AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD - for November 2011

In Christ’s body is to be found the unity of its members and the framework of love.

Your faith, dearly beloved, is not unaware – and I know that this is what you have learned from the teaching of the Master in heaven, in whom you have placed your hope – that our Lord Jesus Christ, who has already suffered and risen again for us, is the head of the Church; and that the Church is his body, and that in his body, as its very health, is to be found the unity of its members and the framework of love.

Anyone who grows cold in love is sick in the body of Christ.

But God, who has already raised our head on high, has the power to heal the sick members too, provided, that is, that they haven’t amputated themselves by extreme wickedness, but remain in the body until they are healed. Whatever remains in the body need not despair of being restored to health, but any part that has been amputated can be neither treated nor healed.

Since then he is the head of the Church and the Church is his body, the whole Christ is both head and body. He has already risen again. So we have our head in heaven. Our head is interceding for us; our head, sinless and deathless, is already placating God for our sins, so that we too, when we rise again at the end and are changed into heavenly glory, may follow our head.

After all, where the head goes, there too go the other parts of the body. But while we are here, we are still parts of it; we must never despair, because we are going to follow our head.

St Augustine: Sermon 137, 1....

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The God Who Waits for Us

An Advent 2011 Advent Resource has been produced by Bro Paul Skippen OSA, and released in partnership with the Augustinian Centre for Spirituality at Greystanes (Sydney), NSW. The two-disc set in CD/DVD format is entitled, The God Who waits for us - Walking in Prayerful Rhythm the 2011 Advent Journey.

It contains prayers and reflections for each day of Advent (suitable for use in staff meetings, classrooms and in family prayer), reflections, stories and music videos. The quality of material and presentation is equivalent to Bro. Paul's liturgical/prayer resource website (www.gpbs.com.au).

It is avalaibale for immediate purchase at $20 each (plus $3.00 postage for one, and $5.50 postage for larger orders) by mail from PO Box 700, Balgowlah NSW 2093, or by fax from (02) 9896 6793. Make cheques payable to "Acceptable Time."

Book launch

A publication by the Augustinian Order in Australia had a launching ceremony on 21st October 2011 at St Augustine’s College, Alfred Road, Brookvale (Sydney), NSW.

This book, “Grace Chapel – Augustinian Sacred Space,” illustrates and describes the art works in Grace Chapel at the Order's Formation Centre at Brookvale.  

Awarded author Judith Clarke (pictured at right) launched the book. Kris Smith, the book's photographer, as well as the artists who contributed works to the chapel, addressed the eighty people at the book launch.

Fr Laurence Mooney, the book's author, and Fr Tony Banks, Augustinian Provincial, also spoke.

Enquiries about purchasing a copy of the book can be made at the Augustinian Province Office: phone (02) 9938 0200 during office hours, or by e-mailing osaadmin@bigpond.com

Another launching ceremony of the book will occur at St Joseph's Parish, South Yarra (Melbourne), on 4th November 2011.

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 its present location at Coorparoo, on the southern side of the Brisbane River.

Mr Dennis Harvey, Principal, wrote the following in a recent issue of the Villanova Newsletter: "Our own Hanrahan Theatre is a fine auditorium to be admired ... but that's not what it was built for. It was built to be filled with music and song, light and sound, laughter and applause! And so it was on Thursday and Friday nights, 20th-21st October 2011, when the Broadway Concert Spectacular brought the music and lyrics of many familiar stage musicals to our very own theatre.

"Under the leadership and coordination of the College's Music Director, Dr Peter Morris, and supported by nationally renowned performers Rachael Beck and lan Stenlake, along with guest appearances by voice teachers Ms Natalie Richards (Loreto) and Mr Craig Atkinson (Villanova), the audience was awash with the magnificent sound of the joint Loreto-Villanova Symphony Orchestra for over two hours. lt was a wonderful achievement on behalf of all involved ... but especially of the students....

"The man after whom our theatre is named, the late Fr John Louis Hanrahan OSA, was the College's second Rector/Principal (1959-1964) and was himself a great supporter of the Arts in all its forms. He would have been especially proud of what was accomplished and celebrated there last week."

To provide further historical facts: The Augustine Centre at Villanova College, completed in 2005, houses the teaching and staff areas for the Music and Drama Departments, in addition to providing Villanova with a first-class professional 500-seat theatre for College events.  

Within the Augustine Centre, the Hanrahan Theatre (photo above, at right) is a multi-faceted venue which can be divided into lecture spaces, and small and large performance venues, in addition to supporting a variety of teaching environments. As mentioned above, it was named in memory of Fr John Louis Hanrahan O.S.A., M.A., (photo above, at left) who was a co-founder of the Villanova Players.

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 approximately 1,100 male pupils in the upper primary and secondary years of education. Founded in 1956, it is located at Brookvale (Sydney), Australia.

A full schedule of school activities continues. Some recent events included the Year Eleven overnight retreat, which was held just north of Sydney, and on 25th October the annual Pink Breakfast in aid of breast cancer research. Over 200 persons attended the breakfast (see photo) in the Brimson Centre, the College's spacious indoor auditorium and sports facility.

A Year Five excursion to Bathurst took place on 27th-28th October, and a Year Six zoo excursion is scheduled for 3rd November.

The College's web site is www.saintaug.nsw.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 has three communities, located at Incheon, Kanghwa Island and Yeon-Chon (north of Seoul).

There are nine students in initial formation within the Augustinian Delegation of Korea. Two are clerical students in solemn vows, two are clerical students in simple vows, and four are postulants, one of whom is now in his second year of Navy training. (Some students in photo, at right.)

All the students are attending the local Incheon Catholic University.

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

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 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.

St Thomas’s Church in Mareeba was filled with the haunting sounds of the didgeridoo and clap sticks as the Aboriginal Culture Mass was celebrated for the seventeenth successive year at 10.00 am on Sunday, 16th October 2011. Father Robert Greenup OSA presided, assisted by Deacon Ralph Madigan (of Indigenous Connections). Students from Mount Saint Bernard College, Herberton, took an active part at the Mass, for which many people travelled from Cairns and other parts of the Diocese.

The singing was led by Lyn Harris on the organ and by St Thomas’s Choir. The singing of the Our Father was accompanied by the sound of Aboriginal clap sticks.

The guest speaker was Lilian Miller (see photo, with Deacon Ralph Madigan ), who is the Indigenous Education Project Officer with Catholic Education Services in Cairns. Lillian spoke of her life, about how she had never wanted to go to school when a child and often did not attend, but now is so happy with her work and has been in the education system since 1983.

She is now part of the group guiding the direction of school education in the Far North, working especially as a consultant regarding Aboriginal culture.

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

MAREEBA CENTENARY BOOK

The first one hundred years of the parish of St Thomas of Villanova, Mareeba, has been penned into book form by parishioner, Jeanette Hartley. The title of the book, “Where the Pelican Builds,” pays tribute to the Irish Augustinians who travelled so far from their homeland in Ireland to carve out what would become a diocese in Far North Queensland, with Mareeba being part of that diocese.

The book's title links with Saint Thomas of Villanova himself, who featured a pelican on his episcopal coat of arms.

The book has 211 pages, and is filled with anecdotes of the parish of Mareeba, profiles of all the priests who have ministered there in one hundred years, details of the three churches, the work of the Sisters of Mercy, the many (and changing) committees and societies throughout the years and the celebrations, both religious and secular.

It was written as a three-way tribute to the Augustinians, the Sisters of Mercy and the parishioners.

Interspersed with many photos and naming well-known and hardworking families of the one hundred years, the book is proving to be popular with its readers.

To obtain a copy
..........Available at St Thomas’s Priory, P.O. Box 308, Mareeba, Qld 4880.
..........For mail orders, please calculate the cost of the book ($25.00) plus postage:
..........Posting Australia wide: $3.50. Posting overseas by airmail: $25.00
..........Cheques should be made out to St Thomas’s Catholic Church.

Augustinian Centre for Spirituality, Sydney

A small oasis of quiet and hospitality in western suburban Sydney, Australia, the Augustinian Centre for Spirituality at 2 Hewitt Avenue, Greystanes NSW 2145 (see 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.

The next event at the Centre is called Storytelling - Searching, Reflecting and Faith. It will take place on Tuesday, 8th November 2011 from 9.45 am to 2.30 pm.

The brochure prepared for this event states, "Storytelling: Jesus did it, the Old Testament prophets did it... Our spirituality is our own story. This prayer day will offer the opportunity to enter into the spirit of storytelling and encourage you to be open to all the possibilities of God."

This spiritual reflection day will be led by Bro. Paul Skippen OSA. The cost of the day is $15 (concessions available). Bring your own lunch.

To read the full program of the Augustinian Centre for 2011, click here.

For bookings, or for general information about the Centre, please phone (02) 9896 6794, or e-mail osaspirit@bigpond.com.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 conducted three short courses in Adult Faith Education during September and early October 2011. The first two courses took place on the Mondays of September, and were entitled Science, Faith and the Universe, and Changed Catholicism.

The two sessions of third course occurred on successive Mondays, 3rd and 10th October from 10.00 am to 11.30 am, and then were repeated on those same dates between 7.00 pm and 8.30 pm. The topic of this third course was named The Search for God.

The venue was the Barry Library in the Parish Centre.

In October 2011 a data projector was installed in St Joseph's Church. It backlights a large screen that has been installed behind the altar. Relevant liturgical slides and texts for weekend Masses have been prepared, and volunteers have been recruited to operate the equipment at each Mass.

The Parish can be contacted by phone on (03) 9826 9677 during working hours or by e-mailing stjosephsparish@internode.on.net

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

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 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 (see photo), Bishop Max Davis and Fr Vince Casey conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation upon 150 parish children on Sunday, 18th September 2011. Over 1,300 people were present.

The ceremony took place in the Brimson Centre of St Augustine's College, Brookvale.

Over 120 members of the Catholic Community of North Harbour contributed to the recording and production of a North Harbour Parish CD entitled One Heart One Mind.

The music was recorded in many different locations including the churches of St. Cecilia and St. Kieran, the Parish Centre, the ‘Ignite Retreat” 2011 and in the homes of some of the parishioners.

Copies of the CD are available at the Parish Centre for $20, and proceeds will go to further support the parish music ministry.

The parish website, now extensively renovated, has received many plaudits. A new feature is the addition of video clips. It contains 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

The parish web site is located at http://www.northharbourcatholic.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 is offering the program called RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) for those wishing to embrace full communion with the Catholic Church.

Contact the parish office at (07) 3397 1671 for further details.

The local group of Augustinian Friends will meet at 6.30 pm on Wednesday, 9th November 2011 to hear Fr Tony Banks, Augustinian Provincial, speak on St Augustine - educator, advisor and parent. All are invited to attend the Parish Centre for this occasion.

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The parish web site is: http://www.stjames-coorparoo.org.au/

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.

The Parish celebrated its thirtieth anniversary at all Masses during the final weekend of October. After the 9.30 am Mass on Sunday, 30th October 2011, light refreshments were provided to conclude the celebrations.

As a memento of the anniversary, a framed print of St Mary MacKillop taken from a portrait by Australian artist Christopher McVinnish in 2009 will be hung in the foyer of the church (photo). Similar prints are being presented to the parish primary schools, Holy Spirit and Trinity, to mark the occasion.

Further details about parish life appear on the web site of Holy Spirit Parish: http://www.holyspiritstclair.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 generally, contact the staff of the Provincial Office at Brookvale 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, and the 2011 national committee meeting took place on 15th-16th October 2011.

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.

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

Augustinian Volunteers Australia 2011

Horn of Africa Famine Appeal: We encourage you to donate online to Caritas Australia. Go to www.caritas.org.au 

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.

.............................................Report of July 2011.

Augustinian Volunteers Australia provides supervised placements for those who complete the three week course in Justice & Peace at the Augustinian Administration Centre, Brookvale, each February. In 2011, ten completed this Formation Course (see photo below) and were inducted as Augustinian Volunteers by early March. Since then three new Volunteers have been operating in Brisbane and six in Sydney and one has been studying. Adding to the two in Queensland continuing from last year, this has meant a total of eleven Volunteers currently in service out of a possible thirteen at the end of the Course.

Augustinian Volunteers work in edge ministries in close proximity to Augustinian Parishes. In Sydney this has meant service occurs at Redfern in the city, supported from the Augustinians at Brookvale; and at Western Sydney supported from the Augustinians at St Clair Parish and at the Augustinian Spirituality Centre at Greystanes. In Brisbane, Volunteer sites are spread across the city with the Augustinians at Coorparoo being the focus of Volunteer community and support.

Redfern is a particularly challenging site for Volunteer service since it occurs this year at De Porres House, run by the Cana Community. De Porres House accommodates people from the streets as well as those recently rehabilitated from prison. Our volunteers, Catherine and Dom along with Sarah their mentor, have joined with those of Cana in providing meals, Eucharist and conversation on two days per week. Augustinian Novices work a third evening in the same residence to provide cleaning assistance and a meal.

In Western Sydney, Sarah volunteers at Mamre Homestead, a venue providing employment opportunities and services for refugees. Sarah’s work is with Sudanese children in the Mamre crèche. In another operation in the West, two of our Volunteers, Patrice and Theresa, have been volunteering in the Tongan Homework Centre in Mt Druitt, providing assistance to young people struggling to complete homework in a language that may be their second or third major language, or at least at odds with the language spoken at home.

Brisbane Volunteers have taken longer than their Sydney counterparts to be suitably located and to commence service. The Brisbane floods earlier this year have had a continuing effect on the work of welfare organizations and support services in Brisbane, largely because of the disruption to the extensive tracking systems required by the State Government.

Liz is working well at her venue with Micah services in South Brisbane and is also a significant member of the Coorparoo Parish Justice and Peace Committee. Arya and Anjali are both at present completing first Semester science exams, but will return to volunteering in early July, one with St Vincent de Paul refugee services operating also from South Brisbane and the other in Reconnect community development services based in Nundah.

This vibrant group of Volunteers has already met twice in six weekly Community Gatherings. It has been keen to consolidate the work of the Augustinian Volunteers in Australia. With so many Volunteers commencing across the two Eastern cities, and with new Augustinian ministries promised connection to the Volunteer movement next year in Melbourne and Mareeba (Far North Queensland), there is hope for significant growth in the Augustinian Volunteer movement through 2011 and 2012.

Mr Paul Wilson, who is employed full-time as the Justice and Peace Officer of the Australian Augustinians, said, “Augustinian Volunteers situate themselves at the most needy places in our society. They come to this program looking to help others, but soon learn that their own transformation is tied up in the change they are seeking for our world. Much reflection is needed by the Volunteers to understand all that happens during their service. Hence the emphasis on the spiritual as much as on the social dimension of Volunteering. The social and spiritual form one process.”

A young man named Tada, who has volunteered with Augustinian Volunteers over the past three years, is about to return to his home in Thailand. A final text message from him is indicative of what the Volunteers have meant to him, “Sorry I couldn’t be at your Volunteer gathering. I will go back to Thailand next month on the 24th.  Hope to see you before I leave here. Thank you for the many opportunities provided for me by the Volunteers.”

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 Sydney NSW Australia
  Website: www.saintaug.nsw.edu.au
  
• St James’ Parish – Coorparoo Qld Australia
  Website: http://www.stjames-coorparoo.org.au/
  
• Villanova College – Coorparoo Brisbane Qld Australia
  Website: www.vnc.qld.edu.au
  
• St Thomas of Villanova Parish – Mareeba Qld Australia
  Website: http://www.stthomass.com.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