AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD - April 2005

Christ rose again in what he took from us  

Mortality came to all human beings from sin; in the Lord, however, it was the result of all the same, because such perfect flesh was real and genuine, and genuinely mortal, having the likeness of the flesh of sin; not the likeness of flesh, but the likeness of the flesh of sin. After all, as I said, he hadn't taken that mortality as the deserts of sin, seeing that he had emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and becoming obedient to the death. So what was he, and what did he have? He was divinity, which had mortality. Now that in which he died was also that in which he rose again.

Now take a look at those who say, "It was possible for Christ alone to rise again, not though for you." But you must answer and say, "Christ rose again in what he had taken from us. Take away the form of a servant, there would be nothing in which to rise again, because there would be nothing in which to die. So why, by praising my Lord, do you wish to pull down the faith, which my Lord built up in me? It's as a result, you see, of his taking the form of a servant that he died. But he rose again in the same respect as he died. So I certainly need not despair in the least about the resurrection of a servant, since it was in the form of a servant that the Lord rose again."  

A New Mission Road in Korea

The new community	The new Priory

"How on earth am I going to learn how to pronounce that ?!", was the reaction of one good friend from Echuca when I told her that I would be moving to the Diocese of Uijeongbu.

On Saint. Patrick's Day 2005 three of us, Br. Barnabas (the Korean Delegation Superior), Br. Salesio and I, moved into a small house on the side of a steep mountain near a tiny village called Do-Shin, which in Chinese characters appropriately means, "new way" or "new road".

It was decided by consensus that the new residence be called "Mother of Good Counsel Priory", which may sound somewhat grand for the cottage built on about one and a half acres of land crossed by a steep gorge that is sure to be water-filled come spring and summer.

Our new community will be living at the far northern end of the new diocese of Uijeongbu, which was only created last August when it was cut off from the Archdiocese of Seoul. The new priory is only ten kilometres or so from the DMZ (Demilitarised Zone) which separates North Korea from South Korea. The area is very mountainous, cold and snowy in the winter, but beautiful in every season.

The house, which at the moment only has two bedrooms, was built by a retired Korean Protestant pastor for himself and his wife. He said he had been praying that someone who wanted to pray and work there would come to buy the house and land, and so was delighted when we arrived on his door step one cold February morning.

There is also a storage shed next to the house which he had used as a prayer room. We hope to do some renovations soon after we move in, enlarging the house and turning the storage shed into a small chapel.

We hope to make Do-Shin Mother of Good Counsel Priory a place of prayer and reconciliation for individuals, small groups, and families, especially during the warmer summer months when some may wish to come and stay in tents to pray with us and enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery.

In addition to providing this place of prayer we intend to begin another social ministry in one of the nearby cities some of which have very high unemployment and related social problems.

We are very grateful to the Australian Augustinian Province and all our readers for your financial and prayerful support of this new venture. Perhaps some of you may even be able to join us one day in the mountains overlooking North Korea to pray for peace and justice among nations, peace and mutual respect between different religions and peoples, peace and harmony in our families, and peace and fairness in our places of work.

Michael Sullivan O.S.A.

(Fr Michael is a past pupil of Villanova College, Coorparoo (Brisbane), Australia, and has served in Korea continuously since 1985.)

Father Rod Cameron

Over a hundred upper secondary students taking the HSC (public examination) course, Studies of Religion, at St Augustine's College, Sydney recently had Father Rod Cameron O.S.A. come and talk to them about Aboriginal Spirituality. Father Rod comes with so much understanding and insight in this area.

Father Rod is a scientist, a poet, an Augustinian, a priest and a great friend to the Aboriginal people. Raised in North Queensland, he was ordained in 1950. While studying at Villanova University in the U.S.A. he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Science decree.

Father Rod taught at both Augustinian Colleges in Australia. Early in his priesthood, he developed a great interest in Aboriginality, especially in the common themes between Australian indigenous spirituality and Christian spirituality. He has published several works of poetry, including The Red Land, Alcheringa, Karingal, and Opala. The successful sale of these books over the years have made Rod one of the best-selling authors of poetry in Australia.

This Augustinian college at Brookvale in Sydney's northern beach area is by no means unfamiliar territory to Father Rod, who taught there for many years during his career as an Augustinian teacher. In the early 1980's Father Rod was then appointed to the parish of Mareeba in far North Queensland, and as overseer of Augustinian Aboriginal ministry. He also served as chaplain to Aboriginal Catholics in the Cairns diocese.

Father Rod spoke about his experiences with Aboriginal communities. He explained the Aboriginal people's profound connection to the land and country - A work of art tells about the artist so creation speaks of God. He told the boys about the connections between Aboriginal Spirituality and Christianity - through land and creation, the spirit speaks. All human life is intended to be a creative journey, a walk with the Spirit.

Father Rod is a member of the Augustinian community at Villanova Priory, Coorparoo (Brisbane).

International Youth Encounter 2006

Youth Encounter's poster

The venue has been chosen for the Eighth Augustinian International Youth Encounter on 1 st - 7 th August 2006. The encounter will take place at the outdoor summer conference facilities in the grounds of the fourteenth-century Visconti Castle at Pavia in northern Italy. The building is now managed by the City of Pavia, which uses it as a museum and as a conference venue.

The castle grounds: Youth Encounter's venue

A group is being organised in Australia to attend this Youth Encounter. It will bring together between 300 and 500 young adults (under 30 years of age) from all continents. To see three hundred photographs of the previous youth encounter in Spain in 2003, go to http://w ww.augnet.org/Guadarrama . For further details, contact Father Tony Banks O.S.A. in Sydney (phone 02 9938.0207). Background information on Pavia's centuries of Augustinian connections can be found by going to the "Order of St Augustine / News" section of the web site www.augnet.org .

Villanova College

Fr John Louis Hanrahan O.S.A

The blessing and official opening of the new Augustine Centre at Villanova College, Coorparoo (Brisbane), will happen next month.

The Augustine Centre is an impressive building. Let excerpts from a letter by Fr Michael Morahan O.S.A., the Rector (Principal) of the College, continue the topic:

"The naming of the building by the College Council as the Augustine Centre was quite deliberate. Firstly it speaks of the contribution of Augustine and his thought has made and continues to make in the life of the College. Secondly, it is intended to celebrate the contribution the Augustinians have made over the last fifty-five years to the College.

The centre itself is quite impressive. The complex includes the Hanrahan Theatre, a new 'chapter room', music and drama classrooms and a small playhouse. The auditorium can function as a theatre seating 500 or as two separate lecture theatres and/or a smaller theatre to seat 170.

The theatre will be matched by few in the state. It has the very latest technology and the decoration is quite stunning. The foyer features four of the frescos of Augustine's life from the Church of Sant'Agostino in San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy. These are being etched in glass and will be illuminated by the sun by day and by electric lights at night.

To the right of the foyer is a space which is called the chapter room. It will be used by the College Council for its meetings and for important meetings of outside groups who come to the College. The room contains an honour board that marks the contribution to the governance of the College by all the Augustinians through the house chapter and the members of the College Council since it took over this role."

Dates in relation to the opening of the Augustine Centre are: 25 th May at 7.30pm a Mass of Dedication by Most Rev John Bathersby, Archbishop of Brisbane. On 12 th May Concert A, and on 13 th May Concert B.

Academic Scholarship to Villanova University

Mathew King and St Augustine's College Principal Mr Tim Cleary

Matthew King, who completed Year 12 HSC last year at St Augustine's College, Sydney, has been awarded a four year Business and Finance Academic Scholarship to Villanova University, Philadelphia, USA. Matthew will be studying a four year undergraduate degree in Business/Finance. Villanova University is regarded as one of the prestigious universities in the United States. Matthew will commence studies in August, 2005.

About Villanova University

Villanova University is in many ways the flagship of the Augustinians in the United States. Itis located in a suburban community 20 kilometres west of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its picturesque 254-acre campus features more than 60 buildings, including a library with more than 800,000 volumes, an 11,800 seat football stadium, state of the art academic facilities, and 26 student residence halls for on-campus living.

It is the largest non-government university in the state of Pennsylvania. It now has an enrolment of 8,500 full-time students, and an annual intake of 1,627 first-year students. They usually come from all fifty U.S. states and from as many as 29 foreign countries. Just over half of the students are female.

Villanova has a full-time faculty of over five hundred members, including about fifty Augustinians. A member of the Order of Saint Augustine has always occupied the position of university president. The present incumbent is Father Ed Dobbin O.S.A., who visited Australia a number of years ago. Ten Australian Augustinians who were sent to the United States for their seminary education are graduates of Villanova University.

The university offers a wide variety of degree programs through four colleges: the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the College of Nursing, and the College of Commerce and Finance.

From among the thousands of graduates of Villanova University's large College of Commerce and Finance, fifteen graduates lost their lives in the Twin Towers terrorist disaster in New York City on 11th September 2001, including one who was a flight attendant on one of the hijacked aircraft involved. The Villanova University web site is http://www.villanova.edu

AUGUSTINIAN CENTRE FOR SPIRITUALITY PROGRAM 2005
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