AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD - May 2005

The eternal alleluia of the blessed

Alleluia is praise of God. So the activity of our rest is being indicated to us by it while we are still toiling hard. When we arrive at that rest after this toil, our only business will be the praise of God, our activity there consists in alleluia. What does alleluia mean? "Praise God." Who can praise God without ceasing or flagging, but the angels? They don't get hungry, they don't get thirsty, they don't get sick, they don't die.

I mean, we too have been saying alleluia. It was sung here early this morning, and when we were already present, a short while ago we said alleluia. A kind of whiff of divine praise and of that rest is reaching us, but for the most part it is mortality that presses on us. After all, even speaking makes us tired, and we want to give our bodies some refreshment; and if alleluia goes on being said a long time, the praise of God becomes a burden to us, because of the very bulk of our bodies.

You see it is after this age and after our toil that we will find fullness without ceasing in alleluia. So what then? Let us say it as much as we can, so that we may deserve to say it always. There, our food will be alleluia, our drink alleluia, the activity of our rest alleluia, our whole joy will be alleluia, that is, the praise of God. Who, after all, will praise anything with flagging, but someone who enjoys it without wearying of it? So what toughness of mind there will be, what immortality and durability of body, to ensure that the mind's attention doesn't flag into contemplating God, and the body's limbs don't collapse with continuously praising God!

The new Pope and Saint Augustine

Papal Coat of Arms	Augustine and Child

The Prior General has written to Pope Benedict XVI to congratulate him on behalf of the Order of Saint Augustine, and to pledge the order's allegiance and support to his pontificate.

There are numerous associations in the life of the new Pope with Saint Augustine. His doctoral thesis at the University of Munich in Germany was centred on a topic from Saint Augustine. There i n 1953 he received a doctorate in theology under Professor Gottlieb Sohngen by completing a dissertation on "The People of God and the House of God in Augustine's Teaching about the Church."

About Augustine, the Pope wrote, " Saint Augustine was in dialogue with Roman ideology, especially after the occupation of Rome by the Goths in 410, and so it was very fascinating for me to see how in these different dialogues and cultures he defines the essence of the Christian religion. He saw Christian faith, not in continuity with earlier religions, but rather in continuity with philosophy as a victory of reason over superstition. So, to understand the original idea of Augustine and many other Fathers about the position of Christianity in this period of the history of the world was very interesting and, if God gives me time, I hope to develop this idea further."

In a letter to all members of the Order on 26 th April 2005, Father Robert Prevost O.S.A., the Augustinian Prior General, referred to the new pope's love of Saint Augustine. When the new Pope was first made a bishop but did not yet have a diocese to administer, he was appointed the titular bishop of the Augustinian Church of Sant' Aurea at Ostia Antica. (This place is just outside of Rome, where Monica, the mother of Augustine died. This church site is possibly where Monica's remains were kept before being transferred to Rome in the year 1430.)

In recent years while a Curial official in Rome, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger visited the Augustinianum - the church's official centre for the study of the early Fathers of the Church, which is conducted by the Augustinians. The Pope has also quoted Saint Augustine in his sermons.

His recognition of Augustine is evident in his new papal coat of arms. A third of its shield is taken up by a shell, with primary significance to a legend about Augustine.

Mass for the late Pope

Fr Patrick Fahey O.S.A., Cardinal Edward Clancy and Fr Peter Jones O.S.A. before the Mass in the Brimson Centre.

On 8 th April a Mass in memory of the late Pope John Paul II was held at Saint Augustine's College, which is the Order's school for upper primary and secondary male day students at Brookvale (Sydney). The principal concelebrant was Cardinal Edward Clancy. At the age of eighty-one years, the Cardinal was unable to travel to Rome for the funeral of Pope John Paul II, and chose to attend this Mass at the College. The preacher at the Mass was Fr Pat Fahey O.S.A., who is the Provincial of the Order of St Augustine in Australasia. The other concelebrant was Fr Peter Jones O.S.A. of the College's chaplaincy team. Over 1,000 students, parents and staff attended the Mass.

Mr Tim Cleary, the Principal of the College, said "We are saddened to hear of the passing of John Paul II. He was a great world leader, he travelled widely and spoke on many issues which changed the face of the Catholic church and Christian thinking. The College was honoured to have Cardinal Clancy celebrate this Mass. His Eminence is a great friend of the Augustinians and we welcome him again to the school."

Understanding Jesus

Prayer Room at the Augustinian Centre

The Augustinian Centre for Spirituality at Greystanes, between Sydney and Parramatta, offers a variety of spiritual topics and types of programs.

Two programs beginning shortly are "Understanding Jesus," a five-week course on Tuesday evenings from 12th May to 9th June, and a Prayer Day on Tuesday, 1 st June entitled, "Thomas Merton: How he leads us to God."

For a description of these events and additional details, as well as to see the complete calendar of spirituality offerings for 2005, click here, or go back to the instructions on the home page of this web site.

Home for a Visit

Fr John Sullivan O.S.A

Father John Sullivan O.S.A. is presently taking a holiday in Australia, the land of his birth. For the past seventeen years he has worked in South Korea, where Augustinians have now been serving for twenty years.

While in Australia, he has stayed in Brisbane, where he was born and raised and where he attended Villanova, the Augustinian secondary day school in the suburb of Coorparoo.

He has also visited the four Augustinian communities in the Sydney metropolitan area. There John attended gatherings of the Augustinian Formation Association and the Augustinian Friends. He spoke of his work in Korea, which includes being the master of the Augustinian professed students. He returns to Korea in mid-May.

Augustinian Formation Association

Brother Tan O.S.A. and the picture.

This association (usually called "AFA") helps to assists the formation house of the Australian Augustinians, and a core band of loyal supporters of many years standing has been joined by more recent members. In the Sydney metropolitan area the activity of the association is centred upon the parishes conducted by the Augustinians at Manly Vale / Balgowlah and at Saint Clair.

An initiative in recent months was a raffle of a picture of Mary and the Infant Jesus, in which the subjects were depicted as Vietnamese. It was the work of Brother Tan Hoang O.S.A., who is a participant of the formation program. The winner of the raffle was a member of the Holy Spirit Parish in Saint Clair, west of Sydney.

Augustinian Friends

Augustinians Friends with Fr Paul Maloney O.S.A

Augustinian Friends is an association for people in Australia who seek participation in Augustinian spirituality and wish to formalise their connection with the Augustinian world family. Members receive a quarterly publication and prayer resource guide and are invited to attend one liturgical celebration and gathering per year, yet are also encouraged to do more than that if they have the time and desire.

Colloquium

Colloquium participants.

The Augustinian Centre for Spirituality at Greystanes, west of Sydney, demonstrated late in May that it is intended not only for the laity, but for Augustinians as well. A Colloquim (a "speaking together") about Augustine, Augustinian spirituality and Augustinian religious life took place on 26 th-27 th April, and will be repeated in a similar fashion on 27 th-28th September 2005.

The program was prepared and presented by the three resident Augustinians members of the spirituality team, who led the liturgies, conducted the sessions and performed the role of group leaders.

Mareeba and Dimbulah Parishes

On the weekend of 14 th-15th May 2005, fifty children will be confirmed at the Vigil and 10.00am Masses at St Thomas's Church in Mareeba, north Queensland. The Most Rev. James Foley, Bishop of Cairns, will concelebrate Mass with Fr Rob Greenup O.S.A. Five of these children are from local State Schools and fifty-two attend St Thomas's Parish School.

On Sunday 15th May, Bishop Foley will then confirm twenty three children at the 8.00am mass at St Anthony's Church in Dimbulah. We wish all these children well at this important stage of their faith life. Please keep them in your prayers.

Welcome to Korea

The two new arrivals from the Philippines are in the centre. Left to right: Br. Barnabas (Korean Delegation Superior), Fr. Jun (Pacifico), Fr. Dennis, and Fr. Michael Sullivan.

Brother Barnabas Kim O.S.A., the Korean Delegation Superior, has given a very hearty welcome to two young Augustinian priests from the Province of Cebu, Philippines.

In speaking about their arrival he said that he and all the members of the Korean Delegation were "very appreciative of the sacrifice that Fr Dennis Cuervo O.S.A., and Fr Pacifico (Jun) Nohara O.S.A., are making in leaving their homeland to come to Korea, and also of the generosity of the Cebu Province in making them available for ministry in Korea, which still had much need of overseas help, especially since the founding of our third community - located in the Uijeongbu diocese."

Fr Dennis is thirty-seven years old and was ordained to the priesthood four years ago. Since his ordination one of his pastoral assignments was to the school of San Jose parish in Iloilo City, Philippines. This parish is a sister parish of Augustinian parish of St Clair, west of Sydney, which Fr Dennis had the opportunity to visit in November 2001. He said he had very fond memories of that short visit to Australia and that in some ways may the trip may have inspired him to volunteer to serve in Korea when the request came over a year ago.

Fr Jun is thirty-one years old and both before and after his ordination to the priesthood in 2003 he served in the Augustinian parish of Mother of Perpetual Help in Socorro, where he was responsible for supervising the completion of the new church building. He hopes that his interest in architecture and drawing might later be put to some practical use also in the Korean Delegation.

Since their arrival in Korea on 16th March 2005, both Augustinians have been staying at St Augustine's Priory, Inchon and becoming acquainted with their new culture and environment. Both say that they have found some very great differences between the culture and lifestyle of the Philippines and Korea. " Korea seems to be a rich first world country, and, at least in outward appearance, is becoming very Westernised. But young people still seem to show great respect for older people", said Fr Dennis.

Also Fr Jun said that he has been "Amazed by Korea!" and that he too found the people very respectful and helpful even though he was unable to communicate with them in Korean. He recalled how one elderly man had gone especially out of his way to help him when he got lost in the maze of the Seoul subway system. "I was overwhelmed by his kindness," Fr Jun said. In talking about his impressions of Korean Catholics he has met so far he said, "People seem very prayerful, respectful and pious in their attitude in church and at Mass."

Both the newly arrived Filipinos of course feel a little home sick from time to time, but have felt very welcomed by all the Augustinians in Korea. During their first month they have visited the student formation community in Kang-hwa and the new community at Do-Shin-Ri.

As well, they have been learning more about Korean culture and history through visits to historic sites and Buddhist temples and have begun some private tuition in Korean language. "I feel so terrible to be mute and not able understand what is being said around me," said Fr Jun.

International Youth Encounter 2006

The 2006 Encounter leader, Fr. Wim Sleddens O.S.A

An international Augustinian Encounter for Youth (aged from 18 to 26 years inclusive) takes place every three years. The next gathering will take place in Pavia, northern Italy fifteen months from now, on 1 st-8 th August 2006. Some details were published here in the Current News section last month; go back to the April edition to read all about it.

Rest in Peace

May Grossman - Augustinian affiliate.

Pope John Paul II.

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