An Augustinian Witness to the Global Community: My Pastoral Year at the United Nations By Br. Jack Tierney, O.S.A.
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n my third year as a simply professed Augustinian friar, I exchanged the theology classrooms of my seminary for the meeting rooms of the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. My workdays had me walking the halls past anxious ambassadors murmuring the language of joint resolution and their diplomatic staffs frantically exchanging emails. I attended consultations on international treaties and assemblies on disarmament. This was a sudden transition from life as a student! In this environment, it can be difficult to see, or even imagine, the direct result of one’s ministry. I was to learn, however, that the most direct impact I could make here would be in providing a small, humble example of mealtime prayer. In the Augustinian formation process, each friar follows his initial two years of study at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago with what is called the “pastoral year,” which provides the opportunity to apply his pastoral training in one of the Order’s active ministries The Order also approved studies for a Master of Public Policy and Administration at Northwestern University. This preparation has been invaluable as I was exposed to complex policy problems with global impact. I was assigned to the Bronx, New York where I worked at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Parish and Augustinians International. One half of the assignment was traditional – I ministered in our Augustinian parish and participated in regular sacramental ministry such as Baptisms, funerals, and Sunday Masses. The other component of my pastoral experience included ministry at the Order
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The Midwest Augustinian |
SPRING 2018