AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD - September 2003

One charity fulfils everything

Listen to the apostle: The fullness of the law, he says, is charity. He didnt send you off to carry out many things, not even ten, not even two; one charity fulfils everything. However, this charity is twofold: toward God, and toward your neighbour. Toward God, how much? With the whole. The whole what? I mean, not the whole ear, and nose, and hand, and foot. He can be loved with the whole of what? With the whole heart, with the whole soul, with the whole mind; with the whole of what is alive in you, you shall love the fountain of life. So if I have to love God with the whole of what is alive in me, what will I leave myself to love my neighbour with? You see, when you were instructed about loving your neighbour, you werent told "with the whole heart, and the whole soul, and the whole mind," but as yourself. God with the whole of you, because he is better than you are; your neighbour as yourself, because he is the same as you are yourself.

Sermon 179A, 3

Congratulations to Fr David Brimson osa and Fr Bernard Connolly osa on the 60th anniversary of their religious profession - 10 September.

Congratulations to Fr Brendan Quirke osa on the 50th anniversary of his religious profession - 17 September.

ST AUGUSTINES COLLEGE, (BROOKVALE) SYDNEY

Congratulations to St Augustines College on the recent opening of the Brimson Centre.

The students of St Augustines College eagerly took to their new IT resource centre and gymnasium this week following an official opening of their new multi-purpose hall on Thursday, August 28, 2003 by His Eminence Cardinal Edward Clancy AC and Augustinian Provincial Father Pat Fahey osa.

The Hon Tony Abbott (Federal Member for Warringah), the Hon Bronwyn Bishop (Federal Member for Mackellar), Brad Hazzard (State Member for Wakehurst) and Manly Mayor Jean Hay were in attendance along with 1,200 past and present staff, students and parents as well as Augustinian fathers from around the country and our Sisters of Consolation.

The $4.75m Brimson Centre is the new home for the Colleges library - to be known as the Augustine Resource Centre (ARC) - which is equipped with the latest and most sophisticated IT facilities including flat-screen computers with multimedia applications, plasma screens, video conferencing and video-editing facilities

St Augustines Colleges Brimson Centre also houses a new gymnasium for indoor sports, a stage for musical and drama productions and a state-of-the-art weights room for senior students.

The new centre will also provide the community with a chapel, Religious Education Resource Room and a Companions of St Augustine Room.

The Companions Room will provide a place for staff, students and parents of the schools various representative bodies, such as the Parents & Friends Association, to meet and make decisions.

The centre is named after the Colleges first rector Father David Brimson osa who now resides in an aged care facility in Brisbane.

FATHER DAVID BRIMSON

A member of the "eighty-something" generation, Father David is presently being very active in his retirement in southern Brisbane, Queensland. He recently completed his memoirs, entitled A Brim-full of Memories, which the Australian Augustinian Province is publishing privately.
The autobiography of Fr. David Brimson OSA, founding rector of St. Augustines College, Brookvale, NSW., published in May 2003.

"Brim-Full Memories" tells the story of David Brimsons childhood in Brisbane, his youth during the Second World War, entry and training in the Augustinian Order and his eventful life as a priest.
Now in retirement at Nazareth House, Brisbane, David Brimson has looked back over his long experience of ministry and given us this interesting story in 56 pages, supported by numerous photographs.
Cost is $14 incl. postage in Australia.
Order from Augustinian Press, P.O. Box 679, Brookvale NSW 2100 (osaadmin@bigpond.com)

AUGUSTINIAN INTERNATIONAL YOUTH ENCOUNTER

Five young adults and two Augustinians represented Australia amidst a throng of 355 people who attended the triennial Augustinian International Youth Festival in Spain last month.
The gathering took place at Guadarrama on the outskirts of Madrid. Leesa from Brisbane, and Rebekkah, James, Kellie and Jennifer from Sydney attended along with Fathers Tony Banks and Michael Endicott. Twenty-four nations were represented at the encounter, which took place from 30th July to 5th August 2003.
The Australian young adults designed and led the Reconciliation liturgy, and gave workshops on the theme of indigenous people and racism in sport. As well, Fr Tony Banks led seminars on globalisation, and Fr Michael Endicott on ecumenism.
One outcome of the meeting was a letter sent to the United Nations. This letter, plus over three hundred photographs of all aspects of the gathering, can be seen on the Internet at http://www.augnet.org/Guadarrama The next gathering is being planned for the year 2006.

The seven Australian participants await Mass by the lake at Guadarrama, Spain.

Welcome to Fr Brian Lowery osa who visits Australia in September. Fr Brian is a member of the Villanova Province of the Order (Eastern United States) who is currently Prior of the Augustinian Community at San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy. For many years he has been teaching on the spirituality of The Confessions of Saint Augustine. He will give a seminar to the Augustinians from 8th -11th September. He will also give a public lecture on "You Were Always There - Providence and the Confessions of St Augustine" at St Kierans Parish Hall, Manly Vale on Friday 12th September. Dinner is included with the talk. Cost of dinner is $15.00. BYO drinks. For more information contact Parish Office, Manly Vale on 9949 4455.

Consolation Sisters Convent, Brookvale will be opened and blessed by Fr Pat Fahey osa, Provincial on Sunday 14 September. At the 10.30 Mass at St Augustines Church, Brookvale. Sr Gavina Barrera osa and Sr Josie Mabini osa will renew their vows. Afterwards the opening of the convent at 8 Gulliver Street Brookvale will take place. Welcome to Sr Maria Luz Mijares osa, Mother General of the Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation who travels to Australia from the Philippines to visit the sisters here and be present for the opening of the convent.

MAREEBA AND DIMBULAH NEWS

The annual celebration for Our Lady of the Chain is being held on Sunday 7 September. Mass will begin at St Thomass Church at 2.30pm with Father Robert Greenup O.S.A. presiding, followed by a procession through the streets. Afterwards, on the school oval, there will be a barbecue, refreshments and entertainment culminating with a spectacular fireworks display. Everyone is invited to attend.

Over the weekend of 5-7 September, the four members of the RCIA Team, Marlene Loudon, Ralph Madigan, Kay Morrow and Margaret Thompson, will be attending the RCIA State Conference in Indooroopilly, Brisbane. For the last seven years the Adult Catechumenate has been running at St Thomass and attendance at such a Conference helps the team to continue to increase their knowledge of the process.

On Sunday 14 September, at the 8.00am Mass, the Sacrament of First Holy Communion is being celebrated at St Anthonys Church in Dimbulah. Please keep these children in your prayers as they take this important step in their journey of faith.

From 17 - 20 September, Father Robert Greenup O.S.A. and parishioner Frank Wagner, will be attending a Conference in Adelaide. The conference will be discussing Basic Ecclesial Communities or BECs, which have already been started in the Mareeba and Dimbulah parishes. Fr Rob and Frank hope to be able to take the BECs a step further after their time in Adelaide.

From 5 - 10 October the NATSICC Assembly is being held in Adelaide. Arthur Collins from Mareeba parish and Gertrude Ygosse from Cairns will be attending this important event.

AUGUSTINIAN COMMUNITY, MAREEBA

The Augustinians have a long and rich association with the Diocese of Cairns. It began with the arrival of Fr John Hutchinson O.S.A. and his two companions at Cooktown in 1884.

Subsequently, the Augustinian presence extended to all the existing mainland parishes of the Diocese. Today, however, the Parishes of Mareeba and Dimbulah are the only parishes in the Diocese, which are still served by the Augustinians.

With this background, St Thomass Priory, Mareeba is now offering an opportunity for single men to experience a period of simple community life in the Augustinian tradition with time for prayer, parish work, recreation and personal pursuits.

For further information contact:

Robert Greenup O.S.A.
PO Box 308,
Mareeba,
Queensland 4880

Phone: 07 4092 1077
Fax: 07 4092 3170
Email: stthomas@ledanet.com.au

AUGUSTINIAN CENTRE FOR SPIRITUALITY PROGRAM 2003
2 Hewitt Avenue
Greystanes 2145
Enquiries 9896 6794
www.augustinians.org.au/communities/greystanes.html