Augustinian Volunteers Australia
“For an Augustinian, no one is a stranger.”
Motto of U.S. Augustinian Volunteers .....
For previous details on this web site about Augustinian Volunteers Australia, click here.
The 2011 Augustinian Volunteers Australia Information Brochure can be viewed by clicking here.
Horn of Africa Famine Appeal: We encourage you to donate online via Cartias Australia. Go to www.caritas.org.au
.............................................Report of July 2011.
Augustinian Volunteers Australia provides supervised placements for those who complete the three week course in Justice & Peace at Augustinian Administration Centre, Brookvale, each February. In 2011, ten completed this Formation Course (see photo below) and were inducted as Augustinian Volunteers by early March. Since then three new Volunteers have been operating in Brisbane and six in Sydney and one has been studying. Adding to the two in Queensland continuing from last year this has meant a total of eleven Volunteers currently in service of a possible thirteen at the end of the Course.
Augustinian Volunteers work in edge ministries in close proximity to Augustinian Parishes. In Sydney this has meant service occurs at Redfern in the city, supported from the Augustinians at Brookvale and at Western Sydney supported from the Augustinians at St Clair Parish and at the Augustinian Spirituality Centre at Greystanes. In Brisbane, Volunteer sites are spread across the city with the Augustinians at Coorparoo being the focus of Volunteer community and support.
Redfern is a particularly challenging site for Volunteer service since it occurs this year at De Porres House, run by the Cana Community. De Porres House accommodates people from the streets as well as those recently rehabilitated from prison. Our volunteers, Catherine and Dom along with Sarah their mentor, have joined with those of Cana in providing meals, Eucharist and conversation on two days per week. Augustinian Novices work a third evening in the same residence to provide cleaning assistance and a meal.
In Western Sydney, Sarah volunteers at Mamre Homestead, a venue providing employment opportunities and services for refugees. Sarah’s work is with Sudanese children in the Mamre crèche. In another operation in the West, two of our Volunteers, Patrice and Theresa, have been volunteering in the Tongan Homework Centre in Mt Druitt, providing assistance to young people struggling to complete homework in a language that may be their second or third major language, or at least at odds with the language spoken at home.
Brisbane Volunteers have taken longer than their Sydney counterparts to be suitably located and to commence service. The Brisbane floods earlier this year have had a continuing effect on the work of welfare organizations and support services in Brisbane, largely because of the disruption to the extensive tracking systems required by the State Government.
Liz is working at her venue with Micah services in South Brisbane and is also a significant member of the Coorparoo Parish Justice and Peace Committee. Arya and Anjali are both at present completing first Semester science exams, but will return to volunteering in early July, one with St Vincent de Paul refugee services operating also from South Brisbane and the other in Reconnect community development services based in Nundah.
This vibrant group of Volunteers has already met twice in six weekly Community Gatherings. It has been keen to consolidate the work of the Augustinian Volunteers in Australia. With so many Volunteers commencing across the two Eastern cities, and with new Augustinian ministries promised connection to the Volunteer movement next year in Melbourne and Mareeba (Far North Queensland), there is hope for significant growth in the Augustinian Volunteer movement through 2011 and 2012.
Mr Paul Wilson, who is employed full-time as the Justice and Peace Officer of the Australian Augustinians, said, “Augustinian Volunteers situate themselves at the most needy places in our society. They come to this program looking to help others but soon learn that their own transformation is tied up in the change they are seeking for our world. Much reflection is needed by the Volunteers to understand all that happens during their service. Hence the emphasis on the spiritual as much as on the social dimension of Volunteering. The social and spiritual form one process.”
A young man named Tada, who has volunteered with Augustinian Volunteers over the past three years, is about to return to his home in Thailand. A final text message from him is indicative of what the Volunteers have meant to him, “Sorry I couldn’t be at your Volunteer gathering. I will go back to Thailand next month on the 24th. Hope to see you before I leave here. Thank you for the many opportunities provided for me by the Volunteers.”
What an experience!
So what did our Volunteers think of their experience?
“It was both challenging and inspiring to see poor situations.”
“I felt privileged to experience Augustinian Community.”
“Highlighted what Volunteering is all about.”
“Now I see…”
The Future
If you’ve ever thought of volunteering it’s not too early to commence application for the 2012 contingent of volunteers. Simply apply as below.
Or maybe you’d like to help us underwrite the finances of this newly emerging expression of the Augustinian charism. You are invited to join with the Order in ensuring the future of this lay group working with those at society’s fringe.
This might therefore be a good time for you to consider what you will do with that extra time you have while you’re studying next year, or how you might fill the gap year you have promised yourself.
For further information, contact:
Paul Wilson,
Augustinian Justice & Peace Office,
St Augustine’s Priory,
P.O. Box 679 Brookvale NSW, 2100, Australia.
Ph. (02) 9938 0201 Mob. 0438 646 294
Email: paul.wilson@augustinians.org.au
Website: www.augustinians.org.au
Additional: http://www.aymaustralia.org.au/ministries/augustinian-volunteers
There is always social justice material available on the Augustinian international website. Go to www.osanet.org
Fr Brian Fitzpatrick O.S.A.
Province Social Justice Coordinator.
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