AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD - March 2005

Denying oneself in love for Christ 

We know what wonderful things love can do. Often enough the very love itself is base and licentious; but how many hard things people have endured, how many indignities an intolerable pains they have put up with in order to obtain what they loved -----whether the lover of money whom we call a miser, or the lover of prestige and power whom we call ambitious, or the lover of beautiful bodies whom we call licentious! And could anyone list all the different sorts of love? Reflect, though, for a minute on what labors all lovers undertake, without even noticing that they are labors; and try to stop them from such painful exertions, and they exert themselves all the more strenuously.

So since most people are somehow like the loves that drive them, and since their own concern in determining how they ought to live should only be to choose what they should love; why be surprised if those who love Christ and want to follow Christ should deny themselves in loving him? If you get lost, I mean, through loving yourself, then of course you get found through denying yourself.

St Augustine, Sermon 96, 1

ANNIVERSARIES

Congratulations to Fr James Bolton O.S.A., who on 18 th March celebrates his golden jubilee of religious profession. Father Jim is a member of the Augustinian community at Villanova Priory, Coorparoo, where he lives in retirement.

Congratulations to Fr Jim Bolton O.S.A.
50 th Anniversary of Profession - 18 th March 2005

SPIRITUALITY PROGRAMS

Centre of Augustinian Spirituality, Greystanes

The Centre for Augustinian Spirituality conducts a variety of courses and events of varying duration at regular intervals. It operates at Saint John Stone Priory, Greystanes (Sydney). For the details and dates of its 2005 Program go to the bottom of this page and follow the prompts.

AUGUSTINIAN FRIENDS

BROOKVALE

The former Priory, Brookvale

A familiar landmark in Federal Parade, Brookvale (Sydney) is no more. The previous Saint Augustine's Priory (see photo) has been demolished to make way for a Creative Arts Centre at Saint Augustine's College (high school), Brookvale. This building began its life as a family home. It was subsequently bought by the Order and used as a residence for Augustinians in about 1958. It was then only half its eventual dimensions. As the number of Augustinians involved in Saint Augustine's College increased, the priory was doubled in size in 1961, when the original front half was veneered in brick so that it matched the new two-storied addition at its end furthest from Federal Parade. In the past few years the former Priory was used as school office space, and the Augustinians in Brookvale have lived in two houses across the street from the College.

SPIRITUALITY CONFERENCE

Fr. Tony Banks O.S.A.

Since 1991, every few years there has been a conference in Augustinian Spirituality offered by APAC (the Asian-Pacific Augustinian Conference) in the Philippines. The next conference takes place from 25 th April to 1 st May 2005 at La Consolacion College in Manila. The main speaker will be Fr Thomas Martin O.S.A., who holds the Chair of Theology at the Order's Villanova University, Villanova, U.S.A.. Other speakers include Fr Tony Banks O.S.A. ( Australia) and Sister Ma Luz Mijares O.S.A. ( Philippines). Father Martin will review Augustinian Spirituality generally, and the other speakers will specialise on the topics of Augustine's writings about social justice and women. The conference is not intended only for Augustinians. Laity in Australia with an Augustinian association are also invited. After participants from Australia pay their own air fares, the actual cost of the conference is only Aus$125, with simple accommodation (twin share) during the days of the conference included. It is important for participants to understand and to be open to the Filipino culture, to hot and humid weather and to the quite different economic situation of the Philippines in terms of Australia. You will be exposed to extreme poverty, inequity of wealth and the full systems of global injustice. For further details and booking information contact the Provincial Office at Brookvale (Sydney) during office hours on 02 9905 3049.

AFFILIATION

Archbishop John Bathersby

Affiliation is the process by which many religious orders pay recognition to persons who have been of great assistance and support to the Order over an extended period of time. It obligates the Augustinians of the Province to remember the person in their prayer, and on the person's death to offer the same number of Masses for their eternal repose as are required when a fellow Augustinian dies. The Prior General and his Council are the ones who accord affiliation and, at the request of the Australian Province, have affiliated Most Rev John Bathersby, the Archbishop of Brisbane. Archbishop John had contact with the Order when he was a professor at Pius XII Regional Seminary at Banyo (Brisbane) over twenty years ago, when he was Bishop of Cairns (where in his time there were Augustinians in Mareeba and Innisfail), and now as Archbishop of Brisbane. In a ceremony led by Very Rev Fr Patrick Fahey O.S.A. (Provincial), a certificate of affiliation will be presented to Archbishop John at Villanova Priory, Coorparoo (Brisbane) on 4 th March 2005.

TEN YEARS OF SERVICE

Kay Stenner

Kay, who is secretary to the Province Administration in Brookvale (Sydney) late last month past the milestone of ten years' service in the Provincial Administration. Kay, the Augustinians of Australia salute you for your work on our behalf.

WORLD YOUTH DAY

World Youth Day takes place in Cologne, Germany in August 2005, and once again the Augustinians from Australia are offering to lead a group to the festivities. The proposed Augustinian group, which will be led by Fr Tony Banks O.S.A., plans to be away from 5 th to 31 st August, and to travel via Augustinian houses in Inchon ( South Korea), Prague ( Czech Republic) and Germany. The return journey will include places of Augustinian significance in northern Italy: Milan, Pavia, San Gimignano, Lecceto, Genazzano, Ostia and the Augustinian Church of S. Maria del Popolo ( Rome). (Photos of all these Italian places are available on the Internet on www.augnet.org ) For further details contact Fr Tony Banks in Brookvale on 02 9938 0207 or 02 9905 3049

AUGUSTINIAN CENTRE FOR SPIRITUALITY PROGRAM 2005
2 Hewitt Avenue
Greystanes 2145
Enquiries 9896 6794
www.augustinians.org.au/communities/greystanes.html