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AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD - for July 2009

From earliest infancy to decrepit old age is only a short span of time.

The Lord Jesus Christ has through his flesh bestowed on our flesh hope. He took to himself what we know all about on this earth, what there was plenty of here: being born and dying. There was plenty of being born and dying here; as for rising again and living forever, there was none of that here.

He found here the cheap merchandise of earth; he brought with him the exotic wares of heaven. If the prospect of death alarms you, be attracted by that of the resurrection. He has given you help from his tribulation, seeing that your health has remained vain.

So in this world let us recognize and love that strange and exotic, which is to say that everlasting kind of health, and in this world let us live like exotic strangers. Let us consider we are only in transit, and we will sin all that less. Let us rather give thanks to the Lord our God, because he has decided that the last day of this life should be both uncertain and only a short way off.

From earliest infancy to decrepit old age is only a short space of time. What good would it have done Adam to have lived so long if he had died today? What does long mean, when the end has come? Nobody can call back yesterday; tomorrow is treading on the heels of today, to get it over with. In this short space let us live good lives, so that we may go to that wide open space where we won’t be got over with. Even now as I speak, we are of course getting on with it.

St Augustine: Sermon 124, 4... .I.
P.

Fr Roderick J. Cameron O.S.A. - R.I.P.
Augustinian, priest and poet.

“The land is full of the words of the sacred.”

Fr Cameron’s Funeral Mass took place at St James’s Church, Coorparoo, Brisbane on Wednesday, 3rd June 2009 at 1.30 pm, with the final prayers of commendation led by Most Rev. John Bathersby, Archbishop of Brisbane. Members of the Aboriginal community attended. Fr Cameron was buried in the Augustinian section of Nudgee Catholic Cemetery in northern Brisbane.

For an obituary of Fr Cameron, click here.

May he rest in peace.


St Thomas of Villanova Parish, Mareeba

Wonderful, moving, humbling are only three of the many words which could be used about the celebration held on Sunday, 7th June 2009 at St Thomas’s Catholic Church. History was made when Ralph Madigan, a member of the local Muluridgi people, was ordained as a Deacon during a special Mass held at 2.00pm.

Ralph has been preparing for six years for this day. A congregation of around 500 people filled the Church, coming from Kuranda, Dimbulah, Julatten and from throughout the Cairns Diocese. Bishop James Foley and thirteen priests concelebrated the Mass.

Augustinian Provincial Fr Tony Banks along with Augustinian priests Fr Pat Fahey and Fr Peter Hayes, travelled from Sydney and Brisbane for the occasion. Parish priest Fr Robert Greenup OSA assisted Ralph to vest in a deacon’s  stole and dalmatic during the Mass

The St Thomas’s Choir, who had been practising for many weeks, sang so beautifully and added so much to the celebration.

Before his Ordination Ralph said, "It’s been my calling for a number of years and now it has turned into a reality. I’m a bit nervous because it will be a change of lifestyle as I’m going from being a lay person to being an ordained person.”

Ralph is looking forward to his new role, saying; “It will be a challenge to work within the parish and in pastoral care. I will try to work closely with the Aboriginal people and have more Aboriginal Catholics becoming involved in the parish.”

Ralph will be helping Fr Rob, who is parish priest of both Mareeba, including Kuranda and Julatten, and Dimbulah, with baptisms, marriages, funerals, in giving the homily at Mass and with pastoral care throughout the two parishes.

Fr Rob commented on what a wonderful occasion it was for Mareeba and the Diocese with Ralph being the first person ever ordained at St Thomas’s Church and the second Deacon to be ordained in the Cairns Diocese

Following Mass everyone gathered on the Reconciliation Lawn beside St Thomas's Church to congratulate Ralph and share refreshments.

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 the Parish began almost a century ago.


Villanova College, Coorparoo

Villanova is a college (an upper primary and secondary school which enrolled approximately 1,160 male day pupils for the 2009 academic year) of the Order of Saint Augustine at Coorparoo in Brisbane, Australia.

Villanova has been selected for the 2009 Australian Government’s Career Education Lighthouse Schools Project.

The College is one of only two schools in Queensland to receive selection in 2009. The name of the project is ‘Career Pathways – Your Choice’. 

The aim of the project is to adopt a whole school approach to career education and at the same time supporting students make successful transitions through school and from school to further education, training and work.

Through the Lighthouse Schools’ Project, Villanova College will develop, deliver, document and disseminate best practices in teaching and learning in career education. The College recognises that it is important that young people are given the best start in life by schools, who can guide them toward their pathway of choice.

Mrs Martin, Project Coordinator, explained the project as follows: “Within the Junior school (Years 5 & 6), student awareness and knowledge about various occupational fields and specific jobs will be provided via a series of structured presentations by students’ parents/relatives about the type of work they do. Within the middle school (Years 7 – 9), students will find out more about the world of work through activities including “The Real Game” and by completing specifically designed career education workbooks. Within the Senior school (Years 10-12), students will be able to complete a computerized career interest survey to help stimulate ideas about career path options and will also get substantial information about the career decision-making process and career options from formal presentations by guest speakers from various institutions (TAFE, university, and vocational training providers). Students will also receive assistance in developing resume writing, job search and interview skills via formal sessions from specialists in these areas.”  

The College's web site is: http://www.vnc.qld.edu.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, Kang-hwa Island and Yeon-Chon (north of Seoul).

The House of Studies (Formation community) is situated on beautiful Kang-hwa Island just off the western coast of South Korea, and joined to the mainland by two bridges. It is sixty-nine kilometres from Seoul, and is a very popular venue for weekend outings.

Dedicated to St Nicholas of Tolentine O.S.A., the House of Studies is surrounded by rice fields, and by market gardens that grow hot chili peppers and vegetables. The Incheon Seminary and Kimpo Technical College are each only fifteen minutes away by car.

There are three members in the Formation Team, the Prior, (Fr Jacobo Seo O.S.A.), the Novice Master, (Fr John Sullivan O.S.A.), and Br Salesio Lee O.S.A., who is presently studying to be a formator. The six students range in age from 20 to 36 years. Four are studying for the priesthood and two for the lay brotherhood.

In the photo (above), the student in white is doing his spirituality year, called the Novitiate year. This photo was taken inside the community chapel which is built in Korean traditional style and where all are seated on the floor for Mass and prayers.


Augustinian Centre for Spirituality

A small oasis of quiet and hospitality in western suburban Sydney, Australia, the Augustinian Centre for Spirituality at Greystanes seeks to assist persons and groups of all faith backgrounds in their spiritual journey.

The 2009 programme of prayer days and courses is available on this web site. For the program for 2009, click here.

The June Prayer Day had the theme Praying in the presence of the Blessed Eucharist. Quiet prayer in the presence of the Eucharist was interspersed with reflections on Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John, Augustine’s Sermon 272 and looking at contemporary ecclesial reflection on Eucharistic adoration which clearly links such prayer to the celebration of the Eucharist. The day concluded with the celebration of Mass. About sixteen people from local parishes attended.

The month of June involved quite a degree of interaction between the Spirituality team and staff from the two Augustinian primary/secondary colleges in Australia. In early June Frs Paul Maloney and Peter Jones were part of a retreat team which worked with the whole staff from St Augustine’s College, Brookvale (Sydney).

And then in mid-June five newer members of staff from Villanova College, Coorparoo (Brisbane) visited the Centre in Greystanes for a retreat focussed on Augustinian spirituality. Similarly a group of newer members of staff from St Augustine’s College visited the Centre in the following week.

For more information on the Centre, please contact the Centre at 02 9896 6749, or e-mail osaspirit@bigpond.com.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: Saint James's Priory, Coorparoo.

Following discussion at recent Parish Pastoral Council meetings, it has been decided to invite young people to come along and talk about what further they’d like to see provided for young people in the Parish.  Such a gathering took place in St James's Priory (photo above) after the 6.00 pm Parish Mass on Sunday, 5th July 2009. Michael Dela Cruz, the Augustinian Province Youth Officer, attended.

See the parish web site for further information: http://www.stjames-coorparoo.org.au/


Augustinian Parish of North Harbour, Sydney

The Parish 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.

In this area of the northern beaches of Sydney, Australia, the Augustinians began their pastoral leadership in Manly Vale in 1956 and at Balgowlah in 2004.

Photo: Holy Thursday at Manly Vale, 2009.

A Parish Assembly concluded on 21st June 2009. A core Advisory Group of around forty people devoted sixteen hours to considering the things they value, treasure and need in regards to our two parish church buildings. Many other people were engaged in the Assembly at various points. 

In the near future the ‘product’ of all this work will be made available in booklet form. This booklet will contain the advice of the forty people mentioned above. The next step rests with the Renewal Group (made up of a small number of those mentioned above) who will make recommendations to parish leadership as to how to proceed.

The focus question for the Assembly was “Could the prayer life of our community be strengthened through renewal of the liturgical environments in our two parish churches?” In their answer (coming in the booklet mentioned), the Advisory Group ranged over several other aspects of ‘being church’ in this parish. They give a pastoral direction for the parish leadership for the immediate future. 

The parish web site is http://northharbour.catholicau.com/index.html


Augustinian 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.

On the initiative of some of our younger couples in the parish a Supper Dance (see photo below) was arranged for the Parish Great Hall on Saturday, 30th May 2009. It was a fundraiser for the Crisis Shelter accommodation at St. Joseph’s Parish, and netted almost $2,000. The success of the evening has already confirmed the decision to have another such gathering henceforth.

It is hoped that two additional Parish Crisis Shelters will be operational by December 2009. The parish currently has one short-term crisis shelter, which is the only one of its kind in Melbourne. It is variously used to house single parents, couples with children and homeless adults. The shelter is fully self-contained, and is occupied 365 nights a year. There are usually up to eight families vying for accommodation whenever the shelter briefly becomes vacant. The planned two additional shelters will certainly help the Parish to address the ever-worsening problem of the homeless here in Melbourne.

The parish website is: www.ozemail.com.au/~osasthyarra


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.

In 2007 the College conducted the Augustinian Orphanage Project (AOP) by supplying and actually building an additional dwelling named Friendship Cottage at the TMMR Orphanage in Bulacan (near Manila), Philippines, which is run by the Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation. (Read about it here.)

With numbers at the TMMR Orphanage increasing from 14 orphans to 30 in the meantime, The Augustinian Orphanage Project 2009 will again focus on building another cottage which will house the older orphans, allowing them to be a little more self-sufficient.  If time permits and if there are enough finances the AOP team will also build raised vegetable gardens allowing TMMR to supply their own food. A second water bore with solar power may also be built to service the gardens and the new cottage.

This year the AOP group is again led by TAS teacher Craig Jeffery (pictured).

He will take fifteen Year 10 students after they complete their School Certificate in November 2009. In contrast to 2007 when the building was prefabricated in Australia, this year’s project will see local Filipino builders prepare the site, pour the concrete slab and begin construction of concrete walls in readiness for the AOP team to complete the building.

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

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The weekend of 20th-21st June 2009 saw the first Masses for First Eucharist and Confirmation in 2009. The Most Rev. Kevin Manning, Bishop of Parramatta, presided at these ceremonies at Holy Spirit Church (photo above: church foyer).

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


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 2009 are Trudi McFadden (president), Eddie Robinson (treasurer), Lesley Sing (assistant treasurer) and Yvonne Clark (secretary).

A goal for AFA in 2009 is to seek ways of expanding its membership, especially seeing that the number of Augustinian students in formation is increasing, meaning that additional support would be very timely.

Forthcoming AFA events include the Annual Mass and Luncheon at Manly Vale on Sunday, 20th September 2009, and the annual end-of-year celebration at the Warringah Golf Club on Saturday evening, 28th November 2009. To obtain more details, use the contact telephone number (below).

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.

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 next Congress will take place in Brisbane in July 2010.

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 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

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 of 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.)

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 2009

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 (02) 9896 6794
www.augustinians.org.au/communities/greystanes.html

 

 

  
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