THE YEAR of VOLUME X . ISSUE I CONSECRATED LIFE ORIGINS OF THE ORDER THE AUGUSTINIAN SAINT AUGUSTINE P. 3 CALL TO ORDER P. 12 WWW.AUGUSTINIAN.ORG TABLE OF CONTENTS HAS A NEW LOOK! THE AUGUSTINIAN . VOLUME X . ISSUE I CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE P. 3 Saint Augustine Augustine was born some 400 years after his homeland in Western North Africa had become an integral part of the OUR NEW WEBSITE Roman Empire. His ancestral heritage, his religious background PACKS NEW FEATURES and the cities where he lived were awash with paganism, INCLUDING OUR Catholicism, Catholic schisms and a variety of religious groups and NEW HOMEPAGE WITH: cults. George P. Lawless, O.S.A., an internationally known scholar and expert on Saint Augustine, spoke on Augustine’s life at a lecture + A slideshow with top 3 at Villanova University in 2011, and it is reprised here. Father news and video. George has a fluency and familiarity with Augustine that gives us a rare, down-to-earth glimpse of Augustine’s journey from doubt + “This Day in Provence to certitude. A chronology is offered to illustrate Augustine’s life. History” a new feature IN EVERY ISSUE created and written by the Prior Provincial, Features P. 12 Michael Di Gregorio. Advancement 24 The Order of Saint Augustine + Scroll down on the home The Order of Saint Augustine was formed in 1244, page to see “Featured more than 800 years after the death of Saint Augustine. Father Quicklinks”—visual links to Columns Michael F. Di Gregorio, O.S.A., Prior Provincial of the Province our most popular pages. of Saint Thomas of Villanova, describes early monasticism of Letter from the Provincial 2 communities of hermits in Tuscany and their call from Pope News and Notes 18 Innocent IV to unite into a single religious order, following 12 the Rule and the life of Saint Augustine. INSIDE THE In Paradisum 22 NAVIGATION, YOU’LL SEE NEW PAGES WITH: P. 16 + Latest News ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Father Bill Atkinson–Taking Up the Cause “Meet Our Friars” The Augustinian Postulator General, Josef Sciberras, O.S.A., came + Thanks to George P. Lawless, O.S.A.; John J. Sheridan, O.S.A., (Archivist) and June Weiland to the Saint Thomas of Villanova Monastery in August, 2014 to + Augustinian Saints (Assistant Archivist), Augustinian Provincial determine if there was a basis to take up the cause of sainthood. Archives at Saint Thomas of Villanova Monastery. Chronology, years 370 and 372, map Territorial Spoiler alert: Father Bill’s Cause is underway and you are invited Plus you’ll find the same informative Expansion of Rome by Velhagen & Klafing, from the to share remembrances, testimonies or notice of favors received William Shepherd Historical Atlas, 1911, courtesy and helpful content you’ve come of the University of Texas and Paul Rascoe. through Father Bill. to rely upon. Images on page 5 and Chronology, years 354, 383, 384, 395, 412 and 430 by Benozzo If you receive Newsnotes, you’ll receive Gozzoli, courtesy of Brian S. Lowery, O.S.A., E-News from us with the latest news San Gimignano, Italy; Chronology, years 386, and events and videos. If not, you can 16 387, 387 (page 8), 397 (page 10) and Back Cover sign up online. by Tito Troja, located at Old St. Augustine Church, Philadelphia, Pa. Photo and digital restoration by Daniel J. McLaughlin, O.S.A. Chronology, year 426, Carlo Crivelli. Main Reference Books: ON THE COVER Confessions, by Saint Augustine; The Augustinians (1244 - 1994) Our History in Pictures, 1995 Philippe de Champaigne (1602-1674) Publicaziono Agostiniane; Augustine through the THE AUGUSTINIAN Saint Augustine, circa 1645–1650 Ages: An Encyclopedia, General Editor, Allan D. Painting, Oil on canvas, 31 1/8 x 24 5/8 in. Fitzgerald, O.S.A.; Saint AUGUSTINE, Edited by A publication of the Province Los Angeles County Museum of Art Tarsicius J. Van Bavel, O.S.A. of Saint Thomas of Villanova. Gift of The Ahmanson Foundation VISIT OUR NEW SITE AT: WWW.AUGUSTINIAN.ORG THE AUGUSTINIAN . SPRING/SUMMER 2015 . 1 VOLUME X . ISSUE I LETTER FROM THE PRIOR PROVINCIAL THE AUGUSTINIAN Teddie Gallagher EDITOR Kitty Sheridan ASSOCIATE EDITOR 20nine LAYOUT AND DESIGN LETTER FROM THE The Augustinian is a publication of the PRIOR PROVINCIAL Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova. For queries, address changes and other correspondence, contact: Editor Dear Friends, Augustinian Provincial Offices Spring’s arrival, following what seemed a very long and hard winter for many, was most P.O. Box 340 MAP OF NUMIDIA Villanova, PA 19085-0340 welcome! I greet each of you with a sincere wish for enjoyable seasons of light and rebirth. As you read this message, we will already have passed the six-month mark in the Year of PHONE 610-527-3330 FAX 610-520-0618 SAINT AUGUSTINE: HOMELAND Consecrated Life initiated by Pope Francis in November, 2014. Many of you will have become EMAIL [email protected] increasingly acquainted with this special observance which the entire Church is celebrating, and WEB www.augustinian.org BY TEDDIE GALLAGHER which religious communities, in particular, are commemorating in various ways. We Augustinians have been doing so through special days of recollection, community discussions, and regional AUGUSTINIANS gatherings of friars, and we will continue our observance at our Province Retreat in June, as well as The cultural development of Saint First Punic War, at sea in 264 B.C. and “granary of the Empire,” shipping grains, Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova at a special gathering at Villanova in August. I ask you kindly, on behalf of all our friars, to keep us Augustine’s homeland of Western North finally conquered Carthage in 133 B.C. fruit and beans to Italy and Greece. The in your prayers as these events unfold. Michael F. Di Gregorio, O.S.A. Africa began between 8,000 and 2,000 B.C., Thagaste, where Augustine was born, burgeoning empire used mainly Africans We wish to draw you more closely into what this year means for us, and so much of the content PRIOR PROVINCIAL when the indigenous people of Western and the area surrounding it, then called for their military and civic presence. There which you will find in this current issue of our magazine treats of this theme. We want to speak of Michael H. Bielecki, O.S.A. North Africa (now known as Berbers) Numidia, became a Roman territory in 44 B.C. had even been an African Roman Emperor, what our particular form of consecrated life is, how and where it developed, and what it means SECRETARY developed connections with the people in At the time of Augustine’s birth, his Septimus Severus, who ruled from 193 to for us to call ourselves, and to strive to be, continually and authentically, Augustinians. It is very Francis J. Horn, O.S.A. other regions of the Mediterranean Sea homeland in Western North Africa (now 200 A.D. fortunate that we are able to do this at the very same time that we announce a significant initiative in TREASURER and western Europe. The desertification of Algeria) had been dominated by the It is commonly thought that Saint the life of our Province, the preparatory steps in the beatification process of one of our friars, Father COUNSELORS the Sahara was a gradual change occurring Romans for almost 400 years. Western Monica, Augustine’s mother, was a William Atkinson, in the 50th anniversary year of a life-changing event in his Augustinian journey. between 2000 to 1000 B.C. and separated North African settlements with fertile Berber and that his father, Patricius, a Francis J. Doyle, O.S.A. The testimony of a single friar can be the best announcement of what consecrated life is all about! the people of the north from the south. The land prospered, as the region became the Roman curialis of Thagaste, was Latin In this issue, I am very happy to introduce the new Director of Advancement for the Province of Robert P. Hagan, O.S.A. Robert J. Murray, O.S.A. people of Western North Africa spoke their and Phoenician, but this is not able to be Saint Thomas of Villanova. Madonna Sutter, about whom you will read in these pages, joins our Joseph L. Narog, O.S.A. own language (known as Berber), which for confirmed. Many of the African Berbers administrative staff, bringing a great deal of professional experience, knowledge of the Augustinian Robert P. Terranova, O.S.A. centuries was a spoken language without a converted to Christianity in the second Luis A. Vera, O.S.A. spirit, and great enthusiasm in her new role. A significant dimension of consecrated life is tied to written alphabet. This oral language and third centuries. Latin was the official the theme of advancement: advancement of our mission, advancement of our values, advancement PROVINCIAL OFFICES was traditionally taught by the mother language, but the people of Algeria and of the many things that make our life and ministry possible. We thank you for the many ways in to her children. Carthage (Tunisia) continued to speak which you, our friends and benefactors, are participants with us. Joanna Bowen DIRECTOR OF AUGUSTINIAN VOLUNTEERS Around 1100 B.C., the Phoenicians, who Berber and Punic, with some speaking Lastly, we present herein, snippets from the life and work of several of our friars and Jorge L. Cleto, O.S.A. were a confederation of sea merchants a mix of Berber and Punic. Dialects candidates, who demonstrate, in various ways, our spirituality, our ministries, our role in the DIRECTOR OF HISPANIC VOCATIONS and traders from the eastern coast of of Berber are still spoken by people in Church and in society.