AUGUSTINIAN BULLETIN BOARD – November 2005

Eternal life – the inheritance promised us by Christ

Two parents got us unto death, two parents have gotten us unto life. The parents who got us unto death are Adam and Eve. The parents who have gotten us unto life are Christ and the Church. My own father who begot me was Adam for me, and my own mother was Eve for me. We were born into this successive lineage of the flesh, by God's gift, to be sure – this too is the gift of none else but God – and yet, brothers, in what way were we born? Certainly, to die. Ancestors begot themselves descendants. Did they get themselves descendants with whom they would live forever here below? No, but as bound to pass away they begot children to succeed them. But father God and mother Church do not engender for this end. They engender for eternal life, because they themselves are eternal. And we have eternal life as the inheritance promised us by Christ.

St Augustine , Sermon 22, 10

Saint Augustine and Pope Benedict

In the Current News on this website in May 2005, the links between Saint Augustine and Pope Benedict XVI were indicated. This theme also appeared simultaneously in the influential news magazine, U.S. News and World Report , in its weekly issue of 23 rd May 2005.

In that news magazine, journalist Jay Tolson has a two-page article which draws the analogy that both Saint Augustine and the present Pope allegedly became more conservative in their theology with the passing of the years of their life.

Tolson's journalistic thesis would certainly be challenged by some scholars of both Augustine and the Pope, yet the article highlights the continuing links that are being made between these two church leaders who lived seventeen centuries apart.

The article by Jay Tolson is available on the Internet at

http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/jod/texts/usnewsreview.html

The Pope's “Augustinian connection” would be reinforced in the minds of many observers if, for example, Benedict further demonstrates his regard for Augustine by quoting him in his homilies and speeches, or by visiting places of Augustinian interest.

This matter is certainly not yet ended!

AFAS

AFAS and visitors at Villanova

During the September school vacation, seven Villanova students and two teachers went to the Philippines as part of AFAS (Australian Filipino Augustinian Solidarity), and organisation that was founded at Villanova College , Coorparoo (Brisbane), Australia a number of years ago.

In September each year the AFAS scholarship accounts fall due. Presently fifteen part scholarships are given throughout the primary and high school levels. Thanks to the generosity of the Villanova College community cheques have been given to the Augustinian Sisters at Divine Love High School to fund five education scholarships, and a student at San Agustin College in Bacolod also received her scholarship to continue her studies to become a secondary teacher. In Murcia and at the Sto Nino Orphanage in Sibonga, the Augustinian Sisters expressed thanks for the continued support of AFAS.

Other projects which also received further assistance from AFAS are the pre-schools attached to Augustinian outreach centres in Iloilo and Bacolod for the purchase of further resources. Co-operative ventures such as baking bread, sewing, market gardening and the marketing of fish, which assist poor people to improve their lives, also received funding from AFAS. These ventures are co-ordinated by the respective Augustinian communities in Bacolod and Davao .

Youth Festival 2006

Fr Tony.

An Augustinian Youth Festival is a gathering where young Catholics (18-30 years) from around Australia with connections to the Augustinians join to celebrate their faith, their God, their communities and themselves. These festivals have been conducted variously in New South Wales , Victoria and Queensland every few years since 1988.

The program for the 2006 Youth Festival has been planned by a core group of young adults who first met in January 2005 to begin the preparations. This program will be run by groups from each of the Augustinian ministries, who will prepare the major events and engage their peers in discussions, dreams, activities and feasts. The key concept is one of young people ministering to each other and having them both receive from others and giving to others.

The theme chosen is “ We are the Body of Christ .” It incorporates the ideas that each of us is called and gifted yet each of us knows the bitter and the sweet aspects of life. Out of our mutual care and concern and our common experiences we come to know the Lord and the love of the Lord. As we share with one another our lives and our faith we build up the Body of Christ.

The Augustinian Youth Festival will run from the evening of Sunday, 15th January 2006 to lunchtime on Friday, 20th January 2006 at Camp Koonjewarre on the Gold Coast hinterland, Queensland . Accommodation is cabin style and shared. Participants are to bring a sleeping bag, pillow and warmer clothing for the evenings. Because accommodation and meals alone will cost over $170, the likely attendance fee will be about $200-$225 in total.

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

Aboriginal Ministry

Father Rod

Father Rod Cameron O.S.A. of Villanova Priory, Coorparoo (Brisbane) continued his role of active retirement in recent times by accepting an invitation from Bishop Michael Putney to conduct the parish of Palm Island , which is in the Diocese of Townsville in northern Queensland , Australia .

The parish has predominantly an Aboriginal population, and Father Rod has both ministered there previously and has lifelong friends there among the Aboriginal community. During Rod's six weeks in charge at Palm Island , Bishop Michael Putney came to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Rod also travelled to Paluma, which is in rainforest on the mainland near Ingham, to deliver a talk on Aboriginal spirituality to members of the Aboriginal and Islanders Catholic Commission. For many years through his guest lectures and his published poetry Rod has been a communicator of Aboriginal spirituality not only to the Australian community generally but to the Aboriginal people as well.

Aboriginal Culture Mass

On Sunday 30 October the eleventh Aboriginal Culture Mass was held at St Thomas 's Church, Mareeba. This annual Mass, with Augustinian parish priest Fr Rob Greenup presiding, has been held it St Thomas 's Church since 1995 and a large assembly of many nationalities from Mareeba and throughout the diocese gathered together for this special celebration.

Mass began with the smoking ceremony on the steps of the Church. This traditional performing of the penitential rite is always well received by the congregation, who entered the church through the cleansing smoke. The procession of servers, ministers and priest was led by Marty Bong playing the haunting sound of the didgeridoo.

The beautiful music and singing really did raise the church roof and was led by the AICC singers and musicians from Cairns , playing guitars, drums, clap sticks with our own Lyn Harris on the organ. Students from Mount Saint Bernard College dressed the altar and brought forward the gifts with great dignity.

This year's guest speaker was Coral Way who is the Diocesan Indigenous Education Coordinator for the Rockhampton Diocese. Coral addressed the congregation regarding the importance of reconciliation between Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australians and the necessity for us as a community to create more just futures for Indigenous people. Coral shared stories of her experiences as an Indigenous person growing up in rural communities.

Following Mass morning tea was enjoyed by many on the Reconciliation Lawn adjacent to the church. The choir continued singing and playing sitting on the lawn under the shade of the beautiful, flowering jacaranda tree.

St Augustine 's College

College Principal

Saint Augustine 's College is located at Brookvale (Sydney), Australia . It has recently released a new edition of its staff handbook. This is a comprehensive document that compiles in updated form a number of previous sources of necessary information, guidelines and requirements with which staff need to be familiar.

The new handbook is in a ring binder format, with over 200 printed A4 pages. It contains eleven section tabs. It was compiled at the direction of the College Principal, Mr Tim Cleary.

Manly Vale Parish

Parish Priest after Mass

Last month a combined mission statement was published by the Parish of St Kieran (Manly Vale) and the Parish of St Cecilia (Balgowlah). It was the fruit of a thorough process undertaken in previous weeks by these two adjacent parishes in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney , Australia 's largest city. These two neighbouring parishes that share priestly ministry of the Augustinians at St Kieran's Priory, Manly Vale (Sydney).

A process involving a series of steps was undertaken over a four-week period to produce the mission statement. Firstly, a hundred and thirty people gathered for a Parish Assembly, which was addressed by one of Australia 's most acclaimed contemporary theologians.

At a second gathering participants sought to identify those shared aspirations which they held for the parish. The question was asked, “ What do we want to be able to say of ourselves as church? ” Then all present contributed to answering the question, “ What pursuits must we follow, in order to be the kind of church we aspire to be? ” The final question answered was, “ What specific needs do we have which, if provided, might equip us to follow our pursuits and be the kind of church we aspire to be? ”

The third gathering agreed on the priorities among the answers to those questions. In the fourth and final gathering, thirty-three parishioners rephrased the distilled material into language which truly reflected the consensus of those present. The process took seriously the words of the Second Vatican Council: “A ll lay people, through the gifts which they have received, are at once the witnesses and the living instruments of the mission of the Church itself…. ”

In a final gathering held in September, thirty-three people from these two Faith communities gathered for the final two and a half hours work needed to finalise their shared mission statement.

Those who have taken part in the process of developing the mission statement were vocal in affirming that it spells out the kind of parish they want to be part of.

The final version of the Mission Statement was formally released by the parish priest, Fr Peter Wieneke O.S.A..

Augustinian Friends

Friends' Chaplain.

Augustinian Friends is a group of laity who have come into contact with the Order of Saint Augustine usually through parish life or because their sons have been pupils at an Augustinian college in Sydney or Brisbane.

This lay movement provides its members with an understanding of what it means to live out Augustinian spirituality in their every-day lives. In a very real way the Augustinian charism puts a human face on the sometimes abstract definition of what it means to be a member of the laity in the Church of today.

The desire of people who become Augustinian Friends is:

• to explore the spirituality of Augustine
• to find ways of allowing that spirituality to be at work in their daily lives
• to enjoy the company of fellow searchers, usually at monthly or bimonthly meetings
• to receive a newsletter and prayer resource four times a year.

You can formalise your connection with the Augustinian family and participate in exercises of spirituality in the tradition of St Augustine as a member of Augustinian Friends. The association functions from a number of Augustinian venues in Sydney, Melbourne , Kyabram (northern Victoria), Brisbane and Mareeba ( North Queensland ).

The group publishes a quarterly newsletter as well as a prayer resource guide. Members are invited to at least one liturgical celebration and gathering per year. The chaplain of Augustinian Friends is Fr Paul Maloney O.S.A. of Greystanes, near Sydney (pictured). Contact Augustinian Friends by writing to the Secretary at P.O. Box 679 Brookvale NSW 2100 or by phoning (02) 9905 3049.

The Augustinian Friends section of this web site is available at:

Delegation of Korea

Augustinian Priory, Kang-Hwa.

One requirement in the life of almost every young male in the Republic of South Korea is two years of compulsory military service. For those joining the Order of Saint Augustine, this is a reality that has to be incorporated in their years of Augustinian formation and studies.

One postulant, Augustine Kim, has now completed his first two years in the Korean Delegation's formation programme. For the last twelve months he lived at the St Nicholas of Tolentine House of Studies at Kang-Hwa while attending philosophy and theology classes at the nearby Inchon Catholic Seminary.

In the first half of next year Augustine will begin his military service, which is even tougher that a postulant's life! During that time, he will keep in touch by letter with the Augustinian community at Kang-Hwa and return for a few days each year during periods of military leave.

Another of the Augustinian students, Paolo Choi, is presently a sergeant in the Korean marines and will finish his military service about the middle of next year. So I guess there will be an Augustinian changing of the guards of sorts.

Thailand Calling

Fr John in Thailand

Father John Murray O.S.A. of the Augustinian community at Brookvale (Sydney) has recently begun work with the Maryknoll Mission Team in Bangkok , Thailand . Although a small group, they are involved in a wide range of activities: prison visiting; teaching English to refugee monks and others at the temples; as well as teaching English to children in a rural village; working with Muslims in Bangkok; HIV/AIDS ministry in Lopburi; reaching out to poor people from a slum area in Bangkok.

Within the team, John has been made the Coordinator of the Maryknoll Volunteer Programme in Bangkok . He has commenced taking instruction in the Thai language, and is teaching English to some monks and to other people. Maryknoll Missionaries were founded in the United States in 1911, and have operated in Thailand , especially with refugees from Myanmar (formerly called Burma ) for a long period of time.

Visitor to Australia

Visiting from England

Fr Bernard O'Connor O.S.A. from England visited Sydney last month. For over thirty years he has occupied key roles in the Augustinian Province of England and Scotland , including that of being in 1974 its first Provincial since the time of King Henry VIII. Currently he is editor of Newsangle, the Province newsletter, and chair of the committee responsible for young adult ministry in the Province. In Sydney to visit relatives, Father O'Connor also visited the Augustinian communities of Manly Vale and Brookvale.

Augustinian ordinations nearby

Indonesian Augustinians

Ordination to the priesthood will happen for two Indonesian Augustinians next month. On Sunday, 18 th December 2005, John Jehuru O.S.A.and Floridus Naja O.S.A. will both be ordained at Prafi, near Manokwari, Papua, to which village John moved with his family twenty years ago. He was born at Maumere (Flores), NTT Province , Indonesia , and Floridus nearby at Manggarai (Flores).

The ordaining prelate will be Most Rev. Hilarion Datus Lega, Bishop of Manokwari-Sorong, of which diocese the first bishop was Peter van Diepen O.S.A., who died in retirement in Holland not long ago. Fr Eusebio Berdon O.S.A. (Assistant General) will travel from Rome to attend the ordination ceremony.

The church in Prafi, Papua is a simple wooden building that can hold 150. It is located in what is described as a transmigration area, a region in which a number of years ago the Government of Indonesia cleared the virgin jungle for settlement by people from other parts of Indonesia - the most populous Moslem nation in the world.

The Augustinians in Indonesia are our near neighbours, especially when it is known that Manokwari is slightly nearer to the Augustinian Parish of Mareeba in North Queensland than Mareeba is to Sydney .

A recent photogallery of the Augustinians of Papua ( Indonesia ) can be seen on the Internet at http://www.augnet.org/Papua/Page1/index.html

For news on this website about the Order of Saint Augustine specifically in the Asia-Pacific region go to http://www.augustinians.org.au/apac.html

Current news about the Augustinian Order internationally can be seen at http://www.osanet.org

FOR SOME CURRENT NEWS ABOUT THE ORDER OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA Click here

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