AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD – October 2006

Give way to God

You, a person in charge of your own household, are unfairly and foolishly blamed by someone who is ignorant of your reasons and your plans. And have you the nerve to find fault with the one in charge of the whole universe, the creator of heaven and earth, because the wind has blown and withered the vines, or a thundercloud has sprung up and poured down hail? Don’t find fault. He knows both how to control and to arrange all his works. As for you, you certainly could not have constructed heaven and earth, and yet if you had the chance you would tell God, “Oh, if only I were in control, I wouldn’t do what you do.”

Isn’t it the case, after all, that when something or other done by God annoys you, you are really wishing you were in control? Shame on you! See whose place it is you wish to take; you are going to die, he is immortal; you are a human, he is God. You would do better giving way to him than trying to take his place. Give way to God, because he is God. And if perhaps he does something that is against your will, perhaps it isn’t against your best interest.

St Augustine: Sermon 15A, 8

Holy Spirit Parish, St Clair

This month - October 2006 - the Parish of the Holy Spirit at St Clair (western Sydney, NSW, Australia) celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary.

The Order of Saint Augustine has staffed the parish since 1995, by arrangement with the local Bishop of Parramatta. The present moderator of the parish is Fr Brian Fitzpatrick O.S.A. (see photo).

Included below is a calendar of events for the parish anniversary celebrations.

As well, a commemorative historical booklet has been published, and is avalable for purchase.

Further information, and for tickets to the events that require booking, are available from the Parish Office. Phone 02 9670 1744 during business hours.

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

Augustinian Parish, Mareeba

In the Catholic Church, the feast day of St Thomas of Villanova is celebrated on 10th October. This will be celebrated ahead of time in the parish church of St Thomas of Villanova in Mareeba (Queensland, Australia) at 10.00am on Sunday, 8th October 2006.

The singing will be led by the English-language choir and celebrant will be the parish priest, Fr Rob Greenup O.S.A.

After Mass the Mareeba branch of Augustinian Friends (Australia) - see photo - will provide a sausage sizzle for parishioners on the Reconciliation Lawn adjacent to the church.

More information is available about St. Thomas of Villanova at http://augnet.org/default.asp?ipageid=814, and about Augustinian Friends (Australia) at http://augnet.org/default.asp?ipageid=523.

Augustinian Convent, Brookvale.

On 4th September 2006, the Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation (ASOLC) assigned in Australia celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Consolation together with the Augustinians from nearby communities and some members of the Filipino community.   The celebration begin with a Mass, at which the presider was Fr Pat Fahey OSA, the Provincial emeritus. 

The first ASOLC Sisters, Sr Gavina “Gavi” Barrera OSA and Sr Josefa “Josie” Mabini OSA arrived in Australia on 6th October 2002, at the invitation of the Australian Province of the Order of Saint Augustine.   The Sisters assist in the Augustinian parish and school ministries in the northern beaches of Sydney. 

Sr Gavi served as the Chaplain of St. Augustine’s College, while Sr Josie worked as a Pastoral Associate of St Kieran - Manly Vale Parish (now called Catholic Community of North Harbour after the twinning of St Kieran and St Cecilia Parishes). 

When Sr Gavi returned to the Philippines in 18th October 2005, Sr Joan Infante OSA was sent to replace her at St Augustine’s College. 

Sr Josie said, "On this third year of our celebration of the Feast of our Lady of Consolation here in Sydney, we convey our gratitude to the Augustinians of Australasia for their continued loving support to our mission here and in the Philippines.  We also thank all those who have become a part of our journey in this Great Southland of the Holy Spirit."

Augustinian Parish of South Yarra

The renovation work continues on the former St. Joseph's Primary School building (photo above) on the Augustinian parish grounds at South Yarra, Melbourne, Australia. At last it seems that the end is near with the latest prediction being that we will have occupancy of the building in early November 2006.

Many parish and local community groups are looking forward to this a great deal, as they have been sharing a much smaller space for the last nine months. With a November move in mind, the Parish is planning a grand opening for this new St. Joseph's Parish Centre on Sunday, 3rd December 2006.

Anyone interested in being included in the invitation list can contact South Yarra Parish on 03 9827-4689.

Parish of North Harbour

The creation of the Parish of North Harbour occurred by the union of the parishes of Manly (Saint Kieran’s) and Balgowlah (St Cecilia’s) in metropolitan Sydney in July 2006.

The Order of Saint Augustine is responsible to the Diocese of Broken Bay for the parish's ministry.

The parish begins on part of the northern edge of Sydney Harbour, hence its name. The new parish has retained Saints Kieran (of Clonmacnoise in sixth-century Ireland) and St Cecilia (an early Roman martyr) as its patron saints.

The web site of the new Parish of North Harbour is http://www.northharbour.catholicau.com

St Augustine’s College

With the public examination system still in place at the conclusion of secondary education throughout the State of New South Wales, the Augustinian school at Brookvale in Sydney, Saint Augustine’s College, followed the general pattern of concluding formal classes for Year Twelve students in the last week of September.

The occasion was marked with a series of Year Twelve graduation events on Thursday, 28th September 2006. During school hours, there was a special assembly of the entire staff and student body, at which the departing Year Twelve students were honoured.

The College Principal, Mr Tim Cleary, spoke in glowing terms of the graduation class, saying that they had made a memorable contribution to the life of the college.

In the evening there was a graduation Mass, at which the Augustinian Provincial, Fr Tony Banks O.S.A. (see photo above) was the presider and preacher. The Mass was held at St Kieran's Church, Manly Vale. In accord with previous practice, also in attendance were the students of Year Five (i.e., the youngest students in the college, which offers eight years of education).

The Mass was followed by a dinner at the Brimson Centre on the college grounds for the staff, Year Twelve students and their parents.

The St Augustine’s College web site is: Web site: www.saintaug.nsw.edu.au

Augustinian Formation Association (A.F.A.).

The AFA prays for and raises funds for the formation of future Augustinians. Based in Sydney, its office bearers for 2006 are Trudi McFadden (president), Eddie Robinson (treasurer), Lesley Sing (assistant treasurer) and Yvonne Clark (secretary).

The September 2006 event of the AFA was their annual bus trip, beginning from St Kieran's Church, Manly Vale (Sydney, Australia) on Sunday afternoon, 20th August. The bus, fully booked, conveyed participants to the Mount Tomah Botanical Gardens and to Katoomba, west of Sydney (see photo).

The next social gathering of AFA is an end-of-year dinner on the evening of Saturday, 25th November.

For more details about the dinner, or about the Augustinian Formation Association generally, contact Fr Peter Jones O.S.A. (AFA chaplain) or the staff of the Provincial Office on (w) 02 9905 3049.

Villanova Visions Art Exhibition

On Friday, 15th September 2006, Villanova College, the Augustinian school of over 900 male day pupils in Brisbane, Australia, opened its second annual Villa Visions Whole School Art Exhibition.

This took place at the Hanrahan Theatre on the college grounds, and was held to support the work of the Fred Hollows Foundation for preventative blindness in indigeous and Third World communities.

Villa Visions was launched by the Australian television personality, Ernie Dingo, who volunteers his services as a Fred Hollow Foundation ambassador. Funds raised by admission tickets and raffles at the event were donated to the Fred Hollows Foundation.

Professor Frederick HollowsAC, MB ChB (NZ) DO (Lond) FRCS (photo above) died in 1993. His voluntary work with Australian Aborigines and in Third World countries is continued by his widow and by the Fred Hollows Foundation.

The web site of the Fred Hollows Foundation is http://www.hollows.org/content/FrontPage.aspx?s=3

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

Augustinian professions in Korea

On 10th September 2006 in the Augustinian Delegation of Korea, Johan Kim Chang-ho O.S.A. and Jonah Kim Kyu-dong O.S.A. made their solemn profession of Augustinian vows in Korea.

Australian and English Augustinians introduced the Augustinian Order to Korea twenty years ago. Two decades of work are now being blessed by a series of solemn professions and priestly ordinations. Two of the locally-born Augustinians in Korea are now priests, and another one is a deacon.

Numerous photos of the Augustinian activities and personnel in Korea are available by going to http://www.augnet.org/default.asp?ipageid=6 , and then choose the gallery named Korea.

Third National Augustinian Congress for the Laity, April 2007

Over the past few months local groups of Augustinian Friends have been meeting from Mareeba to Melbourne.

Planning for the Third National Congress for the Laity is well under way.

This Congress, to be held in South Yarra, Melbourne, runs from Friday 20th April 2007 to Sunday 22nd April 2007. The keynote speaker will be Fr Art Purcaro O.S.A.. He is from the United States, and is presently stationed in Rome as an Assistant General of the Order.

The title is: Augustine, Ancient & New Vision for the Future. So how about coming to Melbourne in 2007 to experience Augustine in Autumn?!

For further information about the Augustinian lay congress in Melbourne in April 2007, contact Augustinian Friends via the parish office of the Augustinian parish of South Yarra (ph. 03 9827 9117), or contact Fr Paul Maloney O.S.A. at the Centre for Augustinian Spirituality, 2 Hewitt Avenue, Greystanes, NSW 2145 (phone 02 9361 0340) or by e-mail at paulmal@bigpond.com.au

St Stephen’s Catholic College, Mareeba

St Stephen’s Catholic College commenced operation in January 2006 with 40 Year Eight students, which the the first year of secondary education in the State of Queensland, Australia.

St. Stephen's is a diocesan secondary college founded in the town of Mareeba, which is the centre of the extensive St Thomas of Villanova Parish, conducted by the Order of Saint Augustine.

The college crest recognises the Augustinian tradition and presence in North Queensland since 1884. The top right quarter of the crest is the Augustinian logo, and the bottom left quarter that of the Sisters of Mercy.

As well, one of the pastoral houses within the College bears the name “Augustine”.

Mr Gerard Simon, the Foundation Principal of St. Stephen's Catholic College, commented, “Because of the significant Augustinian presence in Far North Queensland the Augustinian tradition will always be valued within the College.”

In 2007 St Stephen’s will include Year Nine, and annually an additional year group will be added until in 2010 St Stephen’s Catholic College is a Year 8 – 12 Catholic College with an estimated enrolment of over 400 students.

Masters Degree Program in Augustine

A summer program leading to a Master of Arts degree in the study of St Augustine has begun at at Quezon City in Metro Manila. The venue is the Saint Augustine Centre of Studies (SACS - see photo below).

The new Masters program was officially launched at the SACS graduation ceremony on 27th March 2006, and the first units of the program were taught from 10th April to 20th May 2006.

The teachers of these units were Fr Arnel Dizon O.S.A. (An Introduction to St Augustine), Fr Pederito Aparece O.S.A. (Augustine and Neo-Platonism), and Dr Macario Ofilada Ph.D. (The Dialogues of Augustine). All units are taught in the English language, and there are choices of topics in every course.

There are choices of outcome available within the program. These give different options such as equipping the student to teach Augustine to others, or else preparing the student for further studies in Augustine at a doctoral level.

For example the option that leads to a Master of Arts in Teaching Augustine studies Augustinian pedagogy, Neo-Platonism, Augustinian metaphysics and Augustine’s theory of knowledge. It then surveys Augustine’s sermons, letters, and major books.

The full program is expected to require three summers of classes by each student, and variously also some comprehensive examinations or the writing of a thesis. Students from overseas or other parts of the Philippine can apply for summer accommodation as SACS, depending on its availability.

The next courses will be offered in April-May 2007. Printed information on the course in general and in particular, plus enrolment details, are available in a brochure that may be obtained by writing to the St Thomas of Villanova Institute of Philosophy, Saint Augustine Center of Studies, Fisheries Street, Visayas Avenue, 1100 Quezon City, Philippines.

For information about the M.A. program, persons in Australia can contact the Augustinian Provincial Office at Brookvale, Sydney by telephoning (02) 9905.3049 during office hours.

Augnet

Augnet, a comprehensive web site on Saint Augustine and the Order of Saint Augustine, was fully redesigned and renovated in May 2006.

It contains over 1,144 pages of text, which also contain over 1,445 illustrations. The Augnet web site was officially "launched" at a ceremony in Sydney in August 2002, with the Augustinian Prior General from Rome as the guest of honour.

New technical features in the renovated Augnet include a search engine, which searches every page of Augnet for any word or phrase that is nominated by a user, and a site map, which quickly allows a visitor to see and understand the local arrangement of Augnet's sections and sub-sections.

About 1,580 large images in extensive photo galleries illustrate of Augustinian events and places internationally. Between August 2002 and April 2006 Augnet has served 63,000 different hosts/URLs, and presumably many of these hosts have visited Augnet more than once.

These hosts have downloaded 734,000 pages of Augnet. This is an average of 17,000 pages per month, 580 pages per day and 24 pages per hour throughout that period of forty-four months.

There were 14,542 separate visits to the Augnet website during the calendar month of September 2006, which is an average of almost 500 visitors a day.

Visit this web site at http://www.augnet.org

The November 2006 edition of "Current News" will be uploaded here on 3rd November 2006.

FOR SOME CURRENT NEWS ABOUT THE ORDER OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA Click here

AUGUSTINIAN CENTRE FOR SPIRITUALITY PROGRAM 2006
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Greystanes 2145
Enquiries 9896 6794
www.augustinians.org.au/communities/greystanes.html