AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD - August 2005

To love peace is to have it 

What a good thing it is to love peace! This, you see, is the same as having it. Is there anyone who doesn't wish what they love to increase? If it's only a few people that you want to be at peace with you, then your peace will be small. If you want this possession to increase, add another possessor. Because this thing I've just said, brothers and sisters, "It's a good thing to love peace, and loving it is having it," just think how much it's worth! What voice would suffice to praise this saying, what heart to reflect on it: "To love it is to have it"? Consider all the other things which set people on fire with greed. Observe someone else loving farms, silver, gold, a large family, stately well-furnished houses, pleasant and valuable estates. Does he love this? He does. The one who loves it doesn't straightaway have it, does he? It can happen, after all, that the lover of all these things remains empty-handed. When he doesn't have them he loves them, he's on fire with greed to get them; when he starts getting them, though, he's tormented with the fear of losing them. He loves honours, perhaps, loves authority. How many people yearn for the positions of authority they have been denied the chance of occupying! And it usually happens that their last day overtakes them before they attain to what they love. 

YEAR OF THE EUCHARIST - Augustine on the Eucharist

Augustinians of the Asia-Pacific meet in Korea

An Australian delegate, Fr Tony Banks O.S.A., at Incheon for the APAC meeting

Last week (24th-30th July 2005) Incheon in South Korea was the venue of the ninth triennial convention of the Asia and Pacific Augustinian Conference (APAC).

The Order of Saint Augustine ministers in six nations in the Asia-Pacific region, and all six were represented at the meeting: Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and the Philippines. Two Augustinians from Sydney represented the Australian Province of the Order.

Another delegate among the twenty-three persons at the conference was a priest of the Augustinian Recollects, a group that became independent of the Order of Saint Augustine over a century ago. Also attending the convention were delegates from a number of orders of religious women in Indonesia and the Philippines that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine of Hippo.

This is the first time that an APAC convention has had Korea as its venue. Of the six nations in the vast Asia-Pacific region where the Order presently ministers, Korea is the one newest to the Order. The first Augustinians moved to Korea from Australia and the United Kingdom in 1985.

The APAC organisation and its triennial convention are a clearing house for the exchange of information and ideas between the member congregations, and a vehicle for planning combined initiatives by these various religious congregations in the Asia-Pacific that have in common the Rule of Life of Saint Augustine of Hippo. (For example, in recent byuears there has been held in Manila combined courses on Augustine for novices and candidates in temporary vows, and a combined APAC course in social justice and Augustinian spirituality.)

Similar to the Olympic Games, and with the same intensity and enthusiasm if not with the same scale, the twenty-three APAC delegates were welcomed to Korea by a presentation of cultural dress, music and song by Korean people who have come to know and appreciate the Augustinians in Korea during the past twenty years.

The Prior General of the Augustinians, Very Rev Fr Robert Prevost O.S.A., gave a major address at the convention on the theme of leadership as servanthood in the spirituality of Saint Augustine.

The APAC convention in Incheon achieved its aims. Its delegates left with the expectation that Augustinian cooperation in the Asia-Pacific will not only continue, but will flourish.

Seminar for Augustinians in Australia.

(L - R) Fr Paul Maloney O.S.A. and Fr Allan Fitzgerald O.S.A.

The Australian Province continued its practice of offering seminars on Saint Augustine to its members when on 27 th June - 1 st July 2005 Father Allan Fitzgerald O.S.A. from the Augustinianum (Augustinian Patristic Institute) in Rome addressed the members of the Province.

He led the members of the Province in reflections on the idea of spiritual growth in the thought and practice of Augustine. The seminar was held in Sydney, Australia, after which Fr Fitzgerald travelled south to Melbourne to be a key speaker at a Patristics Conference conducted by Australian Catholic University.

This was the third speaking engagement on the topic of Saint Augustine by Fr Fitzgerald to members of the Order outside of Europe in the past ten months. In September 2004 he teamed with Fr Bernard Brunning O.S.A. ( Belgium) to speak in French and English to the Augustinian students at the Order's house of philosophy at Kinshasha, Congo, and in January 2005 he conducted a three-day seminar in Jos, Nigeria for the male and female religious who attended the conference of the Augustinian Federation of Africa.

Australian educators go to Rome

Congress for Augustinian Educators, Rome

An international Congress of Augustinian Educators took place in Rome on 11 th-14 th June 2005, with representation from both of Australia's Augustinian colleges (boys' schools with the upper primary and all of the secondary years of education).

Villanova College in Coorparoo (Brisbane) was represented by Peter Meecham and Rob Korst, and St Augustine's College in Brookvale (Sydney) by Tim Cleary and Bill Yates.

The congress was organised by the Order's Commission on Augustinian Educational Centrees, of which Fr Michael Morahan O.S.A. (Rector/Principal of Villanova) is a member. It was attended by 136 lay educators and 50 Augustinians from Augustinian schools in sixteen nations.

The Prior General, Fr Robert Prevost O.S.A. opened the conference at the Augustinian (Augustinian Patristics Institute) adjacent to St Peter's Square in the Vatican. He encouraged the participants to base their commitment to educational work on Augustinian values.

During the conference, this theme was continued by Fr Gary McCloskey O.S.A. of the United States, who spoke on the characteristics of an Augustinian education.

Mr Tim Cleary (Principal of St Augustine's, Brookvale) commented, "This talk alone was worth making the journey for. Based on his years of research, Father McCloskey helped us see how we could bring the philosophy and theology of Augustine into our teaching practice. The entire congress was a fantastic experience."

"The congress powerfully demonstrated the common links between Augustinian schools, and made a good case for developing even greater connectedness, "Tim Cleary added.

Later in the conference, participants attended a special Mass celebrated on the main altar of St Peter's Basilica. At another time, Cardinal Paul Poupard, the president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, addressed the congress.

The representatives from both Australian Augustinian colleges delivered papers to the English-language section of the congress. For plenary sessions, a system of simultaneous translation was used.

Korea's Fourth Augustinian House

Mass of blessing in the new chapel

According to traditional Korean customs, the first important event in the life of a new born child is the "Paek-il" celebration. This literally means the hundredth day celebration and takes place on the one-hundredth day after the birth of a child. The child's family and friends gather at the home of the parents to fete the child and celebrate with the parents.

When the date for the blessing of our newly renovated chapel and priory at Do-Shin-Ri was chosen, the members of the new community were not aware that the happy event would coincide with the one-hundredth day of their presence in Uijeongbu diocese. They also did not know that the blessing would coincide with the beginning of the annual monsoon season in Korea!

On the eve of the blessing Mass the heavens opened, bringing welcome relief from the summer heat and washing away the sweat and dust of the previous six weeks of reconstruction work. There was no damage to any of the building work but the storms well and truly wet the baby's head!

Fortunately the rains eased for a few hours upon the arrival of Bishop Joseph Han Taek Lee S.J., D.D. who came to bless the Mother of Good Counsel Chapel and Priory on the afternoon of Monday 27 th June. All the Augustinians of the Korean Delegation and over seventy visitors from Inchon, Seoul, and Uijeongbu came for the Mass and celebration.

In his homily the bishop spoke of how pleased he was that the brothers of Saint Augustine had come to establish a community and ministry in Uijeongbu diocese and of the importance of the witness of religious communities in the life of the Church. He especially noted the great influence that the short monastic rule Saint Augustine had had on the development of religious life in the western Church and reminded the Augustinians in Korea to be faithful to the spirit and traditions handed down to them.

Br. Barnabas Jeong Dok Kim O.S.A., the Korean Delegation Superior, spoke at the close of the Mass and greeted the bishop and visitors in the name of the Australian Provincial, Fr. Patrick Fahey O.S.A. who was unable to attend the celebrations in person.

Br. Barnabas also spoke of how the Augustinians had come to Do-Shin-Ri and how the existing ten year old house and storage room had been transformed into the present beautiful chapel, retreat house and community facilities through the generosity and support of many people both overseas and in Korea.

"Small is beautiful!" he said as he explained his hopes that the facilities and surrounding woodlands would become a place of prayer and refreshment for small groups and families from Uijeongbu diocese.

The new Priory at Do-Shin-Ri is close to the DMZ (Demilitarised Zone), which separates South Korea and North Korea. It becomes the fourth Augustinian community now functioning in Korea. The first Augustinians (two Australians and two Englishmen) went to Korea twenty years ago, and already the Order there has established four communities and ordained two of its Korean present members to the priesthood.

A Catholic Secondary School for Mareeba

On Sunday 26th May about 120 people gathered on the site of the forthcoming St Stephens's Catholic School in Mareeba. The ceremony was opened by David Anthony, Chair of the Interim School Board. Mrs Christina Chong welcomed everyone on behalf of the Muluridji People - the traditional owners of the land. The National Anthem was sung by all, with the singing led by Lyn Harris, Chris McKenna (both on guitar) Kylie Lacey and Jacinta Ceola.

The Most Rev James Foley, Bishop of Cairns, led the ceremony and spoke on the overwhelming amount of community support received for the project.

Bishop James blessed the building project and turned the first sod for St Stephen's Catholic College. This diocesan secondary school will open in 2006 with Year Eight students. By 2010 it is envisaged the school will be complete through to Year Twelve.

The photo (above) shows (l to r) Parliamentary Member for the Tablelands Rosa Lee Long, Mareeba Shire Mayor Mick Borzi, Bishop James Foley, and Parish Priest Father Robert Greenup, O.S.A.

Australian Augustinian National Youth Festival

At regular intervals since 1988, the Augustinians in Australia have offered to young adults in their ministries a youth festival extending over a few days. These gatherings have taken place in the three eastern mainland states. The eighth festival will take place from Sunday 15th January to Friday 20th January 2006. The venue will be Koonjewarre Retreat Centre, at Springbrook in the Gold Coast hinterland of Queensland (see photos). A young adult planning group, with representatives for three states, has already begun preparations.

For enquiries, booking details and for further information as it becomes available, please contact Father Tony Banks O.S.A. at P.O. Box 679, Brookvale NSW 2100, Australia, or phone (02) 9905 3049, or email tonybanks@augustinians.org.au

The Villanova Players and Villanova's Hanrahan Theatre

(L -R) Villanova Players dressed in character, Pat Mullins and Watson.

At the Order's Villanova College in Coorparoo (Brisbane), Australia, the Villanova Players accepted an invitation to use the Hanrahan Theatre of the new Augustine Centre for eleven performances of their stage adaptation of Harper Lee's famous play, "To Kill a Mockingbird," in late June and early July 2005.

The Hanrahan Theatre with its high-tech integrated sound and visual capacity is regarded as one of the finest buildings of its type in Brisbane. It has a 500 seat capacity, and excellent acoustics. The stage area is large enough to accommodate a 75 piece orchestra and a concert grand piano. This it did on the night of the opening concerts in May.

Part of the reason for the use of the Hanrahan Theatre by the Villanova Players was to honour the memory of the Augustinian after whom the theatre has been named. Father John Louis Hanrahan O.S.A was one of the co-founders of the Villanova Players in 1948 while he was a staff member of Villanova College at its original location in Whinstanes on the northern side of the Brisbane River. Villanova College began in January 1948, and the Villanova Players opened their first season in October of the same year.

In the years that followed both Fr Hanrahan (Villanova's second Rector) and Fr Donal Paul Dempsey O.S.A. (who later became Villanova's fourth Rector) were directors of some of the stage productions by the Villanova Players, in the programme being listed under the names of John George and Donal Paul respectively.

Over the past fifty-seven years there has generally been a connection between the Players and the College, particularly in that some past pupils, staff members and past parents of the College have been active in the Villanova Players, either on stage or backstage.

This is the case with the present production, "To Kill a Mockingbird". One of the leading characters, Pat Mullins (who plays the defence lawyer, Atticus Finch), is both a past pupil and the parent of past pupils.

Because prior to the opening of the Augustine Centre in May the College has never had a facility that could with mutual convenience be used by the Players and the College, the recent stage presentation is the first regular production to take place in the College premises at Coorparoo. This possibly would have been a hope in the heart of Father Hanrahan fifty-seven years ago.

Information about forthcoming productions by the Villanova Players at various venues can be seen on the Players' website: http://www.villanovaplayers.com/

Since its opening in May, the Hanrahan Theatre has proved its worth by being the venue for a variety of large-scale activities:

• A season of the cinematic play "Blowout" (Villanova senior Drama students),
• Two opening concerts (Villanova senior Music & Drama students),
• The Dedication Mass by Archbishop Bathersby,
• A party for past and present staff to celebrate completion the Project,
• James Morrison Concert (with the Villanova Big Band backing James Morrison for the first half of the concert),
• Two music concerts by Villanova's primary & lower secondary music ensembles,
• A pre-music-tour concert by Villanova's leading ensembles before their departure for their Melbourne Tour,
• Numerous student House meetings Year 5 through to Year 12
• A June-July season of the play " To Kill a Mockingbird" by The Villanova Players,

During this present month, the Hanrahan Theatre the Theatre will be the prime venue for the Queensland Catholic Schools' & Colleges' Music Festival which Villanova will host for the fifteenth consecutive year on 19 th-21 st August, and the Brisbane River City Clippers (a 55 voice men's a-capella chorus) will perform with the Villanova Secondary Vocal ensemble and choirs from other invited schools on 26 th August.

Sister Gavina

Sister Gavina Barrera O.S.A., who for the past two and a half years has been a member of the chaplaincy team of St Augustine's College in Brookvale (Sydney) will in coming months return to the Philippines. She is a member of the Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation, and another sister of the same religious congregation will come to Australia in Sister Gavina's place.

In the parents' newsletter of St Augustine's College, Mr Tim Cleary (Principal) wrote, "Sister has given us much to be appreciative of, not only through her happy demeanour and work ethic but through her gentle and loving presence amongst us. We wish Sister the best and assure her of our prayers."

Sister Josie Mabini O.S.A., another of the Augustinian Consolation Sisters, works in ministry in St Kieran's Parish, Manly Vale, and in the adjacent St Cecilia's Parish, Balgowlah.

Social Justice Delegates

At the conference in Rome.

Two members of the Australian Augustinian Province were among seventy Augustinian religious and lay promoters of Justice and Peace from many countries who met in Rome on 20 th-24th June 2005. Their conference, which bore the title of "Changing the Times: an Augustinian Challenge," was held at the Augustinianum, which is located beside St Peter's Square in Rome.

The speakers were: John Lydon  O.S.A., Jesus Guzman O.S.A, John Szura O.S.A, Miguel angel Keller O.S.A and Arturo Purcaro O.S.A, chairman of the Order's International Commission on Justice and Peace. Conferences were given on: Critical Analysis of the social, economic and political situation, the Millennium Development Goals and their achievement to date, Social doctrine and Augustinian input, the Six Principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church, the Sacredness of Life and the Dignity of Every Human Person, Community and the Common Good, Rights and Responsibilities, Preferential Option for the Poor, the Dignity of Work, Solidarity and Contemporary means for applying Augustinian input and social doctrine to the current economic, social and political situation.

On Wednesday, 22nd June, the Prior General, Fr. Robert F. Prevost O.S.A., was principal celebrant of a Mass for all the delegates. Later the Augustinians made a visit to the General Headquarters of the F.A.O. (Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations) in Rome, where they were given a detailed update on the problem of hunger in the world. 

There are groups related to social justice in almost all Augustinian ministries in Australia. The Social Justice Co-ordinator of the Province is Fr Brian Fitzpatrick O.S.A. of the Augustinian community of St. Clair, west of Sydney.

Australians make use of ancient monastery

An earlier group from St Augustine’s College at Lecceto, near San Gimignano.

Staff members and families of Augustinian schools and parishes in Australia have in recent years taken advantage of the prayerful atmosphere and availability of instruction in Augustinian spirituality at the Augustinian monastery ("convento" in Italian) at San Gimignano in Italy.

The year 2005 marks the 725th anniversary of the Convento Sant'Agostino in San Gimignano, Italy. The convento, which dates back to 1280, is truly one of the great historic landmarks of the Augustinian Order — and American-born Father Brian Lowery O.S.A. has led the ministry there for the past ten years.

Together with three other priests, Fr. Ian Wilson O.S.A. from the English-Scottish Province and Fr. Girolamo Trape O.S.A. from the Italian Province, plus Benedictine Fr. Nicola Vasaturo O.S.B., Father Lowery and the community at San Gimignano help to ensure that the Convento Sant'Agostino is a welcoming refuge for recollection, fraternity and prayer.

The community plays host to countless friars, students, lay Augustinians, pilgrims, and other groups throughout the year, giving their guests the opportunity to reflect and pray in an atmosphere of silence. The attraction of San Gimignano, besides its beauty, is its closeness to the Order's oldest roots.

Because of this deep history, Father Lowery and the community at San Gimignano not only play an integral role in preserving Augustinian history, but they also find themselves an essential part of the medieval town's — and the Order's — spiritual life.

Both Villanova College in Coorparoo (Brisbane) and Saint Augustine's College in Brookvale (Sydney) have availed of the wonderful spiritual nourishment of San Gimignano. As well as a number of their staff members, pilgrimage groups of parents and/or students from these two Australian Augustinian colleges have visited San Gimignano for reflection and instruction in recent years.

Spectacular photographs of the town and monastery appear on the Internet at http://www.augnet.org/SanGimignano/Page1/ and images of the Augustinian hermitage at nearby Lecceto at http://www.augnet.org/Lecceto/Page1/index.html

Seven Friends of the Augustinians

The priests and sisters plot in Cooktown cemetery. The four volunteers pictured are (l to r) Imelda Wagner, Jeanette Hartley, Kay Morrow and Vera Clair.

The following report was received of a visit to Cooktown in far north Queensland to care for the gravesites of Augustinians and Sisters of Mercy buried in the town cemetery. It is a first-hand report from one of the lady participants.

Blistered hands, sore bones, aching muscles, sunburn, sandfly bites, lacerated leg - does this sound like a fun way to spend a day? Well it truly was!!

Seven male and female Augustinian Friends and Father Robert Greenup O.S.A. travelled from Mareeba to Cooktown along the somewhat dusty track on Monday 20th June. We set out from Mareeba with two "utes" (utility trucks) filled with spades, rakes, mattocks, a welder, wheelbarrows and of course bedding and food. (The ladies went by car!!) After an uneventful drive of half a day, we arrived at the Cooktown presbytery where we spent two nights.

The focus of our trip was to clean the graves of the Augustinian Bishops and Sisters of Mercy buried at Cooktown cemetery. Before our first visit in 2004 the graves had been in quite a rundown condition.

It was certainly hard work but very rewarding and the finished result is really tremendous. Unfortunately the welding of the decorative cast iron fence round the plot (6m x 5.3m) came to a sudden halt when the generator failed.

The next morning all eight of us were toiling with great determination by 8.00am. The digging out of dead weeds and soil and disposal of same (by wheelbarrow) was back breaking work - and not one of us under the age of fifty-five!! But we persevered and dug out to a depth of four or five inches. The headstones and memorial were scrubbed and mould removed.

After a ten minute break for lunch sitting under the shady trees in the cemetery, weed matting was laid followed by the spreading of coloured gravels - a full day's work and unfortunately the usual Cooktown breeze deserted us, so it was rather hot.

We went back to the presbytery as the sun was setting over the Endeavour River. The day ended with a meal at a local restaurant together with Fr Miah McSweeney and Monsignor Maurice Walsh, both from Cairns.

On Wednesday we all had a few aches and pains but felt good after our herculean but wonderfully satisfying efforts. We had achieved most of what we had set out to do. We spent the morning sight seeing before heading back to Mareeba. Next year we will finish welding the railing, paint it and generally tidy up.

Augustinian Formation Association (AFA)

An AFA function at the Augustinian parish at St Clair (west of Sydney), involving Fr Jun Belocura O.S.A.

The AFA raises funds to support the training of Augustinian brothers and priests in the Australian Province. Other purposes of the group are to support the Augustinians in prayer, and to strengthen the bonds of friendship among supporters of the Order.

It was originally called the Augustinian Student Guild, and was established by a parent group at St Augustine's College, Brookvale, Sydney, Australia around 1970. The association now has members throughout the Province. Its executive is currently based in Sydney, with Trudi McFadden as president and Fr Peter Jones O.S.A. as its chaplain.

AFA events planned for Sydney include the annual AFA Mass and BBQ on Sunday, 21 st August, a bus trip to the Benedictine Sisters' Monastery at Jamberoo, south of Sydney, on Sunday, 2nd September, and the annual AFA Christmas Dinner on Friday, 25 th November. For more details, contact Fr Peter Jones at the Provincial office, ph. (02) 9905.3049.

As well as supporting the formation programmes of the Augustinians in Australia, the AFA has also donated to the formation programme of the Order in Korea.

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