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AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD - for October 2009

May God grant that we are shaken every day.

I am going to say something, not without grief and shame. There are quite a number of young women who perhaps wish to serve God, and if they are brave they say to their parents, “let me go, I wish to be a virgin of God,” or, in the case of young men, “I wish to be a servant of God,” and the answer they get is, “The devil you do, my girl! The devil you do, my boy! Well you are not going to do what you wish. What I wish that’s what you are going to do.”

So what would you do if you were told, “Kill her, kill him?” You’re alive, you are promised eternal life, it’s ahead of you. And yet you resist, you balk, you dig your heels in. But you’re a Christian, for sure. “ And why, Sir, pray, because I am a Christian, does that mean I mustn’t have grandchildren?” So you must have grandchildren, must you? Just because you fasted yesterday, do you know how much is lacking in you?

Sing what this man said: Make known to me, Lord, my end, and the number of my days what it may be, what I may know what is lacking to me. May God and his mercy grant that we are shaken every day, or tempted or tested or tried, in order that we may make some progress. Tribulation makes for patience, patience for approval, approval for hope. As for hope, it does not let us down.

St Augustine: Sermon 16A,12....

The Pope applauds TV mini-series on St Augustine.

Pope Benedict XVI has viewed part of a television mini-series on the life of Saint Augustine of Hippo, and said that he hopes it will help many people to discover truth and charity.

The series is a joint Italian, German and Polish production, directed by Canadian Christian Duguay, and will soon to be seen on television in Europe.

During a radio interview three years ago, the Pope mentioned the potential for a film on St Augustine, and thus stimulated this cinematographic project.

On seeing the finished product, the Pope commented: "From outside, the life of St Augustine seems to end in a tragic way: the Roman world in which he lived was destroyed. However, his message has remained and, even in the world's changes, it still endures today, because it springs from truth and guides charity, which is our common destiny."

The Pope added, "In fact, it seems to me that the film is a spiritual journey in a spiritual continent very far from us, and yet, very close, because the human drama is always the same."

"We see how, in a context that is very distant from us, the whole reality of human life is represented, with all its problems, sorrows, failures, but also the fact that, in the end, truth is greater than any obstacle, and it finds man," he affirmed.

"This is the great hope that remains at the end," the Pontiff concluded. "We cannot find truth on our own, but Truth, which is a Person, finds us."

A trailer is uploaded on the internet at http://www.luxvide.it/en/Augustine-49.html

For an earlier article on this web site in May 2005 about the Pope's lifelong interest in Saint Augustine, click here.


Augustinian Priory, Brookvale

The Australian Province of the Augustinian Order has both its administrative centre and its formation centre in the suburb of Brookvale, Sydney, Australia. On Sunday, 27th September 2009 two additional residences were blessed and officially opened. A few hundred metres from the previous buildings that will continue to be used, these two new houses will function as a Provincial residence and a novitiate.

The new buildings will share a free-standing chapel. The chapel (see photo) was dedicated to Our Lady of Grace, which is one of the titles by which the Augustinian Order has honoured the Virgin Mary throughout the centuries.

The blessing ceremony was led by the world leader of the Augustinian Order, Very Rev. Fr Robert Prevost O.S.A., in the presence of local Augustinians and friends of the Order. Also present were eleven Augustinian priests from the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Japan and Korea, who had come to Sydney for three days of meetings.

The new buildings are under the direction of the community of Augustinian Priory, Brookvale.


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.

In this part of Australia, the Augustinians began their pastoral leadership in Manly Vale in 1952 and at Balgowlah in 2004.

The public examination at the end of secondary schooling in New South Wales is called the Higher School Certificate (HSC). The Catholic Community of North Harbour is continuing its annual practice of having a blessing for HSC students just prior to the start of the examination period. Students are invited to the 6.00 pm Mass on Sunday, 18th October 2009.

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.

The festival of Our Lady of the Chain is a festival introduced to Mareeba from southern Italy forty-nine years ago.

This year it was celebrated in St Thomas's Church (photo above) on Sunday, 13th September 2009.

Mass commenced at 2.30 pm. It was followed by a procession of the statue of Our Lady of the Chain through the town streets, and then a barbeque and fireworks display took place on the school oval.

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.


Villanova College, Coorparoo

Villanova is a college (an upper primary and secondary school which enrolled approximately 1,160 male day pupils for the 2009 academic year) of the Order of Saint Augustine at Coorparoo in Brisbane, Australia.

The College Newsletter has announced another successful outcome for Villanova at the recent 19th annual Queensland Catholic Schools' Music Festival.

Photo: Hanrahan Theatre, Villanova College.

The College now has over thirty performing ensembles including: Symphony Orchestras, String Orchestras, Concert Bands, Vocal Ensembles, Guitar Ensembles, Percussion Ensembles, Jazz Ensembles, Commercial (Contemporary) Ensembles and Chamber String, Woodwind, and Brass Ensembles. Students are also involved in all aspects of stage performance in the biennial Musical produced by Villanova and Loreto Colleges. 

The College also has a Music Stage Crew, offering students training and experience in backstage and technical, lighting and sound issues.

The Villanova College Irish Ensemble will be performing at Queensland Performing Arts Centre in central Brisbane with the Queensland Pops Orchestra on Saturday, 24th October 2009.

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


Augustinians in South Korea

From 18th July to mid-August 2009 Korean Delegation members,  Bro. Johan (Chang-Ho) Kim O.S.A. and Fr Mandy Dayao O.S.A. were in the Philippines with about a dozen young Korean school children doing a month's English course at Colegio San Augustin in Binan, not far from Metro Manila.

As well as being a supervising participant in the group, Fr Mandy Dayao was beforehand the liaison person with the college at Binan. The Korean students attended English classes at the college, and resided at a nearby hotel. For the experience, they also received one weekend of home-stay.

Augustinians first went to South Korea in 1985, when 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 training of its Korean-born Augustinians as a primary ministry.

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 Centre for Spirituality

A small oasis of quiet and hospitality in western suburban Sydney, Australia, the Augustinian Centre for Spirituality (photo at right) at Greystanes 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 2009 programme of prayer days and courses is available on this web site: click here.

Coming up at the Centre in Greystanes on Thursday, 22nd October 2009 is a Prayer Day, Praying the Psalms, from 9.45 am to 2.30 pm.

For more information on the Centre, please phone (02) 9896 6749, or e-mail osaspirit@bigpond.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.

A Parish Spiritual Renewal weekend will be held on Friday to Monday, 23rd-26th October 2009. 

It will be led by some members of the Augustinian Spirituality Team from Greystanes, Sydney.
Photo: Front exterior of St James's Church, Coorparoo.

See the parish web site for further details: http://www.stjames-coorparoo.org.au/


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 of St Augustine has ministered in the parish since 1976.

Photo: Exterior of St Joseph's Church, South Yarra.

The parish has launched a new web site, and further additions to it are still being made.

The new parish website is located at: http://www.parishofsouthyarra.org.au

On Friday, 18th September 2009 during a visit to the parish, the State Member for Prahran, Mr Tony Lupton, announced a government grant of $80,000 towards the construction of two new Crisis Shelters to be provided in the Emergency Housing building at 54 Fitzgerald Street, South Yarra. The Emergency Housing Association has also contributed a similar amount.

The project is a significant  moment in the parish’s continuing commitment to housing for families and individuals in need. A building permit has now been received from Stonnington Council and results of the tendering process will soon be finalised.

The Parish has operated one crisis shelter, housed in the former stables of the Priory (priests' house) for the past twenty years. The new crisis shelters will also accommodate families in crisis free of charge for a period of up to five weeks. More than a hundred volunteers currently support the Parish’s community outreach programs; a recent drive in neighbouring parishes has recruited even more volunteers to help service the new accommodation.


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.

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When the Prior General (world leader) of the Order of St Augustine and eleven other Augustinians came to Sydney in late September 2009, their meeting was held at the Order's St Augustine's College.

On the third day of the meeting the visitors were publicly introduced to Mr Tim Cleary (Principal), the staff and student body at the College's weekly assembly, and the Prior General participated in a College presentation ceremony (see photo above).

The Prior General, Very Rev. Fr Robert Prevost O.S.A., has previously visited the College on a number of occasions, highlighting that. St Augustine's is part of an Augustinian international educational community that conducts secondary schools in numerous countries in Europe, the U.S.A., the Philippines, Latin America, Japan and India, as well as a number of universities.

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


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.

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Photo: The sanctuary of Holy Spirit Parish Church.............

Planning is now complete for the Parish Fiesta, which this year extends from Wednesday, 30th September to Saturday, 10th October 2009. The final Saturday will involve a procession in the church grounds before the 6.00 pm Vigil Mass, and will conclude with dinner and dancing in the school grounds.

The Fiesta is a multi-cultural event, and various evenings involve contributions from parishioners born not only in Australia but also in the Philippines, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Mauritius, Malta, Italy, Egypt and the Pacific Islands.

The very modern parish web site is 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 office bearers for 2009 are Trudi McFadden (president), Eddie Robinson (treasurer), Lesley Sing (assistant treasurer) and Yvonne Clark (secretary).

A goal for AFA in 2009 is to seek ways of expanding its membership, especially seeing that the number of Augustinian students in formation is increasing, meaning that additional support would be very timely.

Forthcoming AFA events include the annual end-of-year celebration at the Warringah Golf Club on Saturday evening, 28th November 2009. To obtain more details, use the contact telephone number (below).

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 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 next Congress will take place in Brisbane in July 2010.

Leaders of the various Friends' branches met at the Augustinian Centre for Spirituality at Greystanes (Sydney) on the weekend of 7th-9th November 2008 (see photo below).

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

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 of 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.)

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 2009

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 2009
2 Hewitt Avenue
Greystanes 2145
Enquiries (02) 9896 6794
www.augustinians.org.au/communities/greystanes.html

 

 

  
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