:

Mr Paul Wilson, Justice and Peace Project Officer, c/- St Augustine’s Priory,
P.O. Box 679 Brookvale NSW 2100, Australia. Mobile phone: 0438 646 294 Email: paul.wilson@augustinians.org.au Website: www.augustinians.org.au

Augustinian Ministry Websites 2010

FOR SOME CURRENT NEWS ABOUT THE ORDER OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA Click here

The Augustinian international web site is:
http://www.osanet.org/home.asp

AUGUSTINIAN CENTRE FOR SPIRITUALITY PROGRAM 2010
2 Hewitt Avenue
Greystanes 2145
Enquiries (02) 9896 6794
www.augustinians.org.au/communities/greystanes.html

 

 

  
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