Augustinan Magazine Fall 2019

AUGUSTINIAN Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova

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elcoming the power of God working within us all.

Augustinian.org

Fall 2019

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“The servant of God is the people of God, the Church of God.” - Commentary on the Gospel of St. John 106

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table of

Contents Augustinian on the way to Sainthood

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Prior Provincial

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The Theology of Hope

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The Augustinian Novitiate

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Laity Congress

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Vocation Motivation

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God’s Grace

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Unity, Truth and Love in an Inner City Parish

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One Volunteer Year, A Lifetime of Service

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Insight to a New Perspective

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Augustinian Wisdom

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In the Footsteps of Augustine

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In Paradisum

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Your Legacy can Make an Impact

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Cover

Formation Gathering 2019 photo by: Br. Dominic Smith, O.S.A.

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Augustinian on the way to Sainthood All I can tell you is this. At 6 AM this morning, God sent me a huge cross to crush me; that much I'm sure. But at 6:01 he sent a lot of people to help me carry it.

- Fr. Bill Atkinson, 1965

Step efFaith The

Bill Atkinson Story

Cause for Canonization in the Church FuLL-LENGTH MOVIE Now AVAILABLE AT

AuGUSTINIAN.ORG/the-cause

HELP SPREAD THE WORD, SHARE THE WEBSITE ON SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY!

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For information on Fr. Bill's Cause, to report favors received, or to share information, please contact: Fr. Bill Atkinson Guild at AtkinsonGuild@augustinian.org 2

VOLUME 15, ISSUE 3

Fall 2019

AUGUSTINIAN Publication of the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova

Prior Provincial

Cher A. Rago EDITOR

accent communications, inc.

DESIGN

CONTACT Editor

Augustinian Provincial Offices 214 Ashwood Road Villanova, PA 19085 PHONE 610.527.3330 FAX 610.520.0618 EMAIL communications@augustinian.org

AUGUSTINIANS

Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova

Michael F. Di Gregorio, O.S.A. PRIOR PROVINCIAL

Francis J. Horn, O.S.A. TREASURER

James D. McBurney, O.S.A. SECRETARY

COUNSELORS John F. Deary, O.S.A. Raymond F. Dlugos, O.S.A. Francis J. Doyle, O.S.A. Robert P. Hagan, O.S.A. Craig M. McMahon, O.S.A. Arthur P. Purcaro, O.S.A. PROVINCIAL OFFICES Joanna Bowen

DIRECTOR OF AUGUSTINIAN VOLUNTEERS

John F. Deary, O.S.A.

DIRECTOR OF AUGUSTINIAN LAITY

John E. Deegan, O.S.A.

DIRECTOR OF JUSTICE AND PEACE

Three generations of Augustinian Friars: (l-r) Fr. Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A., Prior Provincial (First Profession of Vows: 9/10/1966), Br. Michael Riggs, O.S.A. (First Profession of Vows: 8/3/2019), and Fr. David Creegan, O.S.A., Director of Novices (First Profession of Vows: 8/12/1995)

Dear Friends, It seems to be the shared opinion of many people that the summer months slip by all too quickly. Certainly, by the time you read this, they are a fading memory. Hopefully, however, while we were in the midst of them, they provided significant refreshment and renewal to better equip us to ‘start all over again.’

Starting over again is what we are often about when life, even for a time, provides no apparent great events that stand out as markers pointing to endpoints and new beginnings. Sometimes, it’s a word that’s spoken or a memory that’s nudged, or the example of another person, that can move us to take a new direction or pull us up from a sluggish pattern of life.

We might think of this as a moment of awakening or, in Augustinian language, a prompt to conversion. Conversion, after all, doesn’t have to be a radical change from sin to virtue. It can also be that steady, up-hill movement, from good to better, from possibility to reality, from thought to action.

Such is the perspective that forms a background for the events recorded in this issue of our magazine, offering a glimpse of the ‘new’ even in the very familiar, and reminding us of the ‘ordinary’ in all that is novel.

Richard C. Ekmann, O.S.A.

We are happy to share with you our story in this, and in each, issue of the Augustinian, with best wishes and blessings for today and tomorrow.

Joseph L. Narog, O.S.A.

Sincerely,

ARCHIVIST

DIRECTOR OF VOCATIONS

Lacie Michaelson

DIRECTOR OF AUGUSTINIAN DEFENDERS OF THE RIGHTS OF THE POOR

Cher A. Rago

Fr. Michael

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Madonna Sutter

DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT

Augustinian.org © copyright 2019

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The Theology of Hope

A Call to Renewal

By Joseph Kelley

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he Provincial Chapter of 2018, which gathered the great majority of the friars of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova to reflect on core values, present needs and future hopes, commissioned the Prior Provincial and Council to undertake a program for the renewal of Augustinian life. The Council chose to initiate this program by means of a province-wide retreat, which was led by an old and close friend of the friars, theologian and Augustinian scholar Dr. Joseph Kelley, who records here our time together.

Augustinian Retreat 2019

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r. Jim Paradis, O.S.A., Br. Bob Thornton, O.S.A. and I were asked to work together to design a five-day retreat during which the friars of the province could gather, reflect on the challenges before them, and listen to Augustinian themes that would provide comfort, strength and courage. Beyond the crisis in the Church, the province has also had to face decreasing membership

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and difficult decisions to leave parishes where they served for many years; problems felt by most religious orders and dioceses today.

During the second week of June, about 90 friars gathered for the retreat at Villanova. From the very beginning of the retreat, at the opening Evening Prayer on Sunday and the dinner that followed, the mutual support and fraternal respect among the friars was evident.

It was clear that Augustinian community life itself was one of the most important resources for this assembly.

The fraternal bonds of friendship were a means of grace and healing.

The gathering of friars brought to mind Augustine’s

words about the importance of friendship in his own life and ministry during the difficult days of the early 400s: “I admit that I find it easy to abandon my whole self to the love of them, especially when I am wearied by the scandals of the world, and I find rest in that love without any worry. I, of course, feel that God is in that person to whom I abandon myself with security and in whom I find rest in security And in that security I do not at all fear that incertitude of tomorrow stemming from human fragility.

(Letter 73.10).”

There was also a deep humility among the friars in the gathering.

There was an openness to explore shared responsibility for what has

happened in the Church through the abuse scandal, and a deep desire to discern how to proceed. Such humility opened up a way to serious renewal and conversion of how Augustinians are being called to live religious life today.

During the days of retreat a rhythm emerged, balancing reflections on the thoughts of St. Augustine with personal testimony from friars, integrating the Liturgy of the Hours and daily Eucharist with private meditation and contemplation.

Three major Augustinian themes helped set the tone of the retreat: Augustine’s

The ultimate rule for the exercise of memory is the same as that which Augustine identified as the ultimate rule for interpreting scripture.

We need, he writes in Book III of De Doctrina Christiana, “to carefully turn over in our minds and meditate upon what we read until an interpretation be found that leads to love.”

– De Doctrina Christiana III.15.23

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insights into memory, his theology of hope, and his call for the church always to be reforming itself (semper reformanda). A brief comment on each of these.

In his Confessions, Augustine provides a model for Christian recollection and reflection. He invites those who read Confessions to imitate him in recalling the events, relationships, mistakes and opportunities of one’s own life in the light of Christian faith and divine grace. Our past is not a haphazard series of mistakes or an accumulation of chance occurrences.

Faith teaches us that God’s slow providence weaves its way in and out 6

of the contingencies of our lives, gently coaxing and guiding us to choose what leads to life and love, enlightening our minds and strengthening our wills by grace.

The exercise of Augustinian memory is a quiet, thoughtful, prayerful recollection of the events of our lives in both the distant past and more recent times seeking the enlightenment of divine grace to see God’s love ever at work in our life stories.

As we review our lives, grace reveals the presence and power of God throughout. In Augustinian recollection, we grow ever more aware of the role of God’s amazing grace, ever

more thankful for what we have received at every turn, and ever more humble in our realization of God’s goodness to us. At its depths, Augustinian memory ultimately reveals God’s humility in Christ.

In Jesus, God joined our human stories, shared in our struggles and pain, and became the way forward

for us, no matter how many times we may have lost our way.

The second day of the retreat focused on Augustinian hope. The challenges before the Church and the Order today can feel overwhelming. How do Augustinians find hope amidst discouragement, confusion and doubt?

Augustine helps us focus on where to place our hope.

Throughout his long work City of God, Augustine advises his fellow Christians of the early fifth century to place their hope on the essentials of Christian faith.

The Church, the Order and various forms of Christian life and practice are all subject to constant change.

Their historical forms and particular expressions will continue to evolve and grow over the centuries.

But underneath these secondary characteristics, there are essential principles that define what it is to be a Christian, to be Church, to be an Augustinian.

During such trying times as we are in now, it is crucial to return to these underlying principles and put our hope in them, and in the God who has revealed them to us through Christ.

Another theme that emerges from City of God, which we considered on the third day of retreat, is Augustine’s reminder that the Church must always reform itself.

Over the centuries the thought of St. Augustine and the ministry of the Order have often called the Church to reform and to new life. The president of the 16th century Council of Trent, for example, was the Augustinian friar and Renaissance scholar Girolamo Seripando. Four hundred years later the documents of the Second Vatican Council cite Augustine more than any other Father of the Church.

How might the Order exercise its role as ecclesial reformer today? What medicines and prescriptions from its theological and pastoral resources might the Order offer the Church in the present crisis? How can Augustinians bring both consolation and challenge to a universal church that has been so publically confronted on its abuse of power, on its presumption of impunity?

Retreatants reflected on the basic Augustinian charism of “unity in charity” as a powerful remedy for both local churches and the universal Catholic family. On the final days of the retreat, members of the province focused on next steps forward.

None of us knows what the coming years hold in store for us as individuals, as an Order or as Church.

However, what we do know is that members of the province found in this retreat an experience of divine grace that they shared in fraternal love, nurtured in common prayer and deepened in quiet contemplation. If we continue to devote time to the practice of Augustinian recollection and memory, if we put our hope in the essential principles of our life of faith, and if we extend to our local churches and the Church Universal Augustine’s legacy of unity in charity, the Order will yet again exercise its call to be an inspiration for reform and renewal.

Joseph Kelley is Professor of Religious and Theological Studies at Merrimack College in North Andover, MA, and an affiliate of the Order, together with his wife Alina.

Province Retreat photographer: Fr. Daniel McLaughlin, O.S.A.

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The

Augustinian Novitiate

By Father Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A.

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Moves Eastward

n July 23, 1925, the Novitiate of Our Mother of Good Counsel was canonically established in New Hamburg, New York, on the 200-acre estate of Isaac Untermyer, known as Carnwarth. For many years previously, the novitiate had been located on the campus of Villanova College, but given the growth in the Province and new norms established in the law of the Church, the expansive, remote property on the Hudson was judged to be more conducive to the life of prayer and recollection that the novitiate called for. One month afterwards, on August 15, 1925, the first novices arrived in New Hamburg to begin their year of religious formation.

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inety-four years later to the very day, July 23, 2019, a new site for the Novitiate of Our Mother of Good Counsel was canonically approved by the General Curia of the Order, in the former home of James and Mary Colleran, which they offered as a gift to the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova.

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The first novices arrived to begin their formation at this new site on August 15, 2019.

For more than 50 years, the ‘old novitiate’ on the Hudson had served as training ground for hundreds of candidates to Augustinian religious life – as many as 30 or 40 or more

each year. However, as the number of entrants diminished in the last quarter of the 20th century, the novitiate program was moved first to New York City, then to Lawrence, Massachusetts, to provide an atmosphere more suitable for a smaller number of novices. Then, in 1986, following discussions among the three United States Provinces, the decision was made to form a single novitiate for North America. The site chosen was a large monastery attached to the Parish of St. Rita, which had been founded by German Augustinians in Racine, Wisconsin, but which in 1986 was under the care of the Chicago Province. For 33 years, scores of novices from across the country, as well as occasionally from Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, Malta, Germany and Poland, were introduced here to the Augustinian way of life.

For the past several years, conversations began again about the continued use of the Racine foundation as the desired site for novitiate formation: the building was much larger than needed for a small community and it was fairly remote from other Augustinian communities.

Eventually, the decision was made to seek a new location once again.

As various possibilities were being explored, Mr. and Mrs. James Colleran became aware of our search,

and offered their spacious and elegant home for this purpose.

The Collerans had some years earlier moved their primary residence to the city of Philadelphia and were using the much larger home in which they had raised their family only occasionally.

The Province gratefully accepted this most generous gift, and with the consent of the three Provinces, the newly acquired home was designated as the novitiate site.

Our Mother of Good Counsel Novitiate is located at the intersection of Upper Gulph Road and County Line Road in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and is in close proximity to a number of other Augustinian communities. The team of three friars who form the permanent community of the novitiate are Fr. Richard O’Leary, O.S.A., prior; Fr. David Cregan, O.S.A., novice director; and Fr. Aldo Potencio, O.S.A., treasurer and assistant to the director.

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Laity Congress

From all over the world we come together in Augustine

By Cher A. Rago

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his past June, the Province’s Augustinian Laity headed to Sacrofano, Italy, located just outside of Rome, to attend the International Augustinian Laity Congress. The Congress meets every six years and this year’s theme was “Joy of the Gospel” (JOTG). There were over 100 attendees comprised of Lay Augustinians from all over the world, plus friars from St. Monica’s (Rome). Among those in attendance were Augustinian Seculars, Friends & associated Laity of North America (FANA), Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, Peru, Malta, Portugal, Spain, England, Scotland, Ireland, Netherlands, Australia and Mexico. Representing our Province were Dutch and Gerri Wernert and Julianne Marino of Our Mother of Good Counsel Chapter in Bryn Mawr, PA; Teri Idler and Dennis Delikat, of the Sts. Alypius & Possidius Chapter in Cape Coral, FL; and Bill and Maryann O’Connor of both Chapters (St. Monica - Villanova, & Sts. Alypius & Possidius - Cape Coral, FL).

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primary goal set by the International Augustinian Laity Congress was to motivate and stimulate the Augustinian Laity to help the Church move forward with the guidance of Pope Francis’s The Joy of the Gospel: Evangelii Gaudium (JOTG). Presented in various languages, talks varied with this theme in mind: “Is This Still a Time for the Laity?

The Testimony of Christians in a Secular World” by Ms. Paola Bignardi, President of the Italian Catholic Action, Pontifical Office; “Spiritual Exercises with St. Augustine: An Instrument of Evangelization for the Laity” by Fr. Andres Nino, O.S.A., Clinical Psychologist; “Simon of Cascia (1295 -1348) Italy and Alonso de Orozco (1500 - 1591) Spain. Guides for the Augustinian Laity of Today” by Fr. Josef Sciberras, O.S.A., Postulator General of the Order (in charge of the causes for Beatification and Canonization for the Order); and “Sharing the Joy of the Gospel through Community, Service and Marriage” by Bill O’Connor, F.A.S., Secular Augustinian from the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova, US. Bill O’Connor, the American speaker of the

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congress and former Augustinian Friar, offered encouragement to the laity in his talk, “Sharing the Joy of the Gospel through Community, Service and Marriage.” Bill led with a community reflection that embraced the state of the church and the Order of St. Augustine: “We find ourselves today in a church and in an Order that is in many ways, at a crossroad. Do we continue to do things the way we have always done them? Or do we become bold and creative (JOTG, 33) and engage in rethinking the way we live in community?”

The Order humbly realizes the need for help from the laity.

“I cannot explain why I felt called to attend the 4th International Congress of Lay Augustinians, nor can I adequately describe what a privilege it was to be there. As a relatively new Lay Augustinian, I knew that I had a great deal to learn about the Order of St. Augustine. What I did not anticipate was how much I would learn about it by attending the Congress. Our history, our heritage, our worldwide presence, our current challenges; I learned about all of this – and more – from loving and generous fellow Augustinians from around the world, as well as from the many priests and friars who attended and participated.

The important work of the Congress, the festive meals we shared, our pilgrimage to Cascia, our Mass at The Vatican, the many other moving liturgies and Masses we celebrated together – all of it contributed to a new and most humbling awareness of what it means to be an Augustinian.

I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to go to it, and for the many blessings that have come of it.”

— Julianne Marino of Our Mother of Good Counsel Secular Group, Bryn Mawr, PA

They are able to promote the good of the Catholic faith and demonstrate its advantages. Bill O’Connor explains the call to balance: “We, as Secular, Lay, or Fraternal Augustinians have been in, around and a part of the Order ever since its very beginnings. However, we are but one leg of a table, a table comprised of friars, contemplative nuns, seculars, religious congregations of apostolic life, and associated laity who together work with and support us, not only in our Journey together as One, but in all of our various missions. If any of the supporting legs does not fulfill its destiny and falls short, the entire table will tilt, and go off balance.” He continues, “St. Augustine insisted upon moderation.

We must take care not to make our way of life burdensome. But, what does this mean? That, as Francis exhorts us continually, we must be ready to go out, to “go forth to everyone without exception” (JOTG,48), to offer ourselves as a model of community, of faith‑filled believers, journeying together in common.”

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e have come here to ever so briefly live, pray, eat, laugh and learn from each other to share our experiences in community.

It is also incumbent upon us to take what we learn from here and be missionaries, bringing our Way of Life back to the worlds from which we each have come, to offer what we have discerned together to those who seek to drink from the deep fountain of Augustinian spirituality, resources and values – our Augustinian ethos.

— Bill O’Connor, F.A.S. (bill.oconnor@augustinian.org)

Fr. John Deary, O.S.A., Director of Augustinian Laity with the Province’s Augustinian Seculars

Learn More Contact Fr. John Deary, O.S.A., Director of Augustinian Secular Groups at jfdosa@yahoo.com 11

Vocation Motivation

By Father Joseph L. Narog, O.S.A.

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rom November 10th through the 17th, our Province will be celebrating Vocation Awareness Week.

It’s an idea that was endorsed by the Chapter of 2018. This particular week was chosen for the first time last year, as it centers around the Feast of All Saints of the Order and the birthday of St. Augustine on November 13th. It reminds us that we follow in a long line of men and women, who answered God’s call, and that God continues to call today. In fact, walking the way of Jesus the Christ and Augustine means we have to keep returning to the Lord and humbly asking, “What do you want of me?”

Vocation Awareness Week helps us focus on that question more intentionally, but it also stresses the importance of creating an environment or culture where we can freely and openly talk about vocations, including specifically to our Augustinian way of life. We each can engage through prayer, especially for our men in formation, and by encouraging those who might be thinking of becoming an Augustinian. Please keep your eye out for further details and events. And let’s remember that promoting and raising awareness of vocations surely isn’t limited to a week!

Fr. Joseph L. Narog, O.S.A. Director of Vocations

Reflections

How was I attracted to the Augustinians and where did it lead me?

Father Joseph Mostardi, O.S.A.

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Fr. Joseph Mostardi, O.S.A. (front row, centered) in prayer

or some this might be a complicated question to answer but for me it started during my years as a student at Msgr.

Bonner High School staffed by the Augustinian Community. In the mid-’60s the friars numbered about 45 with an average age of around 32. The energy and enthusiasm for their ministry, and the comradery that existed within the community, was both inviting and somewhat contagious. It is no wonder that over 50 of us are Bonner alumni.

During my sophomore year, I was asked if I wanted a job working around the Monastery doing various tasks, like gardening, window washing and answering the phone. Prior to my working at the Monastery, I only saw things from the outside looking in, but after several months of being involved in their day-to-day lives, I saw a group of men intentionally caring for one another, through prayer, ministry and bonds of fraternity. By the end of my junior year, I was signed, sealed and delivered to Staten Island where our minor seminary was located.

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Looking back over 50 years of religious life and 44 years of priestly ministry, I can honestly say that I had no idea where all this was going to lead me in the future.

My ministries have been varied and quite challenging.

Community life and ministry in the Church following Vatican II were filled with a complex network of selfdiscovery and professional and spiritual awareness that I had never anticipated. I can honestly say that the person, Augustinian, and priest that I once thought I would be is not the person, friar or priest that I have become due to many grace-filled moments that I was too young and naive to even imagine when looking at religious life as a high school student.

The needs of the Order and the changing demographics within our nation created new and unique ministerial opportunities not only for me but for all of us involved in ministry within the Church.

As one of the directors of our formation program, I truly enjoy helping to prepare our friars for solemn profession and ordination in their post-novitiate years.

I am constantly encouraging our younger friars to look within themselves as they listen carefully to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, attempting to discern where God might be calling them. The complex nature of ministry in the 21st century, along with diminishing numbers of clergy and religious, creates even more demands on our men in formation. For all of us, this is a long process of coming first to know oneself and through that self-knowledge we come to know God. St. Augustine reminds us, “Lord, let me know myself so that I may know You.” I know why I am an Augustinian and I have the advantage of looking back over many years of ministry to see where it has led me, but being open to God’s will is the best advice that I can provide for our men in formation as they prepare as I did for a life of discipleship and community as a friar in the Augustinian Order.

My Augustinian Inspiration Brother Michael Riggs, O.S.A.

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ot so long ago, I started to feel called to the religious life. What initially led me to the Augustinians was a chance encounter with the conversion story of St. Augustine.

I was inspired by how he established a community with his friends following that conversion with the purpose of always searching for God. I too shared that desire to live in community, and much to my delight I found that the Augustinians continue to give witness to Augustine’s original intent to live among brothers finding God in their life together.

As I went from meeting the Augustinians to living with them in the formation house, I learned firsthand what the joys and the challenges are when I put Augustine’s spirituality into practice.

What inspires me most about living with these men is how deeply in touch they are with their humanity and how they use that in their daily life to connect with others. It demonstrates to me that the universal call to holiness is rooted in our humility and certainly not in our perfectionism.

“

By now I was held but

slightly, but still was held.

And thou, O Lord, didst press upon me in my inmost heart with

Contact Us! Augustinian Vocation Office email: vocations@augustinian.org phone: 610.519.4674

a severe mercy.”

— Confessions, Book XIII

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God’s Grace w Click to Play Slide Show

First Profession of Vows

By Father Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A.

Family of newly professed, Br. Michael Riggs, O.S.A. (centered), (l-r) Peggy (sister), Mary (mother), Mike (father), Diana and Julia (sisters)

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ith gratitude for God’s blessings, the Augustinian Province of St. Thomas of Villanova received Michael Riggs, O.S.A. into the Order on August 3rd, 2019.

Br. Michael made his simple profession of vows at St. Thomas of Villanova Church, Villanova, PA before Fr. Joseph L. Farrell, O.S.A., Vicar General of the Order.

Simple vows are renewed annually for at least three years, after which a friar is invited to solemn profession. Simple vows mark the culmination of a candidate’s novitiate, a year-long period of prayer and discernment in which the novice is introduced to the Augustinian way of life.

During the celebration of his First Profession of Vows, Br. Michael Riggs, O.S.A., received the habit of the Order

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Formation Gathering 2019

By Brother Jeremy Hiers, O.S.A.

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s a student friar in formation, one of my favorite parts of the year is the annual Formation Gathering.

It is an opportunity for all the Augustinians across the United States who are either in formation or have been in active ministry for less than five years to get together and re-connect between academic years. Throughout the three-day event we attend talks/discussions related to formation, Augustinian spirituality and ministry; we renew our vows of poverty, chastity and obedience; and we have several social activities that enable us to continue to build our fraternal relationships. The weekend culminates with the first profession of vows where we have the opportunity to welcome those coming out of the Novitiate as newly professed members of the community. The gathering is a great way to learn from one another, grow deeper in our understanding of Augustinian spirituality and sustain community among the student Friars who are all at various stages of formation and locations across the U.S. I always leave the gathering with new energy and inspiration that enables me Friars in formation with Fr. Joseph Mostardi, O.S.A., Formation Director, to continue on the path of (centered), (l-r) Br. Elizandro Contreras, O.S.A., Br. Daniel Madden,O.S.A., formation to the Augustinian Br. Bill Gabriel, O.S.A. and Br. Jeremy Hiers, O.S.A. way of life that God is leading me on.

A Word from the Director of Formation at the Theologate in Chicago, Father Joseph Mostardi, O.S.A. “Formation is a time of growth and maturity no matter what age a person begins this journey. Providing our professed students a supportive community while they attempt to integrate their theological studies with the new experiences of ministry will hopefully motivate them as they discern God’s will, growing in holiness as a person and as an Augustinian. I hope that sharing the wisdom and experience I have acquired over the years will help to guide them in their understanding of the power of God working within them as they grow in awareness of their call to ministry and fraternity.”

Photographs by Br. Dominic Smith, O.S.A.

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Unity, Truth and Love

By Father Luis Vera, O.S.A.

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in anInner City Parish

ive together in harmony, being of one mind and heart on the way to God (Rule, Ch. 1.2). This quote from St. Augustine’s Rule is one of the first invitations he makes to those of us who are Augustinians. As we enter into the Order of St. Augustine we read this passage over and over and we struggle throughout our religious life to live by it; living in harmony and being of one mind and heart on the way to God. It has been my experience that our ministry, our service to others must come out of living together in harmony, one in mind and heart on the way to God. This idea of journeying together

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he society we are living in is one in which divisions have been increasing, the narrative of lies and violence colors the media and the lack of deep love permeates our relationships with one another. We just need to read the newspapers or watch the evening news to feel a level of fear and anxiety rising within us and still, in the midst of conflict and division our hearts search for Unity, Truth and Love!

We Christians call this process “the search for God.” We search for a God who calls us out of darkness into a great light.

This is a God who gathers us together in a community that, although diverse, is constantly struggling to embrace unity and the call to change. In that powerful embrace of communion we find light, we hold on to unity, we become aware of the power of grace and we build peace in a tapestry of people 16

linked together in Sacrament and prayer, in mourning and celebration, in the dying and the rising of hope – Harmony happens!

At St. Nicholas of Tolentine Parish in the Bronx, New York, we come together as a diverse people, from many countries and cultures, from all different tones of skin color and backgrounds but still, somehow in the mystery of baptism, we are united in one faith as children of a God who walks with us in the midst of drug and alcohol corners, in the bodegas (grocery stores) and fruit, vegetable and flower stands that cover the streets often filled with a cacophony of noises, and languages that to some might sound like a modern Babel but to others like a new day Pentecost with great rhythms.

All the main celebrations of the parish are trilingual: Spanish, English and Vietnamese.

A description of what we do and how we live in the parish community becomes clear in the Sacred

expectation for the time where they don’t have to flee their country of origin looking for a “better life.” They want to see the light of a better job or have a new life where they don’t have to hide because of their legal status or the color of their skin.

Tolentine welcomes everyone! We ALL walk together that Way of the Cross and together we rise to new life.

St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church, Bronx, NY

Triduum during Holy Week. The rituals and prayers, the gestures and songs describe our ministry and what we do at the corner of The Joy of the Easter Fordham Rd. and University Sunday begins to Ave. On a day-to-day ministry we happen on the Via wash each other’s feet by receiving crucis and continues and hosting all kinds of groups into the “Change is lived not just at six-building facilities of Tolentine, as the Holy Triduum but many people call it. throughout our daily lives – Groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and Resurrection happens by walking ttending Mass at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Narcotics Anonymous, Church in the Bronx is said to be a most uplifting together, working together both in English and experience. The outpouring charism of the Spanish, find a place to and washing each other’s feet community is an expression of faith that lives in the gather. We are the Body throughout the year.” body. At the Sprinkling of the Rite during this past of Christ taken, blessed, Easter Season, Fr. Luis Vera, O.S.A. was deeply moved broken and given in — Fr. Luis Vera, O.S.A. as he returned to the altar. He stood tall amongst the a weekly agape as we congregation and watched as all of the moving bodies come Sunday after Sunday to worship the — arms, hands and heads, swayed side to side. At that God of life, moment, he felt as though there was nothing else where many walk lifeless. as all different groups to exchange for what had been done in those passing meet throughout the moments. St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church was filled The Good Friday Way of parish. Cursillistas with God’s grace exchanged by the people of God. the Cross (Via crucis) is a time and Charismatics, where we literally can see Legion of Mary the suffering Christ walking and Young Adults, Our Augustinian passion is lived out the streets. Hundreds of Spirituality Groups, choirs, in the people of God “in harmony, parishioners and people Augustinian Seculars, Activity being of one mind and one heart on along the two-hour walk and Fundraising Groups and so the way to God.” This is the Paschal hear and see the Gospel many others gather at the “Cathedral Mystery that calls us to change and alive. Their daily crosses of the Bronx” as so many have called to build a world of peace in Unity, become one with the the parish for many years. For the Truth and Love.

Crucified. Together we people of this neighborhood, St. wait in the darkness of a Nicholas of Tolentine Church is a tomb for the moment when place of worship and a place to watch we will rise to new life. a good movie on a Saturday night.

Many wait in hopeful

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One Volunteer Year,

By Joanna Bowen

Director of Augustinian Volunteers

A Lifetime of Service

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he Augustinian Volunteers are recent college graduates who feel called to spend a year in service to others while living in an intentional community. Volunteers serve with local community partners in social service, campus ministry and education placements.

By engaging in a way of life inspired by the Augustinian Friars, volunteers experience personal and spiritual development as they build relationships with fellow volunteers and those they serve.

Justin English (center, in blue hat) with the 2002-2003 AVs on Mid Year retreat

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n Augustinian Volunteer year offers a variety of new experiences; the opportunity to live in a different region of the country, intentional time to enhance one’s spirituality and the chance to build new relationships with peers.

Young adults sign on for a year of service for a combination of many different reasons. Some are interested in committing to service and social justice work. Many hope to pursue further studies but need a break from the classroom. Others may have several years of work experience but

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want to refocus before taking their next step professionally.

However, regardless of the reasons for choosing a volunteer year, volunteers are often surprised to see the impact their service has on their future career plans.

For some, the Augustinian Volunteers introduced them to a line of work they had not previously had much experience in. For Mike McCormick (Ventura,‘14-‘15), his placement at HELP of Ojai, a social service agency that provides basic needs and case management to low income residents of the Ojai Valley, inspired an interest in the nonprofit sector. “My AV experience directly influenced my current career! Through direct service work and

development work at my placement site, I learned a lot about nonprofits and became inspired to pursue working with one. As an AV I also became interested in the wider field of faith-based service.” Mike, who was 27 years old during his service with the Augustinian Volunteers, now works at Catholic Volunteer Network (CVN) as their Outreach Coordinator. CVN promotes faith-based service nationwide and supports over 150 member programs, including the Augustinian Volunteers. “As an ‘older’ Augustinian Volunteer, I always wished I knew about service earlier in my life,” Mike says. “Now I get to help others know about these

Mike McCormick with some of his CVN colleagues (l-r) Mike, Sarah Hammel, Katie Delaney and Yonce Shelton

Justin English with some of the children at Hogar Infantil La Gloria

opportunities. I also really enjoy coordinating CVN’s weekly Job Bank for former volunteers, helping others to figure out what’s next.” In his role, Mike is also able to continue engaging with the Augustinian Volunteers on a professional level.

Irma Zeta Alache and Dani Vaziri at the parish health office in Chulucanas

For others, their time with the Augustinian Volunteers allowed them to more fully explore a social justice issue, often inspiring a career in that field. Justin English (San Diego, ‘02-‘03, Bronx ‘03-‘04) served for two years with the Augustinian Volunteers, first in San Diego, California, and then in Bronx, New York. Additionally, he held the role of Site Coordinator in Chulucanas, Peru.

Through his domestic service, Justin had the opportunity to work with and learn from a diverse immigrant population. “As an Augustinian Volunteer, more than anything else, I learned that we belong to each other,” Justin says.

“It’s not us and them; it’s just us.” Justin obtained his law degree from Rutgers University in 2010 and currently practices law as an immigration attorney. He says, “As an immigration attorney, I work with people every day to accompany them on their journeys to the United States as they seek a better life for themselves and their families, just like our own ancestors did. It is a privilege to be able to welcome the stranger, and I am thankful that my time as an AV helped me to pursue my current career working with immigrants.” Many volunteers find that through their experiences connecting with different communities, their world view has changed, influencing them to pursue different paths than they would have expected.

Dani Vaziri (Peru ’11) is one of these volunteers.

Dani graduated with a degree in Business Administration from Loyola University Maryland.

She worked in marketing before beginning her service in Peru, and while she liked the work, felt that something was missing. In Peru, Dani served at the diocesan and parish health offices, often taking blood pressure and dressing wounds. As her year continued, she began to realize that God was calling her to embrace a different career path. “As the days flew by, I could feel every heartbeat heard through that stethoscope changing mine,” she says.

“There is an intimacy in healthcare between patient and provider that spoke to my desire to serve others. By the end of my service year, I determined the best way to keep this heart of service that the AVs so tenderly nurtured was to become a Physician Assistant so that I could continue to care for others and improve their quality of life through healthcare.” Dani currently works as a Physician’s Assistant in a primary and urgent care setting and has had the opportunity to return to Peru on several Medical Mission trips.

No matter if volunteers are serving with schoolaged children or adults, citizens or immigrants, many find that their year of service, spirituality and community with the Augustinian Volunteers inspires a lifelong change in perspective.

Connect with Us! email: info@augustinianvolunteers.org facebook: @augustinianvolunteers instagram: augustinianvols 19

Insight to a

By Lailany Viera, A.D.R.O.P. Intern turned VolunteerÂ

P

New Perspective

rison Ministry and the work for criminal justice reform are all about change. Reform specifically calls for major systemic changes to right wrongs and fix injustice. However, in order for any work to be done there needs to be smaller changes on a more personal and individual level. I am talking about changes in perspective that can only be reached through an encounter with another. It is what makes people care about each other and works toward larger systemic change. Like all other things, society has a lot to teach us about

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criminals. The societal message of a “stereotypical” criminal includes an evil person with no regard for the life or property of another person. We are taught that criminal people are deviant and freely choose a criminal path. We are told that they deserve every bit of prison time. After all, we hear and see awful things done by supposedly awful people every day in the media and think that justice must be served. With this narrative, why should we care and why should we push for systemic change?

All of the societal messages about criminals adds up to ‘othering.’ By ‘othering’ I mean, we separate criminals from ourselves. They become ‘those’ people over there who do bad things, who are different from me, who deserve my hatred, not my compassion. To be labelled a criminal and sent to prison is one of the ultimate forms of dehumanization. As a society we are taught to no longer care about these discarded individuals.

All of these things combined make them some of the most vulnerable members of our human family.

No matter how dehumanized they are made to appear, every single person who is incarcerated is still a human being with the same dignities as you or me. But don’t take my word for it. Look to our Catholic faith for confirmation on the ways in which we are supposed to treat our brothers and sisters, especially those most vulnerable. Also, notice the number of times Jesus tells us to care for prisoners in the Gospel.

This humanizes the dehumanized and allows the truth to come out. At Augustinian Defenders of the Rights of the Poor (A.D.R.O.P.) we put an emphasis on encounters through stories by publishing the newsletter Voices from Prison and the Edge as well as offering anyone willing a chance of encounter through our Mary Mother of Captives Pen Pal program. My personal encounter came when I volunteered to tutor for a Prison Literacy Program at SCI Graterford (now SCI Phoenix). It is hard to express the importance of forming relationships with people you have only been taught to believe are monsters. Learning about their life experiences brought me a new perspective that I had never considered. This, for me, was the beginning of a profound change of heart and mind and an orientation towards truth and justice. Because the truth is that while there are some people who absolutely deserve to be there, our prisons are overwhelmingly filled with the people who were already in a vulnerable position due to their circumstances and bad decisions. This does not mean that they are bad people. However, they are victims of unjust drug laws, failing public school systems, lack of opportunity, poverty, and poor mental health.

A change of perspective from an interaction with someone different widens your view of the world and motivates action which, can affect not only yourself, but others in positive ways.

Arguably the best way to overcome our societal miseducation is an encounter with the “other.”

Lailany’s Bio: Lailany began with Augustinian Defenders of the Rights of the Poor as a Philadelphia Area Social Justice Intern (PASJI) through Villanova’s Center for Peace and Justice Education and Campus Ministry. Lailany is a rising senior interested in the criminal justice system, and she focused a significant amount of her time working for our restorative justice ministries. She manages A.D.R.O.P’s youth4prisonreform website page, finding new writers for the Voices from Prison and the Edge newsletter, and participating in the various support groups. Lailany worked with A.D.R.O.P this past summer and asked if she can stay on as a part-time volunteer through her senior year.

Connect with Us! website: RightsofthePoor.org instagram: Youth4PrisonReform facebook: @ADROPPhilly

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WISDOM OF THE

AUGUSTINIAN TRADITION

Do you know what you are?

Contemplation

Father Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A.

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few years ago, on Easter Sunday, an op-ed piece appeared in the New York Times written by a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Peter Wehner reported that he had asked a psychologist, who happened to be an atheist, what contribution Christians can make to public life? The answer was simple: humility! Wehner went on to say that “Christians ought to be alert first and foremost to their own shortcomings, to the awareness of how wayward their own hearts are, how even good acts are often tainted by selfish motives, how we all struggle with brokenness in our lives� [ April 16, 2017]. He concluded, however,

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Excerpt “I would wish you to place

yourselves with all your love

under Christ, and to pave no other way in order to reach and to attain the truth than

what has already been paved by him who, as God, knows the weakness of our steps.

This way is, in the first place,

humility; in the second place, humility; in the third place,

humility. As often as you ask

that this is not reason for selfloathing, but for self-awareness!

I don’t think Augustine could agree more. “You are not told,” Augustine said, “be something less than you are, but know what you are. Know that you are weak, that you are a human being, that you are a sinner.”

Through many trials and much testing Augustine achieved an unusually appreciable degree of self-awareness. His assessment of humility as a virtue of paramount importance derives, no doubt, from his own great struggle with

the flaw of pride to which he was long vulnerable. And out of this awareness came a discipline: that of surrendering himself to grace in which he need no longer see himself as the author of his own story.

We live in a period of history where the tendency for many is to see themselves as the center around which the universe revolves. The Christian and Augustinian path of humility chooses to place us, rather, where we are far more secure.

me about the Christian

religion’s norms of conduct, I prefer to give no other answer than humility.”

Letter 118, 3, 22

S

t. Augustine was born on November 13, 354 in Tagaste, North Africa, and died in Hippo on August 28, 430. A person of great intellect and passion, he spent his first 32 years in search of fame, fortune and happiness in a variety of pursuits and places. Through the preaching of St. Ambrose, the prayers of his mother and deep interior reflection, he was led to baptism in the Catholic Church and resolved to devote himself entirely to the Lord. He founded monastic life in North Africa and wrote a Rule that has guided religious communities of men and women down to the present time. He served the Church of Hippo for 40 years as monk-bishop.

Saint Augustine of Hippo by Anthony Visco National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia 23

In the Footsteps

By Father Raymond Dlugos, O.S.A.

“Things take the time they take.

Don’t worry. How many roads did St. Augustine follow before he became St. Augustine?”

Vice President for Mission and Ministry, Director of The Grace J. Palmisano Center for Campus Ministry

of Augustine

— Mary Oliver

never uncover a new corner of ourselves. A pilgrimage is different as you discover a new part of yourself while discovering a new part of the world.” — Joseph Gonthier The journey begins in Cassago Brianza, a village north of Milan, the place where Augustine spent several months preparing for his baptism in the company of his family and friends. After seeing that site and hearing that story, our road takes us to find rest for our restless, jetlagged hearts in ... Pizza.

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Not to a neon lit parlor on a city street, but into a residential

hose who have made the Pellegrinaggio in Italia: In the Footsteps of St. Augustine from Merrimack College over the past 20 years have gone in search of the answer to that question. And like Augustine, they have discovered that it is not the number of roads traveled, but our encounters with ourselves and those we meet along the way that call us to our true selves.

“This trip was a journey that I will remember for the rest of my life. Not only did I discover a new part of God’s green earth, but I also discovered myself. Most often when we travel, we uncover a new corner of the globe, but we Home of Marco and Carla (standing), who open their home to migrants and refugees

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neighborhood and a private home.

We enter a room that is larger than any home would ordinarily have and sit at long tables while pizza with all sorts of topping appear before us on the tables. “Where are we?” “What is this place?”

We are in the home of Marco and Carla, a couple married for over 60 years whose son, a Passionist missionary to Africa, died of a heart attack at the very early age of 40.

Since his death, Marco and Carla have kept his memory alive by continuing his work in Africa but immediately in this little northern Italian village by turning their home into a waystation, a resource center,

Italian Military Veterans, known as the Alpini

hearts are joined and singing breaks out. And so our journey begins in solidarity with those who travel without the certainty and security that we enjoy.

Dom Jacobi, tour guide through the Basilica of St. Ambrose

and place of comfort and hospitality for the migrants and refugees who have made it from distant lands, through Italy, and are on their way to find work and homes in the rest of Europe. Marco and Carla glow with the joy of hospitality and it infects the room as barriers fall and

The road next takes us to the modern, commercial metropolis of Milan, the place of

Augustine’s conversion and baptism and an encounter with an unforgettable Italian cleric, Dom Jacobi, our tour guide through the Basilica of St. Ambrose. As he explains the history and symbolism of the Church, it easy to share Dom Jacobi’s compelling faith that when

Christians gather around Christ at our center, we are at the destination of our journey.

Our hosts for dinner that evening, a group of Italian military veterans similarly known as the Alpini, welcome us into a brightly lit and festive room and proceed to serve with great joy and gladness a magnificent Italian feast that seems to have no end.

The language barrier disappears

Sister Sara, Augustinian Nun at the Monastery of Our Holy Saviour in Lecceto

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Christian Basilica where Augustine prayed following his conversion experience

beneath laughter and smiles and lasagna and all traces of homesickness are soaked up in the bread and olive oil and we experience home in every way we long for it.

“At the dinner at the Alpini lodge our unique purposes for inner reflection became united like the individual grains in the bread sitting between us in each basket.”

— John Cobb Our travels continue the next day through Pavia and a visit to the tomb of Augustine and onto San Gamignano and the hospitality of the Convento of Sant’ Agostino.

At Eucharist that evening we touch with our own hands and feet the communion that can only happen when Christ is at the center. The next morning, we share what this experience has been like to us and discover once again how much more alike we are than different as we travel through life. That evening, after celebrating this unity with great gusto at a local restaurant, we take a very familiar 26

road in a very different way and walk back to the Convento together but in complete silence. We experience a closeness to ourselves, to each other, and to our God in this silence that is deeper than laughter, deeper than sharing, deeper even than praying out loud.

“The part that we added, unasked and without saying, was to remain holding hands, a show of fortitude against any internal struggles that our fellow pilgrims were feeling.

It was a powerful moment,

Merrimack College’s Pellegrinaggio in Italia Group outside of St. Peter’s Basilica

being in solidarity with others that I had become so familiar with in such a short amount of time, yet in these minutes it is as if we were kin, ready to face the world.”

— Krista Brown The next day, Sister Sara, a contemplative Augustinian Nun at the Monastery of Our Holy Saviour in Lecceto, not only shares her journey from successful business woman to a life of prayer, contemplation and community, but also introduces us to the notion of having our own Interior Cloister, a space in us reserved for God alone no matter what roads we will travel or with whom.

The road then takes us to Rome and an encounter in which young Augustinians who have traveled from homes in all corners of the world to prepare for lives as friars and priests share the stories of those homes, their vocations and their hopes for the future. After a day of experiencing the majesty of the Vatican and a journey through the winding streets of Rome to the tomb of St. Monica in the Basilica of St. Augustine, we spend our last day walking on the roads of Ostia Antica on the Mediterranean coast where, after Monica and her son Augustine shared a profound experience of God together, her pilgrimage ended and his continued on the roads that would make him St. Augustine.

As does ours…

“I felt personally connected to Augustine in Ostia when I made the connection at the Christian Basilica that Augustine had prayed within those columns (pictured above) before he returned to Africa.”

— Andrew Poland

1 Click to View More Photos

Exposing Life in Photos

St. Thomas of Villanova Medal Recipient

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evin Salemme of Merrimack College, Andover, MA is this year’s recipient of the St. Thomas of Villanova Medal. Kevin has been part of Merrimack College for 35 years serving as the Director of the Media Center.

A gifted photographer, Kevin accompanied the College Choir on its 1988 tour of Italy and performance for Pope John Paul II. He was invited

by Fr. Jim Wenzel, O.S.A. to participate in the Pellegrinaggio en Italia in 2006 to photograph the experience and produce several promotional videos for the Pellegrinaggio as well as a booklength collection of photographs. He has also exhibited this work to the public both in the United States and Italy. Subsequent to that initial experience, Kevin has made every Pellegrinaggio since and has become an integral member of the team leading students, faculty and staff on this Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of St. Augustine.

For the last several years, he has served as the on- the-ground manager of the pilgrimage and has served as the primary chaperone, advisor, caretaker and wisdom figure for the students on the trip, many of whom are traveling abroad for the first time. In recent years that role has deepened and Kevin has brought his artistic eye and talent to the service of helping to teach students on the trip the discipline of contemplation and the art of self-awareness. He has collaborated in the creation of an experience that students consistently report to be the most transformative moment of the pilgrimage, The Walk of Silence through San Gimignano during which they experience a powerful sense of communion with themselves, God and one another while sharing deep silence.

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Around the

Province

On its Way – the Augustinian App

We are excited to connect you to the Augustinian tradition in a whole new way.

Please let us know what you would like to see in our App by emailing us at Communications@Augustinian.org.

Twenty Years of Augustinian Volunteers

On Sunday, August 25, 2019 the newest class of Augustinian Volunteers was commissioned at St. Augustine Church in Philadelphia, PA. This year’s Mass was particularly significant, marking 20 years since the program was founded.

The Augustinian Volunteers are recent college graduates who feel called to spend a year in service to others while living in an intentional community.

Volunteers will be serving in Lawrence, MA, Philadelphia, PA, San Diego, CA, Ventura, CA and internationally in Chulucanas, Peru. The commissioning Mass concluded an eight-day orientation where volunteers had the opportunity to learn about Augustinian spirituality, interact with Augustinian Friars and connect with program alumni. The Augustinian Volunteers will begin accepting applications for the 2020-2021 volunteer year in mid-November at AugustinianVolunteers.org/apply

Nourishing Endeavors Ahead

Our Shrine is advancing its outreach ministries with the Brand New Cascia Center. 7,500 square feet will provide the space to expand and cultivate the Shrine’s Pastoral Counseling and Spiritual Direction programs led by Fr. Jim Paradis, O.S.A. The long-awaited plan to construct the National Shrine of St. Rita’s Cascia Center is closer to fruition. The Shrine is working in partnership with Catholic Housing and Community Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to construct a five-story mixed-use space for seniors called St. Rita Place with the ground floor dedicated to Cascia Center. Construction of this project is anticipated to begin in Spring 2020.

We will miss you, Chesley Turner

We are sad to announce that Chesley Turner, the Director of the National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia, has stepped down from her position, but are understanding and supportive of the next steps God has provided for her. She will keep close to the Augustinian family in her new role as the Director of Church Management at Villanova University. Thank you for your work Chesley. God’s Blessings to you!

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In Paradisum

“Spirit of God en-

and from which he received a Master of Fine Arts degree.

He then returned to St. Joseph Friary, Drexel Hill, and taught at Villanova University. In 1981, he was transferred to St. Thomas of Villanova Monastery, and in 1990, to St. Thomas of Villanova Friary, Villanova.

As he continued his journey within Augustinian religious life, Br. Richard discerned a call to ordained ministry.

Following theological studies, he was ordained to the priesthood on October 30, 1999 at St. Thomas of Villanova Church, Villanova, by Louis A. DeSimone, Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia. In 2010, he was granted faculties to minister also within the Maronite Rite of the Church.

Fr. Richard G. Cannuli, O.S.A. February 2, 1947 – August 6, 2019

R

ichard Gerald Cannuli was born on February 2, 1947, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the only child of Anthony Cannuli and Marianna Naimoli.

He was baptized on March 23, 1947 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Philadelphia, and attended St. Thomas Aquinas Grade School and Bishop Neumann High School.

He entered the Augustinian Formation Program for Lay Brothers in New Hamburg, New York, on September 8, 1967, and following his pre-novitiate formation, he was received as a novice on August 27, 1969. He professed simple vows on August 28, 1970, after which he attended Duchess Community College for one year and Villanova University, which awarded him a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1973. He professed solemn vows on October 28, 1973 at St. Rita Shrine, Philadelphia.

Br. Richard was assigned in 1973 to St. Joseph Friary, Drexel Hill, where he taught art at Monsignor Bonner High School. In 1978, he was transferred to Mount Augustine Apostolic Center on Staten Island, New York, while he pursued graduate studies at the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn,

In 1985, he had begun formal training with a Master Iconographer. His icons have been commissioned by parish communities and private individuals. One of these, Do Not Weep for me Mother, was presented to His Beatitude Patriarch Nasrallah Peter Sfeir, on behalf of Villanova University. Another was accepted into the permanent collection of the Holy Monastery of St. Catherine at Sinai, Egypt, and a third was presented to Pope Francis, at the opening Mass of the Augustinian General Chapter of 2013 in St. Augustine Church, Rome, Italy.

Fr. Richard traveled extensively exhibiting his works in Italy, Spain, China, Russia, Belarus and Greece as well as throughout the United States of America. He designed and worked with stained glass windows, fabric, mosaic and liturgical furniture and was called upon in the design and renovation of churches and convents. One of his most recent works has been the design of windows for Corr Chapel at Villanova. He spent his entire life enriching and enhancing the world for others through his artistry, lectures and workshops.

Fr. Richard was taken ill during the summer of 2019.

His disease progressed very rapidly, resulting in his death at St. Thomas Monastery, Villanova, in the early hours of Tuesday, August 6, 2019, the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

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1974-1975 The Marriage Encounter Movement on Staten Island, New York. In 1977, he was assigned to Assumption/Saint Paul Parish, Mechanicville, New York, first as parochial assistant, and then as pastor, from 1978 to 1983. From 1977 to 1983, he served as a member of the Diocese of Albany Family Life Commission. In 1983, he returned to St. Nicholas of Tolentine Parish, Bronx, New York, as pastor, where he served as a board member of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition Corporation. In 1983, he was elected to the Board of the Fordham Road Development Corporation, and in 1986, was elected Chair of the Board of the University Heights Development Corporation.

Fr. Anthony M. Genovese, O.S.A. October 27, 1946 – July 21, 2019

A

nthony Michael Genovese was born on October 27, 1946, on Staten Island, New York, the son of Anthony Genovese and Margaret McCloskey, and was baptized there on November 10, 1946, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. He attended the Academy of Saint Dorothy from 1950 to 1954, and St. Anne Parish School from 1954 to 1959. In 1961 he enrolled at Augustinian Academy, Staten Island. He was received into the Order of St. Augustine as a novice on September 9, 1965, and after a year at Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, New York, professed simple vows on September 10, 1966. He then attended Villanova University, where he received his BA in Philosophy in 1970. He pursued theological studies at the Washington Theological Union from 1970 until 1973 and professed solemn vows on October 12, 1970.

He was ordained to the priesthood on June 16, 1973, at Our Mother of Consolation Church, Chestnut Hill, PA., by Bishop Walter Sullivan, Bishop of Richmond, Virginia.

Fr. Mickey, as he was widely known, was assigned to St. Nicholas of Tolentine Parish, Bronx, New York, as parochial assistant. While there, he coordinated from

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In September 1986, Fr. Mickey was appointed Pastor of St. Thomas of Villanova Parish, Villanova. As pastor, he established a joint committee with Villanova University to renovate the campus’ parish church and successfully raised funds to complete the renovation in 1993.

From 1994 to 2006, Fr. Mickey was a member of the Augustinian Preaching Apostolate and preached parish renewals and workshops around the United States with the theme: “Believe the Good News…We Are Loved.”

In 2006, he was appointed prior of Saint Thomas Monastery, Villanova, with responsibility for the health care of the elder and infirm friars of the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova.

Fr. Mickey was elected Prior Provincial of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova on February 18, 2010, and was installed in this office on June 16th, during the Ordinary Provincial Chapter. Following the Provincial elections of 2014, he retired due to health concerns and continued to reside at St. Thomas of Villanova Monastery, where he died suddenly on Sunday, July 21, 2019.

Fr. Mickey’s physical stature and booming voice, which he used to great advantage in his preaching ministry, were never able to conceal his warm and outgoing personality, nor a heart motivated by devotion and care especially for the weak and needy.

where he taught at Archbishop Carroll High School for one year. In 1967 he volunteered for the Province’s mission in Japan and attended language school in Tokyo for two years before being appointed in 1969 Associate Pastor of St. Monica Parish, Nagoya.

In 1971 he was assigned as Associate Pastor at Our Mother of Consolation Parish, Nagasaki, where he also taught religion and English in the parochial school.

In 1979, Fr. Jack was named Pastor of St. Augustine Church, Tokyo, and in 1981, Pastor of St. Monica Parish, Nagoya. In 1982, he was appointed Pastor and teacher in Nagasaki and served in those roles until 1983, remaining in Nagasaki as head of the Sei Maria School until 1989. From 1989 to 1993 he was assigned to Fukuoka, as Associate Pastor of St. Augustine Parish and headmaster of the kindergarten.

Fr. John Francis McAtee, O.S.A. January 26, 1940 – May 21, 2019

J

ohn Francis McAtee was born on January 26, 1940, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Francis A. McAtee and Dorothy Johnson. He was baptized on February 11, 1940, at Transfiguration Church, Philadelphia, and attended Saint Alice Parish School, Upper Darby, from 1945 to 1947, Saint Cyril Parish School, E. Lansdowne, from 1947 to 1953, and Msgr.

Bonner High School, Drexel Hill, from 1953 to 1957.

He was received into the Order as a novice on September 9, 1957, and after a year at Good Counsel Novitiate, New Hamburg, New York, he professed simple vows on September 10, 1958. He then attended Villanova University, and received his BA in Philosophy in 1962.

He professed solemn vows on September 10, 1961.

Jack was sent to Collegio Santa Monica, Rome, for his theological education, and received the STL. He was ordained in the chapel of Santa Monica on February 12, 1966 by Cardinal Amleto Cicognani.

In 1993, after 25 years in Japan, Fr. Jack returned to the United States and was assigned to campus ministry at Villanova University. From 1993 to 1998, and again from 2007 to 2009, he was a member of the St. Augustine Friary Community, and from 1998 to 2006 was Prior of St. Thomas Monastery. In 2006 he was assigned to Saxony Hall, Rosemont, for one year.

With a missionary heart still active and alert, he volunteered for the mission in South Africa and served there from 2009 to 2014. In April 2014 he returned to the United States and was assigned to St. Augustine Friary, Villanova. On July 20, 2015, he was assigned to St. Mary’s Friary in Waterford, New York, where he assumed the position of Parochial Vicar for both St. Mary’s and St. Augustine Parish, Troy.

Fr. Jack passed away suddenly at St. Mary’s Friary on May 21, 2019. He had been a certified acupressure practitioner since 1995 and a Tai Chi practitioner and teacher since 1997. He could often be seen practicing Tai Chi, to the surprise and pleasure of passersby, on the lawn outside the communities where he lived.

Fr. Jack returned to the United States and was assigned to St. John of Sahagun Friary, Washington, DC,

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Your Legacy can Make an Impact

By Madonna Sutter

L

Join the Movement

ife is fragile. We know not the hour or the day when we will be called to the Lord.

Many prepare their entire life for life eternal, at least spiritually. But have you thought about what you leave behind and the impact your legacy could have on loved ones and causes that are important to you?

The Augustinians have been the recipient of many generous estate gifts from good friends and others whose relationship to us is unknown. Their thoughtful gifts have enabled us to care for friars who’ve given a lifetime of service to the Church and to support the education and training of our future candidates to the Order as well as the friars’ ministries.

Madonna Sutter Director of Advancement

Your careful planning will help us to ensure that there will be Augustinian Friars now and into the future in our schools, parishes and serving the marginalized.

Imagine a world without Augustinians.

A world without Augustinians?

N O W AY !

W

hat drew me to the Augustinians was the community that Fr. John Deary, O.S.A. developed and sustained at my parish, St. Katherine Drexel in Cape Coral, Florida. Fr. John’s compassion and commitment changed my perspective on my religion and spirituality. I knew I had to do something to make sure that the Augustinians are able to fulfill their mission into the future. I contribute to the Augustinian Fund annually and in addition, I decided to plan for the future by naming the Augustinians in my will. I want to ensure that the friars have the resources they need today and beyond my lifetime to continue their good work which has enriched our lives significantly.

Although the Augustinians no longer have a physical presence in Cape Coral, I stay connected with them and Fr. Deary through my involvement as an Augustinian Secular where I continue to follow Christ through Augustinian spirituality.

Please consider naming the Augustinians in your will. The world will be a much better place with more Augustinians in it.

– Joseph Pescatrice 32

Photo, left to right: Michelle Pescatrice, Fr. John F. Deary, O.S.A., Joseph Pescatrice

Are the Augustinians in your will, trust or other estate plans? Thank you!

Please let us know about your intentions as it helps to plan for the friars’ future.

CALL OR EMAIL

Madonna Sutter, Director of Advancement at madonna.sutter@augustinian.org or (610) 527-3330, ext. 265.

For more information about including the Augustinians in your will and becoming a member of the St. Augustine Legacy Society, please visit: W W W. A U G U S T I N I A N . P L A N N E D G I V I N G . O R G

St. Augustine Legacy Society

I M PA C T T H E L I F E O F A N AUGUSTINIAN FRIAR…

Donate today!

ME E T BROTH ER DAN M ADDEN , O .S.A .

Hometown: New Hope, PA | Professed: July 31, 2016

“ My vocation began when Fr. Kevin DePrinzio, O.S.A. invited me to join a discernment retreat my senior year at Villanova University. After college, I continued to spend time with friars who, through our relationships, fostered my vocation. Frs. Joe Mostardi, O.S.A. and Joe Farrell, O.S.A. were particularly important during that time. With them, I began to see where God was calling me. My family’s support and encouragement also affirmed my decision to enter the Augustinian Order.

My time as a pre-novice with Frs. Joe Mostardi, O.S.A. and Frank Doyle, O.S.A. leading me, began the process of forming me into the Augustinian I am now and the one I hope to be in the future. The formation process continues to deepen my understanding of the Order and my life in community and God. Formation has taught me that, no matter what I do as an Augustinian, I will have an incredible foundation of God and community from which to work.”

Left to right: Fr. Joseph L. Farrell, O.S.A., Br. Daniel Madden, O.S.A. and Fr. Joseph S. Mostardi, O.S.A. Photo by Bryan Smith, Pravada Photography.

Did you know it costs $35,000 a year to educate and train one Augustinian Friar?

Make your gift today to the Augustinian Fund (M. Louise Fitzpatrick Fund for Formation) and impact the lives of our friars in formation.

If you are 70 ½ years and older, consider an IRA Charitable Rollover Gift and reap tax benefits.

For more information, visit: augustinianfund.org/ira or contact Madonna Sutter, Director of Advancement at (610) 527-3330, ext. 265 or madonna.sutter@augustinian.org

D O N AT E O N L I N E : W W W . A U G U S T I N I A N F U N D . O R G / D O N AT E 33

214 Ashwood Road Villanova, PA 19085-0340

Calendar of Events

October 24, 2019 A Celebration of Augustinian Values Merrimack College Andover, Massachusetts For details and to register, visit: AugustinianFund.org/merrimack2019

All Are Welcome

December 3, 2019 #GivingTuesdayOSA For details, visit: AugustinianFund.org/giving-tuesday-osa February 2020 Augustinian Spiritual Gathering Cape Coral, Florida For details and to register, after November 1, 2019 visit: AugustinianFund.org/cape-coral April 30, 2020 Augustinian Spiritual Gathering Notre Dame Academy High School Staten Island, New York For details and to register, after January 15, 2020 visit: AugustinianFund.org/staten-island Connect with Us!

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