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AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD – for October 2008

Raise oneself up

Pride must never think that it can hide itself from God’s eyes; God, you see, knows the high things. Nor again should it imagine that it is closely united to God by being high; after all, he knows the high things from afar.

So any who refuse to humble themselves in repentance, should not think they can draw near to God. It’s one thing, after all, to raise oneself up to God; another thing to raise oneself up against God.

Those who throw themselves down before God are raised up by God; those who raise themselves up against God are thrown down by God. Solid magnitude, you see, is one thing, the emptiness of a blown up balloon another. Those who are swollen up outwardly are inwardly wasting away.

Those on the other hand who choose to be the lowest of the low in the house of God, rather than to dwell in the tents of sinners, are themselves chosen by God to dwell in the heavenly courts; and as they make no claims for themselves, God claims them for thrones of bliss. Which is why we sing in the psalm so delightfully and truly, Blessed is the person whose upholding is from you, Lord.

St Augustine:  Sermon 351,1,

 


Augustinian International Youth Encounter

The ninth Augustinian International Encounter for Young Adults took place in Sydney, Australia on 21st – 27th July 2008. A total of 290 young adults and male and female Augustinians participated.

Some photographs taken by the young adult participants can be found at http://picasaweb.google.com/mbb949/AugustinianYouthEncounter08Sydney

 

St Augustine’s College, Sydney

St Augustine's College is an Augustinian day school for over 1,000 male pupils in the upper primary and secondary years of education. Founded in 1956, it is located at Brookvale (Sydney), Australia.

The College's First XV Rugby Union football team under the direction of John Papahatzis (Director of Sport & Co-Curricular) celebrated a triumphant win against St Stanislaus College of Bathurst, NSW to come away with the prestigious Waratah Shield for 2008. (Photo below.)

The Waratah Shield is an annual State-wide First XV Rugby Union knockout contest, in which 120 schools participated this year.

On the way to winning the Waratah Shield, "Saints" defeated Mater Maria Warriewood, with their next round against Oakhill College. Again, Saints were victorious, thereby advancing to a game against Endeavour Sports High in the quarter finals. The result there was a comprehensive 36-0 victory for St Augustine's College.

The semi-final was played against St Gregory’s (Campbelltown).  The grand final was a tightly fought battle against St Stanislaus College (Bathurst, NSW). St Augustine’s College emerged the victor with a score of 26-16.  

The College web site is www.saintaug.nsw.edu.au


Villanova College, Coorparoo

Villanova, the college (an upper primary and secondary school for over 1,000 male day pupils) of the Order of Saint Augustine in Brisbane, Australia, is a leader in music education among Catholic secondary schools in southern Queensland.

On 12th September 2008 it hosted a combined concert in its Lecceto Arts Centre with musicians from St Augustine's, the Augustinian college in Sydney, one thousand kilometres to the south.

Participants from both colleges came together for a rehearsal and mini-clinic on the Friday afternoon, shared a sausage sizzle, and then presented a free concert in the evening. Villanova was represented by its Symphonic Band. Bands from both colleges played separately, and then offered a combined work in conclusion.


Photo: Hanrahan Theatre, Villanova College.

The student visitors from Sydney were billeted overnight by their Villanova counterparts. The Villanova parents' newsletter described the combined concert and the visit of the Sydneysiders as "a great success."

In the past, these two colleges have regularly interacted in sport and debating.

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

 

Coorparoo Parish

The Parish of St James, Coorparoo (Brisbane) has been in the care of the Augustinians since 1952. Villanova College, conducted by the Order, is located within the parish.

St James's Church, Coorparoo

Following an Enquiry Night on Sunday, 14th September 2008, the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) will commence its regular Journey to Easter meetings on Sunday, 5th October. Participants will attend the Liturgy of the Word (only) of the 6.00 pm Mass, and then immediately move into a time of reflection on the Sunday's Gospel in an adjacent venue.

After a break for a "cuppa," a Topic Talk will commence at 7.30 pm on the theme: “Searching for God - God searching for us.”   This part of the meeting will be held in the staffroom of St James’s School.

While this meeting is mainly intended for non-Catholics who wish to get to know more about the Catholic Church, on any Sunday evening parishioners are welcome to participate in the entire meeting or just to join in during the Topic Talk.

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



Mareeba Parish

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 it began almost a century ago. The adjacent Dimbulah parish was added to the pastoral responsibility of the Augustinian pastor of Mareeba a number of years ago.

This year’s Aboriginal Mass at St Thomas of Villanova Church was held on Sunday, 31st August 2008 at 10.00am. Augustinian Parish Priest Fr Rob Greenup celebrated the Mass. Local Aboriginal dancers and musicians played the clapsticks and didgeridoos outside the Church, where Mass began with the traditional smoking ceremony.

Leading the procession into Mass through the healing smoke, the haunting sound of the didgeridoo filled the Church. The singing was led by students from Mount Saint Bernard College (Herberton) and the St Thomas’s English Choir, with Lyn Harris and Sr Pam Murray accompanying them on the organ.

The guest speaker was Sister Barbara Tippolay, an Aboriginal Sister of the Congregation of the Handmaids of Our Lord.

Sr Barbara is currently working at Pularumpi which is located on Melville Island about 100 kilometres north of Darwin.    

(Photo: Fr Greenup, Robert King, Ralph Madigan & Sr Barbara.)

Sister spoke of the happiness she felt on hearing Prime Minister Kevin Rudd saying “Sorry,” as she herself was one of the Stolen Generation. Sister spoke, in a quiet and gentle manner, of her life since she entered the Convent and of her present work with the Tiwi people

After the Mass, morning tea was held on the Reconciliation lawn adjacent to the church.

On Sunday, 7th September 2008 the 48th annual celebration of Our Lady of the Chain began at St Thomas of Villanova Church in Mareeba with a Mass at 2.30pm. The Church was filled to overflowing with people coming from far and wide to share in this special celebration.

Fr Rob Greenup OSA concelebrated Mass with diocesan priests, Fr John Newman and Fr Greg Moses. The singing was led by the Italian choir.

Following Mass, the statue of Our Lady of the Chain was wheeled round the main streets of Mareeba, followed by a large crowd saying the Rosary. The day continued with a barbecue and entertainment on the school oval and culminated with a magnificent fireworks display.

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Augustinian Centre for Spirituality

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

The resident Augustinian community there offers spiritual direction (three of whose members are pictured above), reflection days, courses in prayer, meditation and personal development, and individual residential directed retreats.

Each Monday evening the Centre hosts a group of people who come for meditation. Led by Fr Paul Maloney O.S.A., the group follows the Christian Meditation method as developed by Fr John Main O.S.B. and later by Fr Laurence Freeman O.S.B. The method involves the use of a mantra word to support a non-discursive meditative approach.

These meetings at Greystanes commence with a short teaching from the writings of John Main, followed by a half-hour period of meditation. The prayer ends with the opportunity for participants to share with one another any insights from the experience of meditation.

Anyone interested in the regular meditation meetings at Greystanes is welcome to contact the Centre at (02) 9896.6794 or Fr Paul Maloney at paulmal@bigpond.com.au .

In early September 2008 the Centre hosted a meeting of the two Augustinian Friends groups based in western Sydney (Greystanes and St Clair). This meeting was the final in a series of three which focussed on the theme of Friendship in Augustinian spirituality. This was part of the Augustinian One World Week with Augustine project for which the theme of Friendship was the centrepiece.

This third meeting led by Sarah-Jane Greenaway looked at friendship as a dimension of the Christian community – i.e. the Church. The group was appreciative of Sarah-Jane’s efforts in preparing the material for all three meetings this year. The meeting concluded with planning for the western Sydney groups of Augustinian Friends in 2009.

If any group associated with the Order of Saint Augustine and its ministries is interested in a program or retreat by the Centre staff, please contact Fr Peter Jones O.S.A. at Greystanes at (02) 9896-6794 or osaspirit@bigpond.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 2008 are Trudi McFadden (president), Eddie Robinson (treasurer), Lesley Sing (assistant treasurer) and Yvonne Clark (secretary).

The most recent event of the AFA was an excursion on 28th September 2008 to the monastery of the Benedictine Nuns at Jamberoo, south-west of Sydney.

Mass was celebrated for the excursion members in the beautiful monastery chapel (photo at left) by Fr L. Mooney.

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 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 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

Amici is the Friends' newsletter in Australia. For a 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.

Augustinians in South Korea

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 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.

The time of Fiesta '08 has begun. The opening event was a talk on Mary, Mother of the Church by a visiting Augustinian scholar, Fr Patrick Fahey O.S.A., followed by nightly gatherings in the parish church for a Rosary Novena (25th September - 3rd October).

The Fiesta program for Saturday, 4th October includes a Marian procession at 5.15 pm, Mass at 6.00 pm, dinner beginning at 7.00 pm, entertainment at 9.00 pm and dancing at 10.00 pm. Children will carry flowers in the Marian procession, and the dinner will include cuisine prepared by people from many of the cultures represented in the parish community.

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


Augustinian Parish of North Harbour

This parish that covers a number of suburbs in metropolitan Sydney including Manly Vale, Balgowlah and Brookvale was heavily involved in World Youth Day (WYD) in July 2008. Houses in the parish hosted 268 "homestay" WYD pilgrims for one week; they came from Canada, Germany, Malaysia, New Zealand and St Lucia. Saint Kieran's School had another 117 pilgrims from United States, Germany and New Zealand.

The Parish Centre at Manly Vale was a catechetical centre for three days of WYD. The bishops (pictured below, left to right) Most Rev. Seamus Freeman, Bishop of Ossory in Ireland, Most Rev. Peter Cullinane, Bishop of Palmerston North in New Zealand, and Most Rev Mario Conte, Archbishop of Glasgow in Scotland, were the catechetical speakers.

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...............Above: The episcopal guest speakers at St Kieran's Church, Manly Vale.

In a subsequent edition of the parish magazine, In Touch, parishioners were encouraged to keep alive the spirit they showed during World Youth Day.

Paul Skippen, the full-time Family and Youth Ministry Co-ordinator of the North Harbour Catholic Community, wrote, "If World Youth Day become just a "nice" memory and the great steps we took as a community becomes likewise, where has the journey taken us? We have to be willing to continue, invite others to become involved, and become part of the ongoing challenge of creating a place of worship that is vibrant, welcoming, youth-friendly and open to all."

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


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 has been present in the parish since 1976.

On Sunday, 10th August 2008 the people of the South Yarra Parish and beyond gathered in St Joseph’s Church at 10.30 am to welcome the incoming Parish Priest, Fr Brian Buckley O. S. A. and to thank Fr John Barry O. S. A. The homilist was Fr Tony Banks O.S.A. (Provincial).

A South Yarra parishioner has uploaded on the Internet some images of the liturgy and festivities in the Parish Hall on 10th August 2008. Click on:           http://www.flickr.com/gp/98089177@N00/HE27Fp

St Joseph’s Parish web site is www.ozemail.com.au/~osasthyarra


Augustinian Volunteers Australia

News Flash: The Province Social Justice Office has encouraged that assistance be given to cyclone victims in Burma, and in recent weeks this has successfully happened. As of 1st September 2008, a total in excess of AUS$7,000 has been sent to Caritas Australia from a number of Augustinian ministries. To read more on the Social Justice page on this web site, click here.

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 for 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.)

Augustinian Volunteers Australia invites interested young adults to assist its future planning by completing the obligation-free survey attached to this web site.

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 2008

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 9896 6794
www.augustinians.org.au/communities/greystanes.html

 

 

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