AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD - for June 2011

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.

Augustinian Youth Pilgrimage 2011

This is a great opportunity for young adults to attend World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid and as well to experience the Augustinian traditions of Spain and Italy at the same time. It is a 33-day pilgrimage departing on 28th July 2011, accompanied by Fr Minh-Tan Hoang O.S.A. of Brookvale, New South Wales.

Click on http://www.wydtours.com/augustinian-youth-pilgrimage.html for a full detailed itinerary, costs, etc..

The website of Augustinian Youth Ministry Australia is http://www.aymaustralia.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.

Some members of its Augustinian community offer spiritual direction, reflection days, courses in prayer and meditation, and individual residential directed retreats.

To read the 2011 Program of the Augustinian Centre, click here.

"How to Meditate" will be offered on the five Wednesday evenings of June 2011, between 7.45 pm and 9.00 pm. The course offers some initial instruction, followed by guided exercises into periods of stillness. The cost for the course is $80 (concessions available).

For bookings, or for general more information about the Centre, please phone (02) 9896 6794, or e-mail osaspirit@bigpond.com.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.

At present, the Mareeba Parish is celebrating its centenary year.

To mark this special occasion a dinner dance will be held on Saturday, 11th June 2011 at the Mareeba International Club, Vaughan Street, Mareeba at 6.00 pm.

On Sunday, 12th June, a Centenary Mass will be celebrated at 11.00 am by Most Rev James Foley, Bishop of Cairns, at St Thomas' Church (see photo), followed by a shared meal and entertainment.

A book about the history of the parish will be released during the celebrations.

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

St Augustine’s College, Sydney

St Augustine's College is an Augustinian day school for almost 1,100 male pupils in the upper primary and secondary years of education. Founded in 1956, it is located at Brookvale (Sydney), Australia.

St Augustine's College hosted and participated in the first exhibition match of the Hybrid Rugby code at Brookvale Oval on the evening of 11th May 2011 against Keebra Park State High School from Queensland.

Prior to this match, there was much uncertainty as to the quality and spectacle of this game, with many detractors from each side of the rugby divide (i.e. Rugby Union and Rugby League), expressing that it would not be a worthwhile match-up.

Fortunately, the game proved to be a spectacular example of running rugby. There were massive front-on tackles (the brand of rugby league at its best) and running rugby where the ball was moved at pace by lateral passes to the wingers.

The hybrid game was supported by sports luminaries in their attendance at Brookvale oval. These included Bob Fulton, Mark Ella, Tim Sheens, Robbie Deans, Chris Hickey, Matthew Johns, Scott Gourley, David Wilson, Steve Roach, and Bob Dwyer - many of them were interviewed by the media about the match. It is thought that every one of them, without exception, was positive about the quality of the game.

Given that it was played as a "one off" exhibition game, and was only proposed as an exhibition sport, the Hybrid rules are open to change and refinement.

The College Principal, Mr Tim Cleary, said after the game, “We wish to thank the 2,500 plus interested spectators who came to view this unique match.”

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 1,200 male students in the upper primary and secondary years of education. It began at Whinstanes on 25th January 1948, and in 1954 moved to Coorparoo, on the southern side of the Brisbane River.

The earliest sporting facilities developed by Villanova on its campus at Coorparoo were two tennis courts (see old photo above) that were located to the immediate right of the driveway at the main entrance of the college.

Built late in 1955 or early in 1956, the courts were demolished earlier this year, and the area is now a recreation space for the junior school students who have classes in the adjacent O’Donnell Building.

The college web site is: http://www.vnc.qld.edu.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 vision statement of St Joseph’s Parish calls for the parish “To be a vibrant and welcoming Church community of mutual care and support sustained by the Gospel."

It continues, "As an expression of our social concern, we walk with people who are marginalised and alienated – our faith in action. We are responsive to, and engaged with, the needs and issues of our times.”

With this vision to the fore, a revised Pastoral Plan was adopted on 9th March 2011.

Its section headings are: liturgy/worship, community, outreach/service, Witness/Evangelization, Pastoral Structures/Leadership, Communication/Promotion, Property/Finance/Administration, Faith Development & Enrichment, and Pastoral Care.

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

Augustinian Parish, 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 in the northern beaches area of Sydney, Australia's largest city.

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

Bishop David Walker of the Diocese of Broken Bay has called for a Diocesan Synod.

In preparation, regional meetings will take place on 3rd-4th June 2011 on the Central Coast, the Northern Peninsula and the North Shore, with six representatives attending from each parish in the area, together with the some of the priests.

As a result of input received on parish survey forms distributed a number of weeks ago, the general theme of the Synod will be “Celebrating the past, Engaging in the present, and Envisioning the future.” The Catholic Community of North Harbour has been congratulated by the Synod project office for its very large number of survey returns.

The parish website, now extensively renovated, has received many plaudits. A new feature is the addition of video clips. The most recent inclusion in that regard is a four-minute presentation on Celebrate Sunday, which centres on the 6.00 pm Sunday Mass at St Kieran's Church, Manly Vale. Go to http://www.vimeo.com/15978171

Augustinian Parish, St Clair

Holy Spirit Parish at St Clair in western Sydney, Australia, was established in 1981, and has been administered by the Order of Saint Augustine since 1995.

A Song Recital will take place at Holy Spirit Church, Cnr Todd Row & Moore Street, St Clair at 2.00 pm on Sunday, 12th June 2011. The soprano artist will be a parishioner, Sherine Prins, ATCL (Singing) , LTCL (Singing) , LTCL (Piano Teaching ), LRSM (Piano Teaching).

The performance will include a variety of music from classical to religious works, and selections from popular musicals.

Sherine will be joined by a flautist and a pianist. Entry will be by donation, in aid of Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

Couples celebrating wedding anniversaries are invited to renew their marriage vows at a Eucharistic Celebration which is held on the third Wednesday of every month at 7.30pm. So that invitation letters can be sent, couples are requested to sign the registration folder in the church foyer before the tenth day of the preceding month.

Family and friends of the participating couples are also invited to attend this special occasion. Mass is followed by fellowship. This initiative is conducted by the Spirituality Commission of the parish.

Further details of parish life appear on the web site of Holy Spirit Parish: http://www.holyspiritstclair.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.

The next young adults gathering will be held in the Priory on Sunday, 5th June, after the 6:00 pm Mass. Phone the parish for the dates of subsequent meetings.  

The next social justice forum will be held on Monday, 6th June, in the Parish Hall at 7:30pm.

The topic is "Refugee Claimants Support Community Education," with speakers including Sarah Eqbal from Refugee Claimants Support Service.

You can view the parish web site: http://www.stjames-coorparoo.org.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 has 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), four in simple vows, and three postulants. There is also one expatriate Augustinian priest from Australia.

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 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 generally, contact the staff of the Provincial Office on (02) 9938 0200 during office hours.


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 four Lay Congresses: in Echuca in 2001, in Brookvale (Sydney) in 2004, in South Yarra (Melbourne) in 2007, and in Coorparoo (Brisbane) in 2010.

An 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 most recent annual meeting took place there on 17th-19th September 2010.

These meetings approved a parish programme for the Easter period developed by the Augustinian Spirituality Team. Local Augustinian groups have offered to run the programme in Augustinian parishes. It is particularly suitable for those who have just completed the RCIA program.

The leader of the Augustinian Friends for 2011 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.

Augustinian Friends at North Harbour Parish (Manly Vale and Balgowlah) had the Australian Augustinian Provincial, Fr Tony Banks O.S.A., speak at a gathering of Augustinian Friends of North Harbour on the Augustinians and Asia today. This took place on Thursday 31st March 2011.

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

Augustinian Volunteers Australia 2011

In February 2008, Augustinian Volunteers Australia was launched with a group of five part-time co-workers. These three women and two men offered their assistance to Church ministries in the poorer suburbs of Western Sydney. This was subsequent to a formation course which included an immersion experience in that same region of Sydney.

The Fourth Volunteer Formation Course (Justice & Peace) of Augustinian Volunteers Australia took place in Brookvale (Sydney) from 31st January to 19th February 2011. The principal lecturers were Fr Paul Maloney O.S.A. on “Augustinian Spirituality for Justice and Peace,” and Mr Paul Wilson M.A. (Theology, New York) on “Social Ethics and Catholic Social Teaching.” The Augustinian Provincial, Fr Tony Banks O.S.A., was a visiting lecturer for one day in each unit.

The course began with eleven participants, and ten completed it. Eight of the ten came from Augustinian parishes: three from St Clair (western Sydney), three from North Harbour (Northern Sydney) and two from Coorparoo (Brisbane). Of the ten, two were male and eight female. A majority of them were university students, two were teachers, one a lawyer and one a counsellor.

The youngest participant was a person who commenced at University in March 2011, most of the others were aged in their twenties, and two were over fifty. (See photo of lecturers and participants above. One participant was absent.)

Nine of the ten course participants have decided to become actual Augustinian Volunteers in 2011, by which they will give the equivalent of a minimum of one day’s time per week to their placement, and will receive ongoing AVA support and supervision as they do so. Augustinian Volunteers Australia provides supervised placements but is not involved in providing accommodation, hence the Volunteers remain in their usual living circumstances in their home city. In this way, they are able to maintain contact with their present Augustinian parish.

Brisbane will be the venue of placement for three of the new 2011 Volunteers, and Sydney for the remaining six. As well, there are expected to be two Sydney AVA members from 2010 continuing their placement in 2011, and two likewise in Brisbane. This means that in 2011 there are thirteen Volunteers with supervised placement.

This is the fourth year of AVA placements, and some of the placements for 2011 are still being finalised. Among the placements that can at this stage be announced are that two AVAs will work with refugees in Brisbane, and two with Sudanese women and children at Mamre Homestead in the Western Sydney suburb of St Marys. Working with the homeless and with indigenous youth in inner Sydney has also been arranged.

Mr Paul Wilson, who is employed full-time as the Justice and Peace Officer of the Australian Augustinians, said, “The Volunteers are encouraged to see their ministry as benefiting others in society as much as themselves, and in some cases it is this latter appreciation which quite amazes volunteers. They enter the program because they want to be there for others, to help in the transformation of our society, but what sustains them is the enormous benefits to one’s own spiritual life in seeing how others, who may have far less than they do, can cope with life. The simplicity of some people’s lives, particularly of those on the streets, can prompt a review of our own values and change the priority we give to elements in our own life.”

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

For further information go to http://www.aymaustralia.org.au/ministries/augustinian-volunteers

Contact:

Mr Paul Wilson, Justice and Peace 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 2011

• St Augustine’s College – Brookvale NSW Australia
  Website: www.saintaug.nsw.edu.au

• St James’ Parish – Coorparoo Qld Australia
  Website: http://www.stjames-coorparoo.org.au/

• Villanova College – Coorparoo Qld Australia
  Website: www.vnc.qld.edu.au

• Parish of North Harbour – Manly Vale & Balgowlah, NSW Australia
  Website: http://www.northharbourcatholic.org.au

• St Joseph’s Parish – South Yarra Vic Australia
  Website: http://www.parishofsouthyarra.org.au

• Holy Spirit Parish – St Clair NSW Australia
  Website: www.holyspiritstclair.com.au

• Augustinians in Korea
• Website: http://www.osakorea.or.kr

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 2011
2 Hewitt Avenue
Greystanes 2145
Enquiries (02) 9896 6794
www.augustinians.org.au/communities/greystanes.html