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Nº 2 – 2011

OSA INTeractive2-2011

Editorial board:

Michael Di Gregorio, OSA

Robert Guessetto, OSA

Melchor Mirador, OSA

Collaborators:

Leonardo Andrés Andrade, OSA

Manuel Calderon, OSA

Giuseppe Caruso, OSA

Osman Choque, OSA

Gennaro Comentale, OSA

José Gallardo, OSA

Jean Gray

Prospero Grech, OSA

Claudia Kock

Paulo Lopez, OSA

Robert Marsh, OSA

Miguel Angel Martín Juarez, OSA

Edelmiro Mateos, OSA

Françoise Pernot

José Fernando Rubio

Mauricio Saavedra, OSA

Rafael Santana

José Suoto, OSA

Veronica Vandoni

Graphic, layout and printing:

Tipolitografia 2000 sas

De Magistris R. & C.

Via Trento 46, Grottaferrata (Rm)

CURIA GENERALIZIAAGOSTINIANA

Via Paolo VI, 25 – Roma (Italia)Tel. +39.06.680061

Fax +39.06.68006299Email: osaint@osacuria.org

In this issue

front page:

3. Editorial: A Word from Us

3. Fraternity and Communion

5. Augustinian Spirituality Course 2012

augustinian family :

6. Evangelization and Mission

8. Pursuing the Path of Justice and Peace Together

10. Justice and Peace in Practice

11. Planted and Built up in Jesus Christ

12. First Latin American Augustinian Youth Meeting

14. Vicariate of St. John of Sahagùn in Chulucanas

16. First Augustinian Contemplative Monastery in APAC

18. Villanova Senior High School in West Papua

20. A new Parish Plant in Fukuoka, Japan

21. The Order in the Digital Age

22. Here and There Around the Order

a. Saint Augustine According to Caravaggio

b. XVII General Assembly of OALA

23. Stephen Bellesini: Blessed Forever?

Publications:

a. Signore, Insegnaci a Pregare (Lord, Teach Us How To Pray) – p. 7

b. A Sunlit Absence: Silence, Awareness and Contemplation – p. 9

c. Santo Tomás de Villanueva, Conciones (Sermons) – p. 15

d. Las Iglesias orientales (The Oriental Churches) – p. 19

Front cover:

1. Participants to the Augustinian Youth Congress (22 – 26 August) at Maria CristinaUniversity in El Escorial with Prior General, Robert F. Prevost, O.S.A.

2. Spanish speaking group, participating in the Augustinian Spirituality Course 20113. OSA Friars with the Holy Father at the monastery of El Escorial during the WYD4. Mass for all Augustinian participants during the WYD in Our Lady of Consolation

Parish in Mostoles5. Participants of the Spirituality Week in San Gimignano

OSA Interactive and www.augustinians.net - Information Network of the Order of Saint Augustine

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front

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The above words are only a few of those used by one participant todescribe the experience of the Course in Augustinian Spirituality whichbrought together twenty friars and two sisters for four months of study,prayer, and the simple sharing of life at the Collegio Santa Monica inRome. The “experience” - perhaps a more inclusive word than “course”to describe the event - had been requested by the General Chapter of2007. This first effort in response to that call was offered in the Spanishlanguage.

The twenty-two participants represented eleven countries: Ecuador,Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Honduras, Peru, Panama, Mexico, Boliviaand Colombia and, among the friars, fifteen different circumscriptions ofthe Order. The two sisters were members of the Congregation of Mision-eras Agustinas, “each with his or her own idiosyncrasies and personality. Howmarvelous! How much did I learn from each of you! Together we prayed, we

worked, we sangand laughed andplayed …”

The aim ofthe course, asarticulated inthe materialsinviting partic -ipation, wastwofold: to re-examine thecharism of theOrder in lightof the needsand challenges

of the present day, and its circumstances, cultures and persons, so as tocollaborate in transforming society through the power of the Gospel;and to develop a strong Augustinian Spirituality which, in the light ofthe Word and the Social Doctrine of the Church, will lead each personto listen to God in the context of daily life, in the situation of the poor,and of Creation.

The program consisted of morning classes held for three hours, fivedays a week with 90 minute seminars three afternoons as appropriate.Topics which were covered included the Spirituality of Saint Augustine,Mendicant Spirituality, Hagiography, Augustinian Theology, the Writingsof Saint Augustine, the History and the Documents of the Order, as wellas seminars on various human sciences. In all there were 210 hours ofclass material offered by a host of lecturers from Spain, South Americaand Italy, all friars of the Order with the exception of Cardinal EstanislaoKarlic who, nonetheless, is an affiliate and dear friend of the Augustini-ans. “With how much interest and academic professionalism they prepared theirclasses, sharing with us their knowledge of the endless treasure of Augustinianteaching and spirituality. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FOR YOU HAVEDONE VERY WELL!”

“Fraternity and Communion,Warmth and Joy”

Pilgrimage to Ostia Antica

EditorialA WORD FROM US

The year 2011 saw a con-siderable number of Augus-tinians and lay collaboratorscome together in variousplaces to discuss and cele-brate themes of interest to theOrder, the Church, and to so-ciety at large. In this issue youwill read about several gather-ings of youth and young friarsin Peru, Slovakia, Italy, andSpain, as well as several of theInternational Commissions ofthe Order that sponsoredCongresses for AugustinianFormation Personnel, Justiceand Peace Coordinators andYouth Animators in Cascia,Villanova, and El Escorial re-spectively. It was a year inwhich many friars and thoselaity engaged with us were onthe move, sharing the experi-ences and challenges of lifeand ministry, developing skillsthrough learning, celebratingwhat it means to do the workof the Gospel in the contempo-rary Church. It was a year inwhich the Order was on themove, literally and figura -tively!

And while some werecrossing oceans and conti-nents to exchange ideas andexperiences, others were sow-ing seeds at home in the noless important fields that areunder their care. We take noteof several of the Order’snewest ventures in “mission”territories, as well as celebra-tions marking significant mile-stones for others.

As we continue to makeknown to the whole Order itsown life and works, we wel-come the contributions of ourreaders concerning projects,celebrations and events thatare taking place in the variousparts of the Augustinianworld.

FR. MICHAEL DI GREGORIO, O.S.A.Coordinator of communications

Interspersed during the weeks of academic study and conversationwere visits to places of significance to the Order and its history: Cascia,Montefalco, Tolentino, San Gimignano, Lecceto, Ostia, Genazzano, Pavia,Milan, …. as well as pilgrimages to our churches in Rome and participa-tion in the beatification of John Paul II. Holy Week was spent celebratingthe solemn days of the Triduum within a spiritual retreat at Cascia.

After four months of sharing knowledge and stories, celebratingfaith, personal hopes and dreams, renewing spirits,and making fast friends of brothers and sisters, thecourse was brought to a close with a solemn celebra-tion of the Eucharist at the Basilica of Santa Maria delPopolo in Rome, site of the Grand Union of the Or-der. “There we renewed with great enthusiasm our commit-ment of love and service to the Church as true sons anddaughters of our great Father Augustine.”

“It was an experience of fraternity and communion,praying together, eating together, enjoying ourselves, creatingbonds of friendship. The lecturers shared novelty and en-lightenment, wisdom, good humor, dynamism … and raisedquestions about living Augustinian spirituality in ourworld. Regarding the places of Augustinian significance - itis one thing to know about them and another to know themclose up. At the feet of Augustine we celebrated the Eucharistand united ourselves with all the Augustinian men andwomen present in the world, asking Augustine that we mightbe faithful to our vocation, our spirituality and our charism.With a grateful spirit we need to call attention to the frater-nal hospitality of the friars in all of the communities we vis-ited, and the human warmth and joy of the sisters in ourcontemplative monasteries …”

A similar, three-month program for friars andAugustinian sisters will be offered in English in 2012and in Italian in 2013.

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Participants of the Spirituality Course2011

Augustinian Spirituality CourseRome - Patristic Institute Augustinianum – 29 January - 25 April 2012

* Easter Week: visits to Cascia, Montefalco, Tolentino,San Gimignano, Lecceto

* Weekends - guided tours to Augustinian sites, his-torical sites

ACADEMIC CURRICULUM

1. Spirituality: 45 hoursSpirituality of St. Augustine (25 hours),Mendicant Spirituality (10 hours), Hagiography (10 hours)

2. Augustinian Theology: 60 hoursTheology - Christology - Anthropology (30 hours),Ecclesiology - Sacramentology - Pastoral Theology(30 hours)

3. History: 65 hoursWritings of St. Augustine (Rule, The Confessions,City of God, etc.) (30 hours),History of the Order (development, circumscrip-tions, missions, Augustinian Family) (25 Hours),Authors - Documents (significant figures, Constitu-tions, Ratio, etc.) (10 hours)

4. Society: 30 hoursSeminar: Contemporary World/Society (15 hours),Seminar: Human Sciences - Psychology, Sociology,Pedagogy (15 hours)

To register or for further information please contact:Fr. Luciano De Michieli, osaldemichieli@osacuria.org

HOUSING: Saint Monica’s College (Rome) for Augus-tinian Friars.For religious women: housing with their sistersor an Augustinian Family Institute of ReligiousWomen

COST: € 5,000.00 (Room and board, guided tours,Retreat week).

For English-speaking members of the AugustinianFamily

SOME OBJECTIVES

* To re-read the charism of the Order of St. Augus-tine in light of the needs and challenges of thetimes, places, cultures and society in order to recog-nize the presence of the Spirit and collaborate inthe transformation of society through the strengthof the Gospel.

* To cultivate a strong Augustinian spirituality which,in the light of the Word and Social Teachings ofthe Church, brings the presence of God into thedaily realities of life, the situation of the poor andCreation.

* To provide an experience of fraternal life

METHODOLOGY

The Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharist will becelebrated in English. Participants will be asked tocollaborate in leadership: 3 volunteers for animatingthe liturgies, 3 for handling finances, and 3 for tours,recreation and festive occasions.

Study, ongoing opportunities to get to know oneanother, fraternity, personal and communal prayer areessential components of the cultural, spiritual andhuman experience proposed in this course on Augus -tinian Spirituality.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

* Morning - classes from 9 until 12:30: four 45 -minute sessions with a 30 minute break, five daysa week.

* Afternoon - Library time, personal study (oppor -tunity to participate in a 2 hour reading courseon Augustine on Wednesdays - in Italian; courseavailable on Iconography – write your own icon ofSt. Augustine with the guidance of a professionaliconographer)

* Retreat during Holy Week

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Evangelization and Mission: Reflections from San Gimignano

A course organized by the Institute of Spi -rituality of our Order and entitled “Evangelizationand Mission: the Augustinian Experience” took place inthe magnificent medieval town of San Gimignano, inTuscany, Italy from last July 3rd to the 9th. The themewas very relevant, since it was in line with theforthcoming October 2012 Synod of Bishops whichwill consider the theme of New Evangelization. Eachday was divided into two presentations with groupwork using materials provided by the speakers.

The first day entitled “Augustinian Spirituality ofthe Mission”, was guided by Fr. Carlos de la Cruz ofPanama who described and elaborated on theimpressive ministry being carrying out in the Tolémission (Panama). His presentation came alive withthe help of audiovisual aids.

Fr. Carlos Morán, Provincial of the Province ofthe Philippines was with us on the second dayentitled “The Proclamation of the Gospel in a GlobalizedWorld”.

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The third day was an opportunity for rest anda pilgrimage to our Augustinian origins. We tookadvantage of this opportunity to visit some of thehermitages dotting the area close to Siena. Wetravelled together to the hermitage of Saint Leonardof the Lake and to Lecceto, where we had theopportunity of celebrating the Eucharist and havinga welcoming and cordial meeting with thecommunity of Augustinian sisters. After lunch, wewent to Saint Lucía in Rosia, a hermitage in ruinswhich involved a walk through wooded countryside.Fr. Brian Lowery, prior of the monastery of St.Augustine in San Gimignano, acted as our guide andhelped us, with eager enthusiasm, to renew ourcontact with the origins of our Order.

The fourth day departed from the originalprogramme since the proposed speaker, Fr. JudeOssai, from the Province of Nigeria, was unable toattend. We studied and thereafter commented in ourworking groups, organized in English and inSpanish, on a text sent in by Fr. John Lydon entitled:“Mission, Evangelization and Inculturation”.

The last day was devoted to reflecting, by meansof a powerpoint presentation, on “New Frontiers andNew Areas of Mission”, under the guidance of Fr.Enrique Martín of the Spanish Province.

It is necessary to reflect on Evangelization andMission, to analyze our ministries and to set upprojects and challenges for the future if we are not tolose ourselves in routine or sink into pessimism.Europe and North America are undergoing areligious dampening which calls for responses inaccordance with the times and to a reconsiderationof our apostolates. Whereas, in Latin America, Asiaor Africa the Church is young; it is alive and respondswith generosity to the different vocational calls madeby the Lord.

Our reflection grows in quality when we arelucky enough to meet Augustinians of differentnationalities and circumscriptions: United States,Puerto Rico, Philippines, Panama, Italy and Spain,creating a stupendous environment of sharedfraternal living and experiencing the interna tionalityand the cultural and human richness of our Order.Getting to know different ways of thinking andthe working methods of other Augustinians wediscovered that, despite the various languages andnationalities, we are united by a single spirit, inspiredby Saint Augustine. In this sense, an added and

Hermitage of Sta. Lucia at Rosia guided by Fr. Brian Lowery, O.S.A.(center), Prior of San Gimignano friary

SIGNORE, INSEGNACI A PREGARE.(LORD, TEACH US HOW TO PRAY)

P. Prospero Grech, OSA

Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2011

What does Sacred Scripture tell us about prayer? This small book on prayer is taken directly from the spiritual exercises which this well-known author in the field of Scriptures gave in Cascia, Italy to his own community of St. Monica College, Rome. Fr. Grech has added a chapter on contemplation. It offers a biblical commentary on the Eucharist, the Divine Office, the Our Father, the psalms, popular devotions and contemplation. Its clear language makes it available to everyone – laity, priests or religious who have a limited knowledge of the bible. Its purpose is to provide a deeper insight, based on Scripture itself, into our daily prayer.

PUBLICATIONS

unexpected pleasure was a presentation made by ourbrother Fr. Tom Dwyer, from the Province ofVillanova. He spoke to us about the fifty years hespent in Japan, the joys and difficulties of his richexperience, certain aspects of Japanese culture andabout the work of evangelization in that countrycarried out by our friars. I know I speak for all of uswho listened to him, in congratulating him on thefine example he gave, on his life of commitment andon his profound spirit of determination in carryingout his good work over so many years.

I feel I cannot end without some mention of theartistic treasure we possess in the convent of Saint

Augustine and reflected especially in the frescoes ofBenozzo Gozzoli depicting the life of our Father sosplendidly conserved in the apse of the church. Inaddition, the town of San Gimignano itself wasdeclared by UNESCO in 1990 a World Heritage site.Walks through its medieval streets along its city wallstowards evening, our enjoyment of the city’s famoustowers and Collegiate church with its magnificantfrescoes illustrating various scenes from the Old andNew Testaments, opportunities to pass through itssquares with open-air cultural activities, all made fora unique and splendid environment for our briefcourse.

I wish to thank the host community for itstypically Augustinian fraternity and its dedicationand attention. Thanks, also, to the organizers of thecourse for the opportunity they provided us to spendtime together for updating and Augustinian renewal.

FR. ENRIQUE MARTÍN SANZ, OSA

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One of the frescoesof Benozzo Gozzolidepicting the life of St. Augustine conserved in the apse of St. Augustine churchin San Gimignano

San Gimignano

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From July 18-22nd, Justice and Peace Ani -mators of the Order and their lay collaboratorsgathered for a week-long conference at VillanovaUniversity in the United States to reflect on theirwork in Justice and Peace Ministry. Fifty 50representatives from Malta, Spain, Brazil, Antilles,Italy, Kenya, Canada, Nigeria, Venezuela, México,Peru, England and the United States entered into aweeklong session of listening, discussing anddebating the critical issues of peace and justice andlearning various skills necessary foradvocating for the poor and voicelessamong those to whom they minister.

The conference opened with apresentation by Dr. Barbara Wall,Assistant Professor of Philosophy andVice President of Villanova Universityfor Mission and Ministry, on the topicsof Catholic Social Teaching and TheThought of Saint Augustine as thebasis for ministry in the area of justiceand peace. With this as a spring-board,Mr. Shaun Ferris, of Catholic ReliefServices offered an insightful andwell-developed reflection on the roleof modern day communications andtechnology in the effort to moreefficiently and effectively deliveravailable resources to the needythroughout the world.

Friar Francisco O’Conaire, OFMoffered one and a half days in groupwork, discussion and presentations onthe “Why” and “How” of Justice andPeace Ministry. Francisco, who is theSecretary General of the JPIC (Justice,Peace and the Integrity of Creation)Commission of the Major Superiors ofMen and Women, based in Rome,outlined the Role of a JPIC Promoter,the Spirituality of the Promoter and aMethodology for doing the work ofJustice and Peace in our variouslocations.

Valuable presentations were also offered bymembers of the Conference, who shared their

experiences in various areas of justice and peaceministry:

– Fr. Bob Dueweke (CHI) and his co-worker atthe Tepeyac Institute in El Paso, Jean Ponder-Soto, gave a moving presentation of their min-istry in Texas on the border between the Unit-ed States and Mexico. Bob has produced avideo of the Border Mass which can be foundon the Order’s Web Site.

Pursuing the Path of Justice and Peace Together

A Conference for Augustinian Justice and Peace Animators and their Collaborators

Visit to the Penitentiary of Pennsylvania

Participants at work

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– Fr. Peter Imatari Emoit (KEN) offered a pow-er point presentation on aspects of his min-istry in Kenya highlighting the agricultural

A SUNLIT ABSENCE:SILENCE, AWARENESS, AND CONTEMPLATION

Martin Laird, OSA

Oxford University Press, 2011

“The practice of contemplation is one of the great spiritual arts,” writes

Martin Laird in a sunlit absence. “Not a technique but a skill, it harnesses the

winds of grace that lead us out into the liberating sea of silence.” In this companion

volume to his bestselling into the silent land, Laird focuses on a quality often

overlooked by books on Christian meditation: a vast and flowing spaciousness that

embraces both silence and sound, and transcends all subject/object dualisms.

Drawing on the wisdom of great contemplatives from St. Augustine and St. Teresa

of Avila to St. Hesychios, Simone Weil, and many others, Laird shows how we can

uncover the deeper levels of awareness that rest within us like buried treasure

waiting to be found. The key insight of the book is that as our practice matures, so will our experience of life’s

ordeals, sorrows, and joys expand into generous, receptive maturity. We learn to see whatever difficulties we

experience in meditation—boredom, lethargy, arrogance, depression, grief, anxiety—not as obstacles to be

overcome but as opportunities to practice surrender to what is. With clarity and grace Laird shows how we

can move away from identifying with our turbulent, ever-changing thoughts and emotions to the cultivation of

a “sunlit absence”—the luminous awareness in which God’s presence can most profoundly be felt.

Addressed to both beginners and intermediates on the pathless path of still prayer, a sunlit absence

offers wise guidance on the specifics of contemplative practice as well as an inspiring vision of the purpose of

such practice and the central role it can play in our spiritual lives.

PUBLICATIONS

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projects so important to the arid land of hiscountry.

– Fr. Emeka Obiezu (NIG), our new full timeCoordinator of the OSA/NGO at the UnitedNations, presented the history of the Order’spresence at the United Nations and the taskof raising the Order’s status from there in or-der to give us a voice in formulating policy inthe various committees of the United NationsOrganization.

– Fr. Paul Morrissey (VIL), together with Mr.George Munyan and Mr. Steve Kelly, gave anexplanation on the ADEODATUS prison min-istry which is one of ADROP’S (AugustinianDefenders of the Rights of the Poor) servicesto the needy of Philadelphia.

In addition to the conferences and sharing ofexperiences at Villanova, participants had time totour a part of historic Philadelphia and to visit twoof the Villanova Province’s churches in the city:the National Shrine of Saint Rita, and Old SaintAugustine, the Order’s first foundation in the

United States. In this latter setting two religioussisters spoke of their ministry with women whohave been trafficked for sex or slave labor, and Fr.Jack Deegan (VIL) and his assistant, Andrew Slike,explained the work of ADROP (AugustinianDefenders of the Rights of the Poor) and theprograms offered for those in need of primaryhealth care, help to learning English, legal adviceor tutoring.

On the last day of the Conference, par -ticipants discussed the manual being preparedby the Order’s Secretariat of Justice and Peaceas requested by the General Chapter 2007 andoffered insights and suggestions as to its com -position.

The Conference offered a week rich in learn-ing and the sharing of experiences. Most of all,however, it was an opportunity for friars and laityengaged in a common endeavor to offer and re-ceive encouragement and suggestions to takehome to their circumscriptions for the continuedpursuit of peace and justice in the works the Orderpromotes and carries out.

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bondage.” After reading the book, the school invitedSomaly Mam to the campus to address the students andfaculty. Accompanying her were five girls who hadbeen rescued and who wanted to express their grati-tude to the students by performing a dance during theassembly. “On stage they were crying. They did theirbest to tell us about when they were captured but theybroke down on stage. They told us how lucky we are tohave families and love,” commented one of the stu-dents.

A Prep French teacher who worked with a studentTask Force established around the visit, and who joinedthe students who addressed the Justice and Peace Con-ference, commented that the students were so touchedby the visit that they launched a newsletter with factsabout trafficking and urged their fellow students towrite letters of support to the girls in the foundation.

They contacted, as well, a local women’s centerwhere girls are housed after being rescued to assistthere in some way. Because of their interest they werealso invited to participate in New Jersey’s Human Traf-ficking Awareness Day and organized a walk for the

school where they raised over $3,000to be donated to local and internation-al organizations that assist rescuedgirls. The students have now decided tocontinue the Task Force into the nextschool year, and to find new opportuni-ties to carry the important messagethey have received to others.

One of the most instructive and inspiring presenta-tions offered during the Justice and Peace Conferencecame from a group of students at Saint Augustine Prepin Richland, New Jersey, a high school of the VillanovaProvince. There, friars Paul Galetto, then president, andFrank Horn, headmaster, had invited the entire schoolcommunity of students and faculty to participate in theinitiative of the Order’s Justice and Peace Secretariat toraise awareness of the problem of human trafficking.Everyone on campus was to read the book, The Roadof Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam, a former child traf-ficking victim, who describes in vivid detail the experi-ence of children sold by their families into the slavemarket where they are raped, tortured and routinelydeprived of human dignity and self-respect.

Teddie Gallagher, communications director for theVillanova Province, who subsequently penned an arti-cle for the Province’s newsletter on the school’s initiative,wrote of the book’s author, “Somaly Mam also de-scribes her miraculous escape from the brothel whereshe was held from the age of twelve to twenty-two. Pro-pelled by her anger and distress, unable to wash off thefilth she felt, she went back to the brothels to rescuegirls. She and her Somaly Mam foundation have res-cued over 5,000 Cambodian girls, most of whomrange from the age of three to twelve years old. Theyare given shelter, medical attention and a program torestore their lives through education and job training.Most of all, Somaly Mam holds these girls, gives themlove, restores their dignity and in the process, soothesher own pain through their common bond of human

JUSTICE AND PEACE

IN PRACTICE

A French-language teacher of St. Augustine Prep inRichland, New Jersey who works with the Student TaskForce and accompanied student presenters to the Jus-tice & Peace Conference

Members of the Student Task Force who addressed the Justice & PeaceConference receive congratulations from the participants

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With these words of Saint Paul to the Colossians(2,7), youth from around the globe converged onMadrid, Spain this summer to participate in WorldYouth Day 2011. Among them were hundreds ofyoung people associated with various AugustinianYouth Groups, accompanied by dozens of friars andAugustinian lay collaborators. In addition to theiractive participation in the official activities of the in-ternational event, those members of Augustiniangroups were invited to take part in a series of activi-ties especially organized by the Order’s Internation-al Commission for Youth Ministry.

The Augustinian activities opened with a prayerservice on Tuesday evening, in which all participatedin a renewal of baptismal vows and a presentation byFr. Miguel Angel Orcasitas on the Augustinian Mar-tyrs, especially those who died in the religious perse-cutions of Spain in the 1930s. The following daybrought together youth, friars and sisters of the Au-gustinian Family at Colegio San Agustín for a gather-ing hosted by the community of the Colegio. Finally,Saturday saw over a thousand young people, friars,and sisters gather for Mass at the parish of Our Ladyof Consolation in Mostoles, with the Prior General asprincipal celebrant, the four Priors Provincial ofSpain, and many friars concelebrating. The churchwas packed, and in several languages the partici-pants were invited to look for ways in which theycould deepen their relationship with Christ by deep-ening their knowledge of the Word of God, and bybuilding up an authentic spirit of community withall people in the Church and in the world. Thatsame afternoon the delegates traveled to CuatroVientos Field to join Pope Benedict XVI in a prayerservice which was challenged, but not defeated, by arain and wind storm. The following morning over amillion joined in the Mass celebrated by the Pope infairer weather.

Throughout the week there was an exhibit onthe life and thought of St. Augustine, sponsored bythe four Provinces of Spain in the Parish of SanManuel y San Benito, near the Parque del Retiro.Likewise, that same week, the Augustinian family inSpain participated in the Vocation Expo held withinthe Parque del Retiro. By all accounts, both were

great successes, as they were visited by very many par-ticipants in the WYD, including a great number whowere not from Augustinian groups.

The Augustinians of the monastery of ElEscorial had a particularly significant moment onFriday, August 19th, when Pope Benedict went to ElEscorial, first for a meeting with young religioussisters, in which many Augustinian sisters, along with1600 consecrated women from all over the worldtook part. Then, in the Basilica of the royal palace,the Pope spoke to young university professors, andhe encouraged them to fulfill their important rolewith these words: “I urge you, then, never to lose thatsense of enthusiasm and concern for truth. Alwaysremember that teaching is not just about communicatingcontent, but about forming young people. You need tounderstand and love them, to awaken their innate thirstfor truth and their yearning for transcendence. Be forthem a source of encouragement and strength.”

At the end of his talk to the professors, thePope was greeted by the Prior General, the PriorProvincial of the Province of Madrid, and by the lo-cal prior of the monastery community. Gifts were ex-changed – the HolyFather presentedthe Augustinianswith a magnificentmosaic of the pa-tron of El Escorial,St. Laurence, andthe Augustinianspresented to theHoly Father a fac-simile from an an-cient manuscript ofthe Apocalypsewhose original ispreserved in theRoyal Library. TheHoly Father thengreeted the Augus-tinians who werepresent and posedwith them for a pho-tograph.

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1. Eucharistic celebration for all the Augustinian participants of WYD in the parish of “Ntra. Sra. de la Con-solacion” in Mostoles. The Prior General celebrated the Mass along with the Augustinian Major Superiors

2. Vocation Expo during the WYD in “El Retiro” park in which the Augustinian family participated3. Exhibit on the Life of St. Augustine displayed in the Augustinian parish of “San Manuel y San Benito” in

Calle del Alcalà, Madrid. This was one of the official exhibits during the WYD. The Philippine (Spain)Provincial, Fr. Carlos Moran, O.S.A., visits the exhibit

FIRST LATIN AMERICANAUGUSTINIAN YOUTH MEETING

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Some years ago the idea was circulated invarious Latin American countries where Augus -tinians are present, of holding a meeting of youthgroups marked by an Augustinian spirituality.

This was an ambitious project that the Organi -zation of Augustinians of Latin America (OALA) setfor itself, a challenge on which it concentrated all ofits attention. In a meeting which the Augustinians ofLatin America held in Santiago (Chile) in 2009 it wasagreed that the long desired meeting should takeplace in Peru, thanks to an initiative of the fourmajor superiors of Peru.

Thus it was that the work of preparation beganwith each circumscription appointing a represen -tative: Fr. Lizardo (Apurímac), Fr. Hernanis and Fr.Giancarlo (Peruvian province), Fr. Antonio (Iquitos)and, as coordinator, Fr. Edinson (Chulu canas). Inaddition, many other persons, while remaining

anonymous, offered vital help for car rying out theproject.

Using the internet and social network resourceswhich are quite congenial to young people of thetwenty-first century, preparations began in earnest.

Notices were posted on an account set up inFacebook. Using this network, various videosinspired by an enthusiastic Augus tinian spirit andprepared by young people of different LatinAmerican countries were uploaded. In addition afirst programme was posted to make available theschedule for the first Latin American AugustinianYouth meeting due to be held from the 26th to the30th of January 2011 in the “San Augustín” secondaryschool of Lima under the title “I’m Christian andAugustinian”.

When the day came, all the preparations anddetails were looked over and revised to receive thedifferent delegations already beginning to arrive.Thus a long awaited dream came true.

The activities began on 26 January in theafternoon with the Eucharist celebrated in theschool’s chapel led by the provincial Fr. Alexander

Lam. This was fol lowed inthe evening by a welcomeceremony held in thetheatre of the school(because of the wonderfulorganization, it turned outto be an unforgettablenight). It culminated withthe exposition of the HolySacrament, that helped usto realize that the LordJesus would be accom -panying us throughout ourdays together.

The next day activi -ties continued. The firstspeaker was Fr. FuertesPrieto, from the Vicariateof Iquitos, who shared onthe theme: “What are weseeking?” in which hedescribed the experiencesof various Augustiniangroups with their dif fer -ences and similarities from

a Christian viewpoint. In the afternoon Fr. Hernanis shared on the

theme; “The world before our eyes”, which gave arough idea of the situation of our countries, thedifferences among us, the positive qualities and

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Participants in one of the gatherings

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above all the need for a follower of Christto be a witness of communion in thepresent-day world.

On the third day of the meeting weconsidered the theme: “Interiority, Char -ity and Friendship” presented by the PriorGeneral Fr. Robert Prevost. He spoke onthese three pillars of Augustinianspirituality. While developing this theme,he succeeded in showing us that his ownheart is still youthful. He gave a very livelyand profound talk, above all on account ofits relevance, today. In the afternoon theyoung people took a walk to the Park ofLegends (the city’s zoo). While makingtheir way there, they set themselves thegoal of preaching the gospel as they wentto at least one person (this was a fineexperience).

That night all the young people of “Augustinianrace” had a pleasant surprise: the Convent of St.Augustine of Lima opened the doors of its cloisterand offered a Creole supper complete with enter -tainment and typical dances.

The last theme was presented by Fr. AntonioLozán who reflected on “The community as asupport for our Christian commitment”.

This illustrated the charism of our Augustiniangroups. It was a special day, since a number ofnovices professed their temporary vows of chastity,poverty and obedience before the Prior General.All of the topics ended with a sharing betweengroups consisting of young people of differentnationalities. Then back to the theatre whereconversations took place, with a view to a finalsharing. There was wonderful animation through -out, ensuring an alternation of songs and work. Eachdelegation displayed the folkloric wealth of itsculture through dances, songs, poems and nativecostumes.

The ties created among the young participantswere so strong that some of them are still in contactthrough the same social network channels thatbrought them in the first place.

Flash

NEW ASSISTANT GENERAL

Fr. Miguel Angel Keller, OSA (Prv. MAT)

Circumscription: Latin America (OALA)

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Participants in prayers

Participants from different countries of Latin America

As the months passed, the Vicariate moved closerto the principal days of the celebration held from the4th to the 11th of September.

The Vicariate came together for spiritual exercis-es from the 4th to the 9th of September. They were ledby Fr. Alexander Lam, OSA, prior provincial of theOur Lady of Grace Province of Peru. The theme select-ed by Fr. Alexander was A Return to the Heart and infact our days together were truly a coming back to theheart, a turning ‘within’, helped so much by Fr.Alexander’s own experience and his deep faith. Ourmission begins with our encounter with the RisenLord who calls us to live in community and from thisliving together we serve others and the world.

On September 9th, the friars gathered at theParish of St. Joseph the Worker in Chulucanas. Fr.John Lydon, OSA solemnly announced the 25th An-niversary of the Vicariate and Fr. Eleodoro Villanueva,OSA presented a brief history of the Vicariate.

We began with a procession to the cemetery tounite ourselves to our brothers who served in theVicariate and who are now at rest in the Lord. Therewere three stations. At the first, we listened to thepersonal story of the Servant of God, Fr. John McKniff.The second was marked by a reading from St.Augustine, and at the third station at the cemetery, theVicar, Fr. Fidel Alvarado Sandoval declared the Servantof God, John McKniff, protector of the vocations ofthe Vicariate. During the procession, we prayerfullyremembered our deceased Augustinian friars whoworked in Chulucanas, Peru, together with ourdeceased lay Augustinians.

That same evening there was a delightful musicalprogram featuring performances given by members ofthe various parishes we serve. The day of celebrationfittingly concluded with a beautiful firework display.

We certainly do not want tooverlook the visit of our brothersfrom the U.S.A.: the provincialsfrom Chicago and Villanova, Fr.Bernard Scianna and Fr. MickeyGenovese; Bishop emeritus of Chu-lucanas, John McNabb; the formerprovincial of Chicago, Fr. DavidBrecht; the mission procurators ofChicago and Villanova, Fr. Christo-pher Steinle and Fr. Anthony Bur-rascano and Brother Jerome Syskowhose support and love for the Vic-ariate are most appreciated.

On Saturdary, September 10th

the “fiesta” continued in the city ofMorropon. We celebrated the 25th

anniversary of profession of Fr. Isa-ias Jimenez Cruz, the first Peruvian

The Augustinian friars of the Vicariate of St. Johnof Sahagún joyfully celebrated their 25th anniversarythis past summer. Preparations were undertaken inearnest and the anticipatory excitement was high.

During the 2011 assembly, concrete plans werelaid out. There was a great deal of enthusiasm and theobjective was clear: to celebrate the presence of Godin our history as a vicariate. “Augustinians at Prayer andIn Mission Celebrate 25 Years of Communion” was thetheme chosen to accompany and animate all the an-niversary events.

The students in the formation community at Tru-jillo participated actively in the preparations. Theyheld a competition for the selection of a logo. Thewinner was a pre-novice, Jair Pintado Neir, who pro -vided, as well, an explanation of the significance of hisdesign.

Events began in July. In the first days of themonth there was a family gathering of the close rela-tives of all the Peruvian friars as well as relatives of thepre-novices. The Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) Pas-toral Center was chosen as the site since it wouldimmedi ately suggest to everyone the importance ofknowing one another and being a part of the greatAugustinian family.

An “Augustinian Week” was also held in Trujillo.It featured a panel discussion with formation studentsand lay Augustinians directed by Fr. Eleodoro Vil-lanueva. The theme chosen for the event was The Mis-sion of the Augustinians in Latin America. The lay Augus-tinians expressed their gratitude for the spirit ofwelcome they received and the opportunity to workalongside the friars. The mission is meant to includeeveryone and to be an expression of our charism ofcommunion. It is a mission which grows out of theneeds of the Church.

Saint John of Sahagun Vicariate, ChulucanasCelebrating the Work of God in the History of our Vicariate

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Group picture for posterity after a Eucharist of Thanksgiving

Augustinian of the Vicariate. The Prior General, Fr.Robert Prevost, presided at the Eucharist. In his homi-ly, Fr. Prevost encouraged us not to lose our sense ofmission. Our Vicariate was created in that spirit, andwe should keep our religious life very much alive inour daily life and work. It will be in this way that we willbe witnesses for today’s world.

After greetings and congratulatory remarks bythe local authorities we went in procession to thegraves of two dear Augustinians remembered for theyears of service in the Vicariate, Fr. Edward Chapmanand Fr. James Lynne. Fr. Lynne is buried on thegrounds of the friary. Bishop Daniel Turley offered aprayer there for his eternal rest and those who knewhim spoke of him as a great man of God.

The civic community of Morropon set out a won-derful luncheon for everyone. Various artists per-formed and spoke of their affection for the Augustini-ans and expressed their gratitude for the friars’ serviceover the years. That evening, at the formation housein Trujillo, the friars prayed for our living and de-ceased missionaries. There was a particularly vibrantspirit of communion and gratitude felt during theprayer for all that our first friars had done in service tothe Kingdom of God.

On the 11th of September, Bishop Daniel Turleypresided at a Eucharist of thanksgiving. The Vicariatecelebrated the 50th anniversary of religious professionof both the bishop and of Fr. Richard Palmer. It wasalso a Eucharist of thanksgiving for the presence of theAugustinians in the diocese. During his homily, thebishop highlighted the service given by the Augustini-ans first to the Prelature and later to the Diocese ofChulucanas.

Everyone then enjoyed a luncheon offered byBishop Turley at which gifts were presented to ourvisiting brothers, the provincials of Chicago andVillanova and to Bishop Turley and Fr. Palmer for their50th anniversary.

At the conclusion of the luncheon, Fr. Fidel Al-varado, Vicar, read the special congratulatory certifi-cate received from the community in Annaba, Algeria,where Fr. José Manuel Vizcarra, a friar of the Vicariateis serving as a missionary. The text expressed specialgratitude to the Vicariate for keeping alive their mis-sionary spirit. Bishop Turley then thanked God foreveryone’s presence at the celebration and spoke ofthe work of God during the 25 years of the Vicariate ofSt. John of Sahagún since its founding in 1986.

FR. FIDEL ALVARADO SANDOVAL, OSA - Vicar 2

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Bishop Daniel Turley offered a prayer for the eternal rest of Fr. Lynne, who is buried on the ground of the friary

A procession to the graves of the two dear Augustinians remembered for the years of service in theVicariate, Fr. Edward Chapman and Fr. James Lynne

A public event during the Anniversary celebration held from

4th to the 11th of September 2011

Santo Tomás de Villanueva, Conciones(St. Thomas of Villanova, Sermons)

Library of christian authors

vol. I. Advent and Christmas season – vol. II. Lenten season

After more than four centuries, the literary work of St. Thomas of Villanova (1482 –

1555), Augustinian friar and Archbishop of Valencia, has been released for the first time in

a critical bilingual edition prepared by a team of Spanish Augustinian researchers. A num-

ber of different factors motivated this arduous task: the difficulty of access to the work of

the Saint, the last edition of which was that of Manila (1881-1883; 1897); and the need of

a Spanish edition, since almost the totality of his “conciones” or sermons have been pub-

lished in Latin. The team of researchers wishes to make known to a wide audience – religious and lay – the unique

form of expression, by way of preaching, of a wise and clear-visioned man of God, a saint. Finally, this work attempts

to respond to a deeply felt desire within the Order of St. Augustine, to which Thomas belonged, and of the Diocese

of Valencia, which he served, to make his teachings clear and accessible, so that, one day in the not too distant

future he would be honored with the deserved title of Doctor of the Universal Church.

PUBLICATIONS

The Augustinian contempla-tive monastery of Santo Niño deCebu celebrated its 25th year offoundation on May 22, 2011 withthe newly installed Archbishop ofCebu, Msgr. Jose S. Palma as themain celebrant of the Eucharist.

The idea to found a contem-plative monastery in the Philip-pines originated with the accept-ance of Filipina candidates by theMonastery of Santa Lucia in Rome.When the late Archbishop of Mani-la, Jaime Cardinal Sin, visited theMonastery of Santa Lucia in 1980,aware that there were some Filip-ina nuns there, he extended aninvitation to the community toestablish a foundation in thePhilippines. This proposal wasstudied, reflected upon, andprayed over by the nuns, and waspresented to the then Prior Gener-al of the Order, Father TheodoreTack, when he presided at the pro-fession of the first Filipina candi-date to the monastery, Sr. Josefa

Jaudal. The Prior General indicat-ed his agreement with the idea, buthe asked the nuns to discern fur-ther. Finally, in 1985, a go-aheadsignal was given by the new PriorGeneral, Father Martin Nolan, andon the 9th of October of that year,the Prioress of Santa Lucia, MotherElena Leva, and Sister Lucy Grey,the second Filipina to enter themonastery, left for the Philippinesto bring to fruition the dream ofmany Santa Lucia nuns, both Filip-inas and Italians, the foundation ofthe first Augustinian contemplativemonastery in the only Catholiccountry in Asia at the time (EastTimor, also a Catholic country,only came into existence later).Accompanying the two nuns wasFr. Eusebio Berdon, the first PriorProvincial of Santo Niño de CebuProvince, who was passing throughRome after a meeting of the MajorSuperiors of the Order in Madrid.

On arriving in Manila, andwhile looking for a possible site for

the new foundation, the nuns werehosted first by the Cebu Province,then by the Augustinian Sisters ofOur Lady of Consolation. But be-cause of the very difficult politicaland social situation at the time inthe Manila area, the Province ofSanto Niño, during its Intermedi-ate Provincial Chapter in April,1986, approved the donation, “adusum perpetuum”, of a one-hectare parcel of its property inMohon, Talisay, Cebu. In apprecia-tion for this generous offering, andfirmly believing that the realizationof the new foundation was madepossible by the intervention of thepopular and miraculous SantoNiño de Cebu, the Council andmembers of the community ofSanta Lucia in Rome voted toname the new foundation, the Au-gustinian Monastery of Santo Niño deCebu.

On April 20, 1986 prepara-tions for the construction of themonastery began, but the formallaying and blessing of the corner-stone by the then Archbishop ofCebu, Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, tookplace on May 13, 1986. And onMay 22, 1987, feast of Saint Rita,patroness of the monastery’schapel, the first wing of themonastery was blessed by BishopCamilo Gregorio.

From then on, this monasterycontinued to grow, both in termsof witnessing to the Augustiniancontemplative way of life and in itsstructure and service. The first ismanifest in the numerous voca-tions entering the monastery, andthe latter by the construction of asmall kindergarten school whichcontributes to the Catholic forma-

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FIRST AUGUSTINIANCONTEMPLATIVE MONASTERY IN APAC

CELEBRATES SILVER JUBILEE

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Mohon nuns with the Archbishop emeritusof Cebu, His Eminence Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal

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tion of the young children in theneighborhood and serves also asone of the main sources of suste-nance of the nuns. This initialabundance of vocations made pos-sible assistance to other monaster-ies of the Order, especially those inItaly (Spello, Modigliana, Milan,Figline) and also in other founda-tions of its Mother Monastery, San-ta Lucia, in Romania and Canada.Lately, in 2008, the Monastery alsoestablished its own daughter foun-dation, that of the AugustinianMonastery of the Holy Trinity, inMerida, Leyte, Philippines. And in2011 the Archdiocese of Cebu do-

nated to the monastery a lot alongthe sea in Maya, Daanbantayan,Cebu, which could serve, once astructure is built, as an extensionfor rest and more intense prayer bythose in need.

Participating in the anniver-sary Eucharist of Thanksgivingwere friars from both the Provinceof Santo Niño de Cebu and theVicariate of the Orient, led by theirrespective Major Superiors, andother Superiors and delegates tothe meeting of the Core AnimatingTeam of the OSAAP renewal pro-gram, and various representativesfrom the other branches of the Au-

gustinian families, from the localclergy, and other religious congre-gations. Present also were the Pres-ident of the Federation of Augus-tinian contemplative monasteriesof Italy, Mother Rita Piccione, andSister Elena Leva of Santa LuciaMonastery, Rome, who had beenthe first Delegate Superior of San-to Niño Monastery when it was stilldependent on Santa Lucia, as wellas other members of the variousAugustinian contemplative monas-teries in the Philippines.

The present Prioress of thecommunity is Mother Maria Eliza-beth Montuya. After only 25 years,there are now five other Augustin-ian monasteries in the Philippinesaside from Santo Niño and itsdaughter monastery in Leyte, allwith Italian roots: the Monastery ofOur Mother of Good Counsel inBulacan, of the Italian Federationbut entrusted to the Monastery ofLecceto; that of the Resurrectionin Bohol, dependent on theMonastery of Modigliana; theMonastery of Santa Rita in Sorso-gon dependent on the Monasteryof Figline; and the Monastery ofSanta Monica in Guimaras depend-ent on the Monastery of Milan.

FR. EUSEBIO BERDON, O.S.A.Prior Provincial of the Province

of Santo Niño de Cebu-Philippines

Present members of the Mohon monastery

Its own daughter foundation, the Augustinian Monastery of the Holy Trinity,

inaugurated on February 21, 2009 in Merida, Leyte (Philippines)Façade of the monastery of Sto. Nino de Cebu

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VILLANOVA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

MAKES A MARK IN WEST PAPUA

The new Augustinian-sponsored VillanovaSenior High School in Indonesia opened on 16th

July 2010 with a blessing and inauguration ceremo-ny held on 9th October 2010. It is already makinga difference in the local area.

Villanova is located in the Susweni district, theexpansive metropolitan area of the city of Manok-wari and the capital of the governmental provinceof Western West-Papua. This area is occupied bypoor indigenous people who are mainly subsis-tence farmers. No capital or recurrent financial as-sistance has yet been received from the govern-ment but some funding is in fact, expected. Thereis presently no other catholic senior high school inManokwari (although there is a diocesan-ownedjunior high school there). Ten other senior highschools exist - public, private, Protestant andMoslem.

Augustinian involvement in Villanova is signifi-cant. Fr. Anton Tromp O.S.A. is the rector, and alayman, Mr. Hendrick Orisu, is headmaster. Fr.Tromp is also serving as a part-time teacher. Fourother Augustinians are doing the same for theschool’s first year of classes. A local pastor, Fr. Aloy-sius Teniwut, taught at Villanova during the firstpart of the school year; a solemnly professed friar,Paulus Willem Ulipi and two simply professed fri-ars, Gabriel Dorisara and Theo Taroreh teach

about one half of all class hours at Villanova.Gabriel is also the director of the boys’ hostelat the school. Other classes are conducted bypart-time lay teachers.

The latter three Augustinians at Villano-va are undertaking ministry experience aspart of their initial formation. A small resi-dence for the Augustinians, dedicated to St.Augustine, has been built on the property.

The land for the high school, compris-ing two hectares, was donated to the Delega-tion by a benefactor. It is gently sloping landthat has been graded to support three plat-forms for the construction of buildings. Thefirst phase of construction in 2010 providedfour buildings. These are an administrationcentre, a general classroom block, a staff cen-tre, and a block with specialist classrooms forscience and computer education.

In early 2011, a hostel residence was built. It isa building measuring 975 square meters includinga central courtyard. The hostel is intended for up toeighty students coming from the inland jungle ar-eas as far as 200 kilometers inland. A girls’ hostelwill be built once religious sisters arrive.

Villanova began with forty-eight tenth-year stu-dents; that is, 35 boys and 13 girls from 15 to 19years of age. Twenty of them are Catholic, 27Protestant and one is Moslem. All but four of thestudents are indigenous Papuans. Eleventh andtwelfth year students will begin in 2012. The master

Four of the five Augustinians who taught at Villanova during the school’s first year, 2010-2011

Left to right: Fr. Bernardus Baru (Delegation Superior), Mr. HendrickOrisu (Headmaster) and Fr. Anton Tromp (Rector of Villanova)

LAS IGLESIAS ORIENTALES(the oriental Churches)

Luis Marín de San Martín, OSA – Ediciones Religión y Cultura, 2011

e-mail:  ryc@agustinos-es.org

The Oriental Churches are the Christian communities which have grown in the East

or which were founded by the East in other places in the world, and which have their own

proper liturgy, discipline and spiritual patrimony, different from the Latins. As the Apostolic

Letter Orientale  lumen reminds us, “From the beginning, the Christian East has proved to

contain a wealth of forms capable of assuming the characteristic features of each individual

culture, with supreme respect for each particular community. We can only thank God for the wonderful variety with

which he has allowed such a rich and composite mosaic of different tesserae to be formed.” Unity in plurality; or plu-

rality which converges in unity.

This book offers a suggestive panoramic view of all the Oriental Churches, both Catholic and non-Catholic, with

a minute and clear reference to their history, theology, liturgy and structure, in the four great Eastern traditions

(Alexandrian, Antiochian, Byzantine and Armenian) and in the different Churches which have grown out of each of

these. Without a doubt, these pages are a magnificent means for a knowledge of Christianity in the East and entrance

into a world that is as unknown as it is rich, beautiful and filled with points of interest.

PUBLICATIONS

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There is a need for Catholic education in In-donesia – the most populous Moslem nation in theworld, with 240 million people - so that the CatholicChurch can contribute to national life and can bet-ter proclaim Gospel values.

Villanova Senior High School is a definite stepin this direction.

FR. ANTON TROMP, O.S.A.

plan will allow for asmany as four streams ofeach class year, thus pro-viding for a maximum en-rolment of 360 pupils,not expected for a num-ber of years.

It may be surprisingto persons from othercultures that during itsfirst year the enrollmentof Villanova decreased.However, this was expect-ed. The school hadsought indigenous stu-dents to promote highersecondary education,which is still rare amongWest Papua’s indigenouspeople. Some studentsleft Villanova either be-cause of academic difficulties, due to educationaldeficiencies in rural schools, or because of insuffi-cient self-discipline resulting in a lack of motivationin attendance or in studies.

Others may have come from families who de-sired a school in which corrupt practices ratherthan attendance at class and diligent study wouldlead to the granting of a graduation diploma. Thesehave now gone to other schools.

Villanova Senior High School

In the Augustinian parish of Sasaoka in Fukuoka,Japan, a new complex of church, parish hall, and fri-ary was completed in July. The parish hall and friarywere blessed by Fr. Hiroyuki Shibata, O.S.A, the Re-gional Vicar of Japan on 30th July, and the church wasdedicated on Saturday, 3rd September 2011 by BishopDominic Miyahara of the Diocese of Fukuoka.

It is one building with Saint Augustine’s Churchin the middle, its east wing being the parish hall andthe west wing being the friary. The new complex is adream come true for many of us, and in particular forFr. Tom Dwyer O.S.A., a veteran missionary to Japanwho is now living in retirement at Villanova Monasteryin the United States. He came up with the originalidea and was instrumental in commencing theproject.

Saint Augustine Sasaoka Catholic Church is oneand three quarters of an hour southwest of Tokyo by

air, and is the biggest city on the island of Kyushu witha population of approximately 1.5 million.

Saint Augustine Sasaoka Catholic Church is amedium size parish by Japanese standards, with amembership of about 850 individuals in the parishregistry. Almost all the parishioners are Japanese, withonly a few exceptions. It is approximately 4 kilometersor 2.5 miles long and 1.5 kilometers or a little lessthan a mile wide.

The Order came to Sasaoka in the spring of 1960in the person of Fr. George Krupa O.S.A. in order tostart preparing for the building of a parish and akindergarten. He was to become the first pastor orparish priest, but was diagnosed with leukemia beforethe building was completed. Consequently, almostagainst his will, he had to be taken back to the UnitedStates for treatment at the end of 1960. As much as hewanted to return to Japan, he died the following Feb-ruary at Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

After his first few months at Sasoaka, Fr. Krupa

Front exterior of the new St. Augustine’s Sasaoka Church, opened in August 2011

The kindergarten was staffed by religious sistersin its beginning years, but its principal has always beenan Augustinian. Fr. Tom Dwyer served a total of sometwenty years at three different times, the last tenure ofwhich was from April, 2009 to March, 2010. Then Fr.Thomas Masaki Imada O.S.A. took over (for the sec-ond time) when Fr. Dwyer returned to the U.S.A. toretire. Father Tom was responsible for the construc-tion of the present kindergarten building entirelymade of wood from the U.S. and Canada to replacethe original buildings.

While Fr. Dwyer was still the parish priest, he andthe parish council decided to rebuild the church,parish hall and friary to coincide with the 50th anniver-sary celebration of the parish in 2011, and started rais-ing funds in 2001. Preparation of the building site be-gan in July, 2010 with the demolition of the originalchurch and friary, and the parish hall which had beenbuilt in 1981 as part of the parish 25th anniversaryproject.

had been joined by two confreres, first by Fr. EdwardGriffin, O.S.A., and then by Brother Joseph Akakura,O.S.A., who became the first Japanese professed in theOrder for a number of centuries. After living over adozen years as a non-clerical brother, he studied forthe priesthood and was ordained by the late John PaulII in Nagasaki when the Pope visited Japan in Febru-ary, 1981. Fr. Joseph died in 1999.

The kindergarten was blessed and opened in lateApril, 1961. The first and original church, along withthe friary, was completed and dedicated in July, 1961,so both the parish and the kindergarten are fifty yearsold this year. Because in Sasaoka and, for that matter,in Japan in general, Catholics are under one percentof the entire population, the provision of a kinder-garten was not only a service to the local community,but an avenue of evangelization and a source of in-come for the Order as well.

The old parish Churchwhich was demolished

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The new church is octagonal in shape, 15.65 me-ters long (from north to south), 14 meters wide (fromeast to west), and stands 11.3 meters at the highestpoint. It can seat 220 people on rows of pews whichare shaped and arranged in such a way for people tomore or less gather around the altar, such that it willbe conducive to active participation of the congrega-tion in the liturgy. On the left-hand side, that is, adja-cent to the church facing the altar, there is a smallchapel for weekday masses which opens up to thechurch when there is a need to accommodate morepeople in the latter. Likewise, to the left of the en-trance to the church is a columbarium over threetimes as large as the one we had before.

One of the salient features of the church is alarge glass curtain wall that forms the upper half ofthe facade and also extends to either side of thechurch facing east and west. Decorated with stainedglass, this glass curtain wall allows soft natural light toilluminate the church. Another distinct feature is awhite-brick wall behind the altar which catches youreye as you step into the church. It helps to sustaincalmness and sense ofserenity inside. Addi-tionally, a new Allen or-

gan from the United States has been installed.Fr. Peter Mitaru Toyama O.S.A., who took over

from Father Tom as parish priest in 2008, has been incharge of the building project. For him, as well as forthe Order in Japan, one of the biggest concerns wasthe funding, because it is a major and costly project inthis day and age.

That being said, a parish is more than its build-ings and he looks at the whole project not only as thetime to build a church and other facilities in bricksand mortar with physical walls, but also as an opportu-nity, a challenge to lead the parish community to growas the Body of Christ so that there may be greater har-mony and deeper unity within, and greater opennessto the local community of Sasaoka and beyond. Nei-ther task is easy, and yet with the grace of God, FatherMitaru and I remain hopeful. With the entire parishcommunity we now rejoice in the completion of thisproject.

FR. THOMAS MASAKI IMADA, O.S.A.

THE ORDER IN THE DIGITAL AGE

We hope that by now you have seen, and have been following, the Order’snew webpage: www.augustinians.net. It was officially launched on August28, 2011, and is managed completely by and within the Order’s General Curia.

After several attempts at providing a site that is informative, easy tonegotiate, and able to be updated regularly, we hope we have met with somesuccess.

Please let us know what you think! We are anxious to receive your suggestions for its improvement as wellas collaboration in bringing the news and information of the Order to our members.

We especially invite secretaries of the various circumscriptions to forward to us in a timely fashion, viaemail, material that will be of interest to the whole Order, including where possible, pertinent photos, logos, etc.All communication regarding the website and its contents should be sent to Fr. Michael Di Gregorio or Fr.Melchor Mirador at: osapage@augustinians.net .

new website

Fr. Tom Dwyer OSA,former pastor at Sasaoka/Fukuoka who launched the building project. He is now in retirement at Villanova

Monastery, Villanova, PA., U.S.A.

Interior of new St. Augustine’s Sasaoka Church, opened in August 2011

HERE AND THERE AROUND THE ORDER

SAINT AUGUSTINE ACCORDING TO CARAVAGGIO

A painting “discovered” in a private collectionin Britain has been judged recently by scholars tobe a work of the 16th century artist, MichelangeloMerisi da Caravaggio. Caravaggio, as he is commonly

known, brought something new to the world of artthrough his bounteous use of light and dark con-trasts in the presentation of his work. London’s ‘TheGuardian’ of June 20, 2011 reported: “The oil on can-vas depiction of Saint Augustine, an expressive, ma-ture work (is) dated to around 1600 - when he (Car-avaggio) was 28… leading Renaissance scholar,David Franklin, director of the Cleveland Museum ofArt … said the Saint Augustine discovery was impor-tant because it is totally new… What’s interesting isthat it’s a rather conservative image. Maybe that’swhy it hadn’t been known. It shows a side of Caravag-gio perhaps that is not as drastic and antagonistic asusual but where he was working … to try to create amuch more quiet image of a saint.” Other well-known works of the artist are to be found in two Au-gustinian churches of Rome, Santa Maria del Popoloand Sant’Agostino.

“TOGETHER MAKING HISTORY, TOGETHER FIND-ING THE PATH” was the slogan of the XVII General Assem-bly of the Latin American Organization of Augustinians(OALA) held this year in Santa Fe de Bogota, Colombia. Inthe afternoon of the first day the Prior General made his of-ficial speech, outlining what he considers to be the princi-pal challenges for OALA: the youth ministry, rediscoveringthe missionary spirit, ongoing formation and the problemsof OALA itself. In the final Eucharist, presided over by Fr.John Lydon, outgoing Secretary of OALA, Brother VictorLozano Roldan, elected new Secretary invited everyone toreturn to our origins, recalling the historic missionaries ofthe Continent, and to live out their Religious Life, centred onChrist: “Brothers, we are sons of the Eagle of Hippo, eaglebecause he flies high and eagle because he sees farahead. We are heirs of the saints and missionaries whosowed the first seed of the faith on our continent, coherentmen who responded to the threats and challenges of thesociety of that time”.

In addition to Brother Victor, the other members ofthe Governing Council elected are: Fr. Aridio Tavera (Edu-

cation), Fr. Jaime Soria (Justice and Peace), Fr. GustavoContreras (Urban and Missionary Pastoral), Fr. JoséDemetrio Jiménez (Formation), Fr. Benjamín García (Youthand Vocations) and Fr. Miguel Fuertes Prieto (Bursar).

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NEW PROVINCIAL –ELECT

CEBU - Fr. Eusebio B. Berdon, OSA

(2nd term)

The participants of OALA Assembly

Flash

St. Augustine

Stephen BellesiniBlessed Forever ?

At the entrance to the chapel of the General Curia in

Rome, just behind the ambo, there is a familiar painting of our

brother, Stephen Bellesini. It is a copy of an original work done

by G. Toeschi in 1905, depicting a crowning moment, and possi-

bly one of the last, of Stephen’s life. He stands close to the bed-

side of an infirm man, administering perhaps the sacrament of

the sick or simply offering him some physical comfort, while

the man’s wife presses her head to the bed, seemingly over-

come with grief or exhaustion. Two young children look on

anxiously.

The artist touchingly captured here an important aspect

of the ministry which occupied the latter part of Stephen’s life,

as he visited the homes of the townspeople, bringing them the

comfort of the sacraments and oftentimes material assistance

as well, during the typhus epidemic which struck Genazzano in the Spring of 1839. As we know, less than a year later,

Stephen, himself, would fall victim to the pestilence and would succumb - a martyr of charity - faithful to the end.

Fidelity in challenging circumstances was something Stephen had learned early on as an Augustinian. Just three

years after his religious profession, and still only twenty-two years of age, he experienced the effects of a rising revolu-

tionary campaign that forced him to leave the monastery in Bologna where he was studying, and return to his native city

to continue his education under the guidance of tutors. His years as a young priest were spent in the trying circum-

stances of a Church under siege by a government desirous of limiting its influence and eventually putting an end to the

religious way of life which Stephen had professed. Finally, after several years of tension and uncertainty, Stephen and his

community were expelled from their monastery for good, forbidden to wear any longer the habit of their religious pro-

fession. They would never return. The monastery would never re-open.

Seven years later, the priest Stephen, by now a successful and respected educator who had championed the rights

of poor and underprivileged children, and won the admiration and love of the people, through a plan marked by a com-

bination of intrigue and grace, was able to take up once again his religious way of life, but at a great price: the forfeiture

of human respect and his good name in the eyes of some, and the loss of legal status in the judgment of his homeland as

he was branded a criminal. Stephen arrived in Rome, at the convent of Sant’Agostino, on October 23, 1817. He found

there the warm embrace of fellow religious who were anxiously awaiting his arrival, and who rejoiced, as he did, at his

homecoming. For the next fourteen years he was to serve as Master of Novices and finally, as pastor at Genazzano

where he rendered caring and devoted service until his death in 1840.

This past September 10th, Feast of Nicholas of Tolentino, the first canonized saint of the Order, the juxtaposition of

ambo from which the readings at Mass were being proclaimed, with the image of Blessed Stephen positioned just behind

it, prompted a question: And why not him? That is, will he be Blessed Stephen forever?

Certainly Stephen’s sanctity is not at issue. Champion of youth, advocate for justice, comforter of the sick, guardian

of the poor: his message is timely, his life is exemplary, and his love for and commitment to religious life speaks loudly to

Augustinians of today. The Postulator of Causes might tell us that Stephen needs to obtain a miracle! And so we might

be inclined to leave the question at Stephen’s feet … and wait. But, to borrow an opinion expressed in another context,

“how will they call on him if they have not heard of him?”

It is well known that the Order put great weight behind the effort to have Nicholas’ sanctity and example confirmed

by the Church long ago. Have we lost interest in such things? Pope Paul VI reminded us some years back, “Modern man

listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers”. In Stephen Bellesini the Order has a powerful witness to show forth, a

religious and priest who has much to say to religious, priests and so many categories of people in need today. How can

we make him better known in our churches and schools, among young people, the sick, and, indeed, even among our own

members? Blessed Stephen, pray that we know - and follow - the way!

FR. MICHAEL DI GREGORIO, OSA

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