AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD - for May 2010

You are called the faithful; live faithfully

Be grains of wheat. There are masses of chaff on the threshing floor, but the winnowing is going to come, the chaff will be separated, and not a single wisp of it enters the granary with you, not a single grain goes on the fire. The one who was able to assemble you knows how to separate; you’re wrong, if you think the Lord can go wrong. He knows you, because he created you, and recreated you; you see, if he had only created you, and not recreated you, you would have gone in the lump of perdition.

Surely I’m not telling you that you won’t be able to find any Christians leading good lives. God forbid that I should have such an opinion of my Lord’s threshing floor! If that’s the case, what am I slaving away for? Keep an eye out for the good people to imitate; be good yourselves, and you’ll find them. But if you start being bad, you will begin to believe that they’re all bad; and it’s not true, you’re deceiving yourselves. You’re looking at the threshing floor from a distance, that’s why only the chaff strikes you. Come nearer, look, fill your hands, apply the judgment of your breath; everything that is light and can fly is blown out of your hands, and what is heavy remains.

You will find good Christians, believe me; good married men being faithful to their wives; good married women being faithful to their husbands. Seek, and you will find; be good yourselves, and it won’t escape your notice. Like meets like.

St Augustine:  Sermon 26D, 2.....

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Villanova University

A team from the Augustinians’ Villanova University in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. has made touring the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel a reality with just the simple click of a computer’s mouse. For the last two years, students and faculty from Villanova have been granted rare clearance to photograph some of Rome’s most sacred, and restricted spaces (see photo at right) – work that has led to the creation of state-of-the-art Virtual Reality Tours for the Vatican.

The Virtual Reality Tour of the Sistine Chapel was launched on 18th March 2010 on the official Vatican Web site. The tour was designed by Villanova.

Several thousand digital photographs were taken in the Chapel with an advanced motorized camera rig and then digitally stitched together, colour-corrected, and post-processed by Villanova team members to create a cubic panorama file that presents the Chapel in a three-dimensional projection. Tour visitors can zoom in for high-resolution views of the interior of the Chapel.

The Vatican web site is: http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm
The Villanova University web site is: http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova.html

Annual 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 the United States, Fr Jack Deegan O.S.A.

For more information, contact Fr Brian Fitzpatrick O.S.A. (pmo87330@bigpond.net.au) or Fr Jack Deegan O.S.A. (jedeegan@comcast.net).

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.

Recent issues of the parish Sunday bulletin have described segments of the life of Mary MacKillop, who later in 2010 will be canonized as Australia's first 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 grounds around the Church have had a ‘make over’ including new garden beds, now planted out with native shrubs (see photo below).  This project was initiated through the need to define the access to the Church and facilities but assumed a larger life as a Project for a Sustainable Environment, which is being promoted by the local Penrith City Council. Volunteers dug holes, shovelled soil, laid garden blocks and planted shrubs over many hot weekends.

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The result is an area which has a fresh and inviting appeal. Next on the list is a canopy over the area to create an all weather gathering space.

A demountable building given to the parish by the Holy Spirit Primary School has been relocated and refurbished.  Access ramps for the elderly and disabled have also been installed.  This has given the parish two ‘new’ rooms in which groups can meet.

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

Fourth Australian Augustinian Lay Congress

Participants at the 4th Augustinian National Lay Congress will ponder the Christian call to spirituality in the 21st century. The Congress is being held at Villanova College in Coorparoo (Brisbane) on Friday (all day) to Sunday (half day) 2nd-4th July 2010.

The main speakers will be two laymen, Dr Joseph Kelley and Paul Wilson. 

Dr Joseph Kelley is the Vice President for Advancement and former Provost of Merrimack College at Andover, Massachusetts, which is an Augustinian-owned university. He is also Associate Professor in Religious and Theological Studies and founder of the Center for Augustinian Study and Legacy at Merrimack. Joe holds the Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Boston University, a D. Min. in clinical pastoral psychology from the Andover-Newton Theological School, an M.A. in Theology from the Catholic University of America, and a B.A. in philosophy from Villanova University, Pennsylvania. Since his arrival at Merrimack in 1974, he has also served as Vice-President for Student Life and Director of Campus Ministry.

Mr Paul Wilson was appointed by the Augustinians in 2006 to the Province's Justice and Peace Office in Sydney, and is the Director of Augustinian Volunteers Australia.

The theme of the Congress is Go forth on your path, and will invite participants to discern how we love and serve God in the twenty-first century.

For further information and bookings, contact the nearest Augustinian Priory, or the Provincial Office (business hours) – phone (02) 9905 3049 or osaadmin@bigpond.com

In 2007 proceeds from the Congress Raffle (Artwork by Simon Coates) went all the way to Peru and were carefully spent by Fr Art Purcaro O.S.A. in the Augustinian mission at Chulucanas, Peru.

The 2010 Congress Raffle will showcase another work of art – a patchwork wall hanging created by Lorna Haigh of Brisbane. It is valued at $1,500.

(At left): Photo of artwork.

Proceeds from this Raffle will go to a much nearer Augustinian mission, Villanova High School in the Susweni area of the city of Manokwari, West Papua, Indonesia. .

Use the e-mail address or telephone number (above) to enquire about the purchase of raffle tickets.

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 (see photo at right).

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

The intention was that the time together would further ‘ignite’ the great passion for ministry at Eucharist that these ministers already have.

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

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.

The monthly parish magazine, In Contact, reported that on 27th February 2010 a team of five members of the National Evangelisation Team (NET) were welcomed to the Tablelands parallel to part of the Pacific coast in the hinterland of the Diocese of Cairns, North Queensland.

While undertaking their Tablelands ministry first in Mareeba and its vicinity, the NET members resided at St Thomas's Augustinian Priory until 10th April.

The NET members worked with the young people, helping them to deepen their faith and to understand better their role in the life of the Church.

After 10th April, the NET members moved further south along the Tablelands to minister in Atherton and Herberton. They will return to Mareeba for further evangelisation from 2nd October until 5th November 2010.

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 shelters (see photo at left) in a vacant 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 Association was supported by other donors - the Victorian State Government, the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust, the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, the Sisters of Charity Foundation, the untiring efforts of many volunteers and fundraisers, and the interest and support of many other bodies and individuals in the community.

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

The South Yarra parish website is: http://www.parishofsouthyarra.org.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 parish church of St James (see photo above) will be the venue for the Jubilee Masses of two Augustinians who are celebrating their fiftieth anniversary of priestly ordination.

Fr Joseph Walsh O.S.A. was ordained in Rome and, other than for about three years in Ireland, his homeland, he has served in the Australian Province at various centres in eastern Australia. His Jubilee Mass will be at 9.00 am on Sunday, 9th May 2010.

Fr Peter Hayes O.S.A. was ordained in the United States of America, and has served in Australia, his homeland, for the great majority of his priesthood; he devoted a number of years to Augustinian ministry in Ireland. His Jubilee Mass will begin at Coorparoo at 9.00 am on Sunday, 23rd May 2010.

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

On 27th-28th April 2010 Mr Dennis Harvey (Principal), four other Villanova staff members, three parents and forty-nine students travelled from Brisbane to St Augustine's College at Brookvale in Sydney for the annual cultural and sporting interchange.

This interchange has taken place between these two Augustinian schools for a number of decades. (Photo above: the two College captains & Mr Charlie Fisher.)

On 27th April the two colleges competed in a game of Rugby and soccer; a debate was conducted, and on the following day a basketball match took place.

The venue for the interchange alternates between Brisbane and Sydney annually.

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

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.

A longstanding tradition at the College has been a multi-day "away" spiritual retreat for the Year Twelve students. This year it took place on 21st-23rd April 2010 at a venue that has been used for this purpose in recent years, i.e., Camp Toukley, north of Sydney.

Seventeen staff members actively assisted at the retreat, which was led by Ms Margaret McElhone. One hundred Year Twelve students participated.

Each year the St Augustine’s College community raises money to support the TMMR Orphanage run by the Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation in the Philippines. Throughout the Lenten period, every tutor group at the College generated funds by means of a variety of student activities such as cake stalls, ice cream stalls, guessing competitions and raffles. In total, the College raised $11,863.00 which was handed over to Sr Elkin Lozada O.S.A., who thanked all parents, staff and students for their generosity.

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


Youth Leaders

The Australian Augustinian Province conducts a national six-day Augustinian youth festival every two or three years, and takes a group of participants to each triennial six-day Augustinian international youth encounter.

The previous international encounter was held in Sydney after World Youth Day in July 2008.

The next six-day Augustinian international youth encounter (see logo at right) will occur in London in September 2010.

Further information about the London event is available on the London AYE web site www.aye10.org.

The web site of the Australian Augustinian Youth Movement is:
http://www.aymaustralia.org.au

To learn about joining the Australian group for London, contact the Augustinian Youth Officer immediately at michael.delacruz@augustinians.org.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 4th National Congress for Augustinian Laity will take place from Thursday, 1st July to Sunday, 4th July 2010, at Villanova College in the Brisbane suburb of Coorparoo. For information, contact any of the Augustinian parishes listed hereunder, or the Provincial Office at (02) 9905 3049 during business hours.

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 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 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

• 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.northharbour.catholicau.com

• 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 2010
2 Hewitt Avenue
Greystanes 2145
Enquiries (02) 9896 6794
www.augustinians.org.au/communities/greystanes.html