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.
..............................Report on the 2010 Volunteer Course
Candidates gathered at Brookvale, Sydney from the 1st-19th February for the 2010 Augustinian Volunteer Formation Course in Justice and Peace. These potential Volunteers came from Augustinian parishes in Sydney and Brisbane, and from such tertiary institutions as Australian Catholic University (see photo below).
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Ordinarily this course is held at the Augustinian Spirituality Centre, Greystanes. This February the course was given from the Augustinian’s Administration centre at Brookvale in Sydney, New South Wales. In fact, the room normally reserved for the Order’s Council meetings was used as the conference room for input and discussions.
Provision was made by the Augustinians to allow students both from Brisbane and some Sydney suburbs to reside in the Brookvale premises of the Augustinian Order. Four of the six participants took advantage of the offer and a community was developed around the group of Volunteers at Brookvale.
A Variety of Venues and Topics
A special feature of this Formation course is that classes occur both indoors and out-of-doors. In the second week of the course, participants visited Cana Café at Redfern (inner Sydney) on the Monday and then proceeded to two of Sydney’s western suburbs (St Clair and Mt Druitt) for Tuesday and Wednesday.
These ‘external classrooms’ were mirrored in discussions within the more traditional four walls. Topics included ‘relative and absolute poverty’, ‘trafficking as the modern form of slavery’ and ‘analyses of the causes of poverty in outlying or inner city suburbs’.
But this year for the first time, the course used the facilities of Broken Bay Insitite itself at Pennant Hills for one or two days per week.
The participants were drawn into the fabric of peoples lives and into the concerns and difficulties that beset them. Our group was treated generously by our hosts and we left with much regard for their courage and tenacity in the face of sometimes severe setbacks.
Course Proper
Following the Immersion, participants returned to Greystanes for the remaining two and a half weeks of reflection and input. Two units of work engaged students. One was a Theological study of Justice & Peace, particularly as it emerges in the Social Teaching of the Church. The second, a spirituality unit, determined the place of justice and peace within the Augustinian Charism.
Two BBI units comprise the Volunteer Formation Course. The first of these, Social Ethics and Catholic Social Teaching, gives the participant an understanding of the ‘see, judge, act’ method of social engagement and enables the student to assess situations from an ethical perspective. The hope then is that the volunteer’s response is well attuned to the needs of the people he/she serves.
A second unit, An Augustinian Spirituality for Social Justice fits well within the BBI module on Charisms of Religious Orders. BBI (Broken Bay Institute) is the centre for theological studies in the Diocese of Broken Bay to the north of Sydney. A team of Augustinians has developed this unit from their knowledge of Augustine and his writings. Augustine himself has been called “the Father of Christian Social Activism”.
New BBI Connections: A professional and theological Degree.
This Formation Course is designed to provide participants with the necessary learning to receive accreditation for the two course units from Broken Bay Institute. But this year, because BBI has commenced a partnership with University of Newcastle for the delivery of theology units, the accreditation can extend to Professional degrees at UON. This proved a boon to the six students in this year’s course. Many are on the way to accreditation with both the Institute and the University.
What an experience!
So what did our Volunteers think?
“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 2011 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.
All costs are borne by the Order for allowances given to Volunteers who would like to be able to cover also rental, transport, food and some small stipend to meet the main costs that cannot be afforded because of loss of income.
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
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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