HomeAUGUSTINE, AUGUSTINIAN SPIRITUALITY & TRADITION
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AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD
 December 2008 and January 2009

Confessing the whole Christ

You have grasped that he is both David’s son and David’s Lord; David’s Lord always, David’s son from a point in time; David’s Lord, born of the substance of the Father, David’s son, born of Mary the Virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We must hold on to both things.

One of them will be our eternal dwelling place, the other one is our liberation from exile. If our Lord Jesus Christ, you see, had not been prepared to become human, humanity would have perished. He became what he made, that what he made might not perish. True man, true God; God and man, the whole Christ. This is the Catholic Faith.

To deny that Christ is God is to be a Photinian. To deny that Christ is human is to be a Manichee. To confess that Christ is God, equal to the Father, and true man who really and truly suffered and had real blood (I mean, truth would not have set us free, if he had paid a counterfeit price for us): to confess both is to be a Catholic.

As such, you have a home country, you have a way to it. You have a home country: In the beginning was the Word; you have a home country: Since he was in the form of God, he did not consider it robbery to be equal to God. You have a way to it: The Word became flesh; you have a way to it: He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant. He is the home country we are going to, he is the way we are going by. Let us go to him by him, and not get on the wrong track.

St Augustine:  Sermon 92, 3,,

The late Fr James E. Bolton O.S.A.

After a number of years of serious illness, Fr James Edward Bolton O.S.A. died at Holy Spirit Home, Carseldine (Brisbane) on 21st December 2008 at the age of seventy-nine years.

He was born in Cairns, Queensland in 1929, one of five children. As a young man in the local workforce, he became Secretary of the local Trades and Labour Council.

In 1954 at the age of twenty-five years he joined the Order of St Augustine in Brisbane, and subsequently was sent to Ireland and Rome for his priestly studies.

He was ordained to the priesthood in Rome on 10th July 1960, and returned to minister in Augustinian parishes in eastern Australia for the following four decades.

His parish appointments included Parramatta (Cairns), Innisfail, Mareeba and Coorparoo (Brisbane) in Queensland, Manly Vale (northern Sydney) and St Clair (western Sydney) in New South Wales, and Kyabram and Rochester in northern Victoria.

In a number of these appointments, he served as parish priest. Within the structure of the Australian Augustinian Province, he served as a Provincial Counsellor in 1991-1994.

He moved to Villanova Priory, Coorparoo five years ago, accepting retirement because of his declining health. From there in June 2005 he went into care at Holy Spirit Home, Carseldine for the final three and a half years of his life.

His Requiem Mass has been announced as taking place at St James’s Church, Coorparoo at 10.00 am on Monday, 29th December 2008, followed by his burial in the Augustinian section of Nudgee Cemetery in northern Brisbane.

A man of calm temperament, of great diligence in ministry and of unfailing good humour, his passing is mourned by his fellow Augustinians, his numerous relatives and by Augustinian parishioners throughout eastern Australia.

May he rest in peace.

 

A new Japanese Augustinian Blessed

Monday, 24th November 2008 saw the beatification ceremony of Fr Thomas Jihyoe O.S.A. (Thomas of Augustine) take place in Nagasaki, Japan. By this ceremony, Thomas became a "Blessed" of the Church, which is one step away from his being declared a saint sometime in the future.

The beatification ceremony was held in a large sports stadium, in order to accommodate the many of thousands who attended. Augustinians (see photo) were present from Japan, Spain, Italy, Korea, Australia and the Philippines. The Augustinian Prior General, Robert Prevost O.S.A., came from Rome for the ceremony.

Thomas Jihyoe O.S.A. (see statue at below right) was born around the year 1600 in Omura, Japan, near Nagasaki. His parents, both teachers of the Christian religion, were killed for the Faith.

In 1622 he went to Manila, Philippines to enter the Augustinian Order. He took his religious vows in 1624, and then became an Augustinian priest.

After failing several times to obtain the permission of his superiors to return to Japan, he finally returned there in 1631, and ministered in secret. He brazenly obtained a position in the administration of the Governor of Nagasaki under the name Kintsuba ("golden sword" - see photo). When Thomas had to flee the city of Nagasaki, he ministered from a hillside cave, and became the object of a famous search by the soldiers of the Governor.

Finally, in 1637 a group of soldiers detained him, and he then underwent cruel torture. On 6th November 1637 he was hung by his feet with his head inserted into a pit of rotting garbage until he died. For more details go to http://www.augnet.org and search for “Thomas Jihyoe.” or to http://www.augnet.org/default.asp?ipageid=756

Images of Augustinian International Youth Encounter

The ninth Augustinian International Encounter for Young Adults took place in Sydney, Australia on 21st – 27th July 2008. A total of 290 young adults and male and female Augustinians participated.

Some photographs taken by the young adult participants can be found at http://picasaweb.google.com/mbb949/AugustinianYouthEncounter08Sydney

 

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.

The St Augustine’s College community came together on Melbourne Cup Day, 4th November 2008 to celebrate the blessing and official opening of the two Senior Study Centres, as well as the blessing of Tolentine Park and the statue of Saint Augustine.

Most Rev. David Walker (Bishop of Broken Bay - see photo), officiated at the ceremony. The official party for the event also included Br Tony Whelan, Director of Schools (Broken Bay), Fr Tony Banks O.S.A. ( Prior Provincial), Fr Dave Austin O.S.A (a former Rector of the College) and a sister of the late Fr Steve Moran O.S.A..

The ceremony began with a convocation in the Brimson Centre, which is the College’s combined auditorium and indoor sports centre. At that venue, dedicatory building plaques were blessed in the presence of the College staff and the entire student body. The official party then went to the marble statue of Saint Augustine, located in front of the College’s main (original) building, for the blessing of this statue, which was sculpted in Vietnam.

This was followed by the blessing of the two new Study Centres, and of Tolentine Park adjacent to them. The new Year 11 and Year 12 study centres are named respectively after Fr Steve (Joe) Moran O.S.A. and Fr Ralph Cameron O.S.A, the second and third Rectors (Principals) of the College.

Glowing references were made as to how the late Frs Moran and Cameron both placed the stamp of their character upon the College. These words were spoken by former past pupils who knew them and respected them well.

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


Villanova College, Coorparoo

Villanova is a college (an upper primary and secondary school which enrolled 1,154 male day pupils this year) of the Order of Saint Augustine at Coorparoo in Brisbane, Australia.

The Villanova parents’ newsletter of 13th November 2008 detailed a play, Rocks in My Head, which was written, acted and produced by Villanova Year Nine students to great acclaim.

As well as being seen by numerous Villanova staff, parents and students, the play had a matinee performance attended by groups of teachers and students from seven private and State secondary schools.

On Friday, 30th November 2008 the End-of-Year Paraliturgy and Presentation of Awards took place at Goold Hall, the College’s commodious assembly hall and indoor sports arena. Academic, sporting and co-curricular awards were distributed to all three sections of the student body: Senior, Middle and Junior. Parents were invited to witness the ceremony.

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

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.

On Saturday evening, 29th November 2008 the parish conducted an end-of-year “Thank You” evening for over a hundred participants in parish committees and organisations. It took the form of a social gathering and barbeque in the parish grounds.

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

Mareeba Parish

Mareeba is located on the tableland behind the tropical tourist city of Cairns, in northern Queensland, Australia. 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. The adjacent Dimbulah parish was added to the pastoral responsibility of the Augustinian pastor of Mareeba a number of years ago.

In preparation for his ordination to the diaconate, parishioner Ralph Madigan was accepted for the Candidacy of the Diaconate on Tuesday, 4th November 2008 at a Mass concelebrated by Bishop James Foley, Fr Rob Greenup O.S.A., Fr Greg Moses, Fr Neil Muir, Fr Hilary Flynn and Fr Tyrone Deere. Mass was held at 7.30pm at St Thomas’s Church in Mareeba (see photo below).

Many parishioners from Mareeba and Kuranda shared in this special celebration along with members of Ralph’s family. It was an important step for Ralph and for the life of the parish and we look forward to his ordination to the diaconate in the not too distant future.

Ralph had this to say about his journey:  "My journey of faith towards the role of Diaconate has so far lasted five years, and I have had time to look at my life and see where I am today and what I want to do in the future. My journey has deepened my faith and I know I am ready to serve the Church and the Parish community. I was accepted through the Church by Bishop Foley as a Candidate, and my next step is ordination to the Diaconate."

On Saturday, 1st November the RCIA Rite of Welcome was celebrated during the 6.00pm vigil Mass at St Thomas’s Church, Mareeba. Four of the five people who have joined the Adult Catechumenate this year celebrated the Rite (the fifth was away overseas). Together with their sponsors, the RCIA team and the parish community they have embarked on a journey of faith which we hope will lead them to receive the sacraments of initiation into the Catholic Church. Please keep them in your prayers as they continue their journey.   

On a hot and humid night in Mareeba, on the 22nd November 2008, the people of the parish of St Thomas of Villanova celebrated their annual International Mass and gathering, to draw attention to the diversity of the parish which is its people.

Before the Mass of Christ the King, a traditional welcome was given by Ralph Madigan, on behalf of the Aboriginal people of this area. Several of the children were dressed in traditional costumes of their parents’ and grandparents’ countries of origin (see photo, at right).

The choirs, both Italian and English, led the congregation in song and the readings of the feast day were read in Croatian and Filipino. As well as the readings, the intercessions were read in several different languages including Spanish, French, Filipino, Italian, Croatian and English.

After Mass, parishioners gathered in the school’s covered basketball area to enjoy a meal and entertainment from many different cultures. Beautiful renditions of songs were heart-stopping and the dances by the Albanian and Filipino communities were much appreciated.

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Augustinian Centre for Spirituality

A small oasis of quiet and hospitality in suburban Sydney, Australia, the Augustinian Centre (see photo below) at Greystanes seeks to assist persons and groups of all faith backgrounds in their spiritual journey.

Anyone interested in the regular meditation meetings at Greystanes is welcome to contact Fr Paul Maloney at the Centre at (02) 9896.6794.

Presently the Spirituality Team is working on the 2009 programme of prayer days and courses. Stay tuned to "Current News" here as more information on that programme comes to hand.

If any group associated with the Order of Saint Augustine and its ministries is interested in a program or retreat by the Centre staff, please contact Fr Peter Jones O.S.A. at Greystanes at (02) 9896-6794 or osaspirit@bigpond.com.au .

For the program for 2009, click here.

Augustinian Formation Association (A.F.A.)

The AFA prays for and raises funds for the formation of future Augustinians. Based in Sydney, Australia, its office bearers for 2008 are Trudi McFadden (president), Eddie Robinson (treasurer), Lesley Sing (assistant treasurer) and Yvonne Clark (secretary).

The most recent event of the AFA in Sydney was a festive dinner held at the Warringah Golf Club on Saturday evening, 29th November 2008, which over one hundred people attended. The joy of the celebration was assisted by a local Filipino Choir, which performed for the AFA members and their guests.

To obtain more details about the Augustinian Formation Association, contact Fr L. Mooney O.S.A. (AFA chaplain) or 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.

Leaders of the various Friends' branches met at the Augustinian Centre for Spirituality at Greystanes (Sydney) on the weekend of 7th-9th November 2008 (see photo below).

The position of Co-Leaders of the National Committee is presently shared by Ruth McGowan and Maureen Atkins of northern Victoria, and Fr. Paul Maloney O.S.A. is 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

Amici is the Friends' newsletter in Australia. For a 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.

Augustinians in South Korea

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


 Augustinian Volunteers Australia

Augustinian Volunteers Australia has commenced its Justice and Peace activity. This is happening in an outer-western suburb of Sydney, Australia. Five young adults are participating. With others, during February 2008 they undertook a formation period in social justice, Catholic social teaching, critical analysis and Augustinian spirituality.

On 25th February 2008 they then began assisting three already-established social justice ministries of the Catholic Church in the suburb of Mount Druitt, Sydney.

(Above): Three of the Volunteers for 2008.

These Augustinian Volunteers serve one full day per week in activities that include an education support program, migrant family assistance and men’s shelter assistance. The Volunteers live at their respective home addresses elsewhere in Sydney.

Augustinian Volunteers Australia is directed and supervised by Paul Wilson (see photo), a layman who is employed full-time as the Justice and Peace Officer of the Australian Augustinian Province.

It is anticipated that the Augustinian Volunteers program in coming years will also have provision for full-time members who will live in an Augustinian Volunteers lay community for twelve months, as already occurs within Augustinian Volunteers (U.S.A.). (To read thought-provoking and heart-warming reports from some of the current Augustinian Volunteers U.S.A., click here.)

Augustinian Volunteers Australia invites interested young adults to assist its future planning by completing the obligation-free survey attached to this web site.

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


A historical reconsideration

..........Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote his Retractationes (“Reconsiderations”) so as to correct potential errors or faults in his earlier writings. 

..........In a somewhat similar spirit, a modern historian of medieval Augustinianism has called for a historical reconsideration of one particular line of thought about the foundation of the Order of Hermits of Saint Augustine in the mid-thirteenth century.

The historian concerned is Eric Saak Ph.D.(pictured), the Assistant Professor of History at the Indiana University Purdue University in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A.

..........He expresses concern and calls for caution of the tendency to underestimate the Grand Union of 1256 and its landmark papal bull, Licet ecclesiae catholicae by focusing on the Little Union of 1244 as if 1244 was a de facto beginning of what actually was enacted in 1256.

..........His article on this subject, which will be placed in a broader context in his next book, is available on the internet on the Augnet web site. Go to:
http://augnet.org/default.asp?ipageid=1529&iParentid=992

..........Dr Saak wrote this article based on his thirty years of expertise on the topic. His most recent book is an 886-page publication, High Way to Heaven:  The Augustinian Platform Between Reform and Reformation, 1292-1524, which was published in 2002 by Brill Academic Publishers, ISBN 90041 10992. 


Augustinian Ministry Websites 2008

FOR SOME CURRENT NEWS ABOUT THE ORDER OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA Click here

The Augustinian international web site is: http://www.osanet.org/en/default.htm

AUGUSTINIAN CENTRE FOR SPIRITUALITY PROGRAM 2007
2 Hewitt Avenue
Greystanes 2145
Enquiries 9896 6794
www.augustinians.org.au/communities/greystanes.html

 

 

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