AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD - July 2004
Hold God fast as your good
This is the first commandment, this is the beginning of our religion and our journey, our road – to have our hearts fixed firmly in faith, and by fixing our hearts firmly in faith to live good lives, to abstain from seductive goods, to endure patiently temporal evils, and as long as the enticement of the first and the threats of the second persist, to keep our hearts steady and unshaken against each of them, so that you don't sink into the former or break yourself on the latter. Thus by practicing restraint and practicing endurance, by holding back and holding out, when temporal goods have passed away and any evils that may be inflicted are no more, you shall hold God fast as your good, you shall have no evil to endure.
Sermon 38, 5
Prayers are requested for the Augustinians in Australia as we prepare for our forthcoming Mid-Chapter (11-16 July 2004) which will take place in Sydney. The Prior General of the Augustinians, Fr Robert Prevost osa will visit Australia to preside at the Mid-Chapter.
Augustinian
Friends Second National Congress of Augustinian
Laity - Brookvale NSW 2004 - from Friday 1 October
2004 to Sunday 3 October 2004.
Download a brochure (pdf)
ARCHBISHOP OF BRISBANE JOINS THE VILLANOVA COLLEGE COMMUNITY CELEBRATING AN HISTORIC JOURNEY
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| Villanova Primary students getting into the swing for the big walk. |
Archbishop of Brisbane, Rev John Bathersby, will lead off the Villanova College Community Walkathon on August 27th. The participants will walk the journey taken by a number of students from Villanova College Whinstanes to Villanova College Coorparoo in February 1954 to continue their education in the Augustinian tradition. This was the year the young College made the move from its original site, which had operated since 1948, but had struggled to increase enrolments.
All walkers on the historic journey will be seeking donations for their efforts. The journey of 11.2 kilometres is aiming to raise $30,000-00, which will boost the funds of AFAS (Australian Filipino Augustinian Solidarity), a student ministry group at the College, as well as provide a significant injection into the One Mind One Heart Project as it moves closer to its fund-raising target of $1.5m.
The aim of the Project is to draw the Villanova Community together in support of the construction of the Augustine Centre at the College and the expansion and re-development of the College playing fields at Tingalpa. This twofold project, which will facilitate the Sports and the Arts programs at the College is both a celebration of Villanova's proud journey to date and a statement that the journey in many ways is only beginning, as the College moves confidently into the future.
Any student who returns $200-00 or more for his efforts, besides being eligible for attractive prizes, will ensure his family's name is associated with a chair in the Fr Hanrahan OSA Theatre, the centre-piece of the Augustine Centre which will be completed in October.
MAREEBA AND DIMBULAH NEWS
This month 67 young people will receive the first Sacrament of Holy Communion at St Thomas's Church in Mareeba. These ceremonies will take place on three consecutive Sundays - 18 July, 25 July and 1 August. The presider will be Fr Rob Greenup O.S.A.
Please keep these youngsters in your prayers as they take this important step in their faith life.
Trip to Cooktown
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On the Steps of the James Cook Museum Back Row (L-R): Ruth Parker, Teresa Marinelli, Fr Rob Greenup
O.S.A., Ralph Madigan, Frank Wagner |
June 1st and 2nd saw a wonderful trip to Cooktown for nine members of the Mareeba Parish group, Augustinian Friends, accompanied by Augustinian Parish priest of Mareeba and Dimbulah, Fr Robert Greenup O.S.A.
This trip was made within the week of the one hundred and twentieth anniversary of the arrival of the first Augustinians in Cooktown in June 1884. This was a significant time in the history of Far North Queensland history, as the Augustinians played such an important role in the spreading of the Word to far-flung outposts.
Setting off from Mareeba in three comfortable motor vehicles plus bitumen road most of the way, was a far cry from the travelling experienced in 1884. The wild pig hitting the conventional vehicle (and not the four wheel drives) added to our spirit of adventure!! Fortunately no-one was injured and only a few scratches on the car. The pig probably had a bad headache!!
On reaching the presbytery in Cooktown where we were staying overnight, our "chief cook" Teresa produced a beautiful lunch, the first of many scrumptious feasts. Then we were off to the James Cook Museum where we saw many interesting artefacts and read a lot on the history of the area.
The Botanical Gardens was one of the sights in the area we visited and walked 600 metres through bush until reaching Finch Bay. What a beautiful stretch of beach and I'm sure we all felt similar emotions which the first explorers must have experienced on reaching this Bay.
Cooktown Cemetery was so interesting. Our main aim was to visit the graves of the two Augustinian Bishops who are buried there, Bishop John Hutchinson O.S.A. and Bishop James Murray O.S.A., along with seven Sisters of Mercy who went to Cooktown in 1888. Sitting around the graves we recited five decades of the Rosary.
The Augustinian Friends group have now resolved that on their next trip, they will undertake the cleaning and beautifying of these gravesites. We all found the trip spiritually uplifting, relaxing and an occasion for friendship and warmth.
Contributed by Jeanette Hartley and Kay Morrow
LECCETO COMMUNITY 2004
The Augustinians annually invite young
people to come together and form a community based around the ideals
and the Rule of Life established
by St Augustine in the fourth / fifth century. These values are timeless
in their application and are good for men and women who want to come
together in mutual respect to spend time with others intent upon their
God and seeking unity of heart and mind. The community caters for people
in the workplace and for those who are taking time off from work for
fulltime studies. Using common funds and setting time aside in busy
lives for prayer, contemplation and service the community nurtures
each other
and challenges each one as to their ability to be there for others
and for God. Please contact Fr Tony Banks osa who will guide the community
in 2004. You will also be supported by the Augustinian sisters and
brothers
in the Brookvale area. Fr Tony is available on
Phone (02) 9938 0207 Mobile 0418 200 410
E-mail tonybanks@augustinians.org.au
Click here to view the Leccetto
Flyer (pdf)
FATHER DAVID BRIMSON
The
autobiography of the late Fr. David Brimson OSA, founding rector of
St. Augustine's
College, Brookvale, NSW was published in May 2003.
"Brim-Full Memories" tells the story of David Brimson's childhood in Brisbane, his youth during the Second World War, entry and training in the Augustinian Order and his eventful life as a priest.
Cost is $14 incl. postage in Australia.
Order from Augustinian Press, P.O. Box 679, Brookvale NSW 2100 (osaadmin@bigpond.com)
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 Thomas's 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 2004
2 Hewitt Avenue
Greystanes 2145
Enquiries 9896 6794
www.augustinians.org.au/communities/greystanes.html
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