"THE AUGUSTINIAN" April 2005

AUGUSTINIANS FAREWELL ST MARY'S PARISH, ECHUCA

The parish community of St Mary's Echuca farewelled the Augustinian Order with celebrations commencing on Friday 28 th January 2005 and ending on Sunday 30 th January. Augustinians from within Australia attended the wonderful celebrations.

On Friday, 28 th January there was a social gathering in the parish hall, which contained display of parish memorabilia. The president of the parish council, Mrs Ann Kotsiakos, made a parish presentation of a redwood table to the Augustinians, and Fr Patrick Fahey O.S.A. (Provincial) addressed the gathering in reply. A formal dinner followed, at which the Most Rev Joseph Grech (Bishop of Sandhurst) and sixteen Augustinians from as far away as Brisbane were the guests of the parish.

On Saturday morning the Augustinians gathered for prayer at the graves of three Augustinians interred at the Echuca Cemetery. At a concelebrated Mass on the Sunday morning, 30 th January words of welcome to the Augustinians were spoken by Fr Matthew O'Hagan, the incoming parish priest. Bishop Grech was the principal concelebrant, and delivered the homily.

Ann Kotsiakos again spoke, and this time as her theme reminded the Augustinians of Augustine's encouraging words, "Go where He leads, you the faithful messengers. Let your light shine out….…" Father Pat Fahey then replied on behalf of the Order, and especially thanked the three Augustinians who have most recently served in Echuca: Frs David Austin, Joseph Walsh and Patrick Bourke. The Mass concluded with the entire congregation blessing the Augustinians in a prayerful farewell.

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 was presented to Archbishop John at Villanova Priory, Coorparoo (Brisbane) on 4 th March 2005.

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.

Planning has begun for the next Australian Augustinian Youth Festival in 2006 (see photo above). More details on this event will be available on the Australian Augustinian website www.augustinians.org.au/news.html in early April.

ANNIVERSARIES 2005

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.

AUGUSTINIAN FRIENDS

Augustinian Friends is a lay group conducted in Australia for those wishing to learn more about the Spirituality of Saint Augustine, and to have contact with others who share this goal. Branches of the Friends operate at a number of Augustinian venues in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Recently there has been a change in office bearers. Following the Sydney Congress, Mary McCormick and Monica Meagher from Melbourne friends have taken up the role of leadership and formation of National Augustinian Friends.

The core experiences of being a member include:

• Closer association with the Augustinian family as a whole;
• Nurturing our prayer life;
• Receiving quarterly publications and prayer resource guide;
• Social gatherings;
• Eucharistic celebrations.

For more information please contact the Provincial Office 02 9905 3049.

ST AUGUSTINE'S COLLEGE BROOKVALE

The Passing of Al Fabri

It was with great sadness that the staff and students of St Augustine's College, Sydney saw the passing of their friend, colleague and loved maintenance man Al Fabri recently.

Al was the maintenance man at the College for the past 23 years. He was loved and respected by all the students of the College as well as his co- workers. Born in Rome, Al moved to Australia with his family in his 20's and came to work for the College in 1982.

Al was recently affiliated to the Order of St Augustine by the Prior General Very Rev Robert Prevost OSA.

SPIRITUALITY PROGRAMS

The Centre for Augustinian Spirituality is at St John Stone House, Greystanes (in western Sydney). It serves as a resource of Augustinian spirituality for members of the Order in Australia as well as for people in Augustinian parishes and schools. The Centre is also a spirituality resource in the Parramatta diocese where it is located.

The Centre is conducted by Laurence Mooney OSA (Director), Paul Maloney OSA and John McCall OSA. If you would like to contact or visit this oasis of quiet and hospitality in suburban Sydney the community would be happy to hear from you.

"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 more information, please go to our website: http://www.augustinians.org.au/ Augustinian Spirituality Programmes or telephone (02) 9896 6794 or Fax (02) 9896 6793 for details.

"You have created us and directed us towards Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You."

St Augustine

CELEBRATION OF THE FEAST OF SANTO NINO

On Sunday 16 January worshippers from near and far converged on St Thomas's Church in Mareeba. The annual celebration had started with a novena held daily in the week leading up to the feast day.

The focus of the feast was on the image of the Child Jesus (Santo Nino) which, along with Magellan's Cross, is the oldest and most precious Christian relic in the Philippines and has particular sentimental value to Cebu.

Hymns were sung in both Filipino and English and after the 10.00am Mass, with Fr Rob Greenup OSA as presider, the statue of Santo Nino was carried in procession around the church and school grounds. Many people then stayed to share in a beautiful lunch prepared by the Filipino community.