NEWSNOTES Province of St. Thomas of Villanova January - March 2015

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1 THE AUGUSTINIAN NEWSNOTES Province of St. Thomas of Villanova January - March 2015 New Website Debuts! Augustinian.Org has a new look! Our new website packs new features including our NEW HOMEPAGE with: A slideshow with top news and video. This Day in Province History a new feature created and written by the Prior Provincial, Michael Di Gregorio. Featured Quicklinks - visual links to our most popular pages. Inside the Navigation, you ll see new pages with: Latest News Meet Our Friars Augustinian Saints PLUS You ll find the same informative and helpful content you ve come to rely upon. If you receive Newsnotes, you ll receive E-News from us with the latest news and events and videos. If not, you can sign-up for E-news. Please visit our new site at:

2 Augustinian Communities Share a Day of Reflection on Consecrated Life On January 30, Friars from three communities in Philadelphia, Old St. Augustine, St. Rita of Cascia and St Nicholas of Tolentine, came together at St. Rita s Cottage in Ocean City, NJ, for a day of reflection, focused on The Year of Consecrated Life. Father Bill Waters, O.S.A., suggested the idea and set it up. Guiding them in their reflections, the friars used Pope Francis letter to All Consecrated People On the Occasion of the Year of Consecrated Life, as well as letters from Prior General Alejandro Moral Antón, O.S.A., and Prior Provincial Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A. The friars also shared their personal stories, focusing on what specifically drew them to the Order of Saint Augustine. A number of the friars thought it would be worthwhile to incorporate this in some way at their provincial chapter opening discussions. In New York on January 22, Father Michael Di Gregorio joined the Augustinian communities of Staten Island and the Bronx for a day of fraternity and reflection focused on Consecrated Life, held on Staten Island. Father Di Gregorio gave a presentation, blending the visions of Augustine and Pope Francis, focused on Common Life, Promotion of Unity, Interiority and his final point, which targeted the friars vocation to Prophetic Witness. Father Di Gregorio presided at the Eucharist, celebrated at the Schoenstatt Shrine of Light. The friars day of interiority in the unity of community life continued with social time back at Good Counsel Friary (Staten Island). The day ended with all nourished physically and spiritually, prepared for their prophetic work.

3 Kevin C. Mullins, O.S.A., Installed as Provincial of the Province of Saint Augustine in California On January 27, 2015, Very Rev. Joseph L. Farrell, O.S.A., Vicar General of the Order of St. Augustine, installed Very Rev. Kevin C. Mullins, O.S.A., as Prior Provincial of the Province of St. Augustine in California. The ceremony, which took place in the chapel of the Augustinian Monastery in San Diego, marked the beginning of the 2015 Province Chapter with the election of the Province Council. During the chapter, members of the west coast Province discussed and voted on the direction of the Province for the next four years and further. Vicar General Joseph Farrell, O.S.A. (left), installs Kevin C. Mullins, O.S.A., as Provincial of the Province of Saint Augustine in San Diego, California, at the Province Chapter in January Kevin C. Mullins, O.S.A. (center), is pictured with Michael F. Di Gregorio, O.S.A. (left), Provincial of the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova in the east and Bernard C. Scianna, O.S.A. (right), Provincial of the Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel in the Midwest. centered in Chicago. Personnel Changes NAME FROM TO DATE Arthur P. Purcaro. San Jose Obrero, St. Augustine Friary, Immediately O.S.A. Chulucanas, Peru Villanova, PA Jorge A. Reyes, O.S.A. St. Augustine Parish Friary, Troy, NY 1-Jan- 2015

4 Prior Provincial Visits Villanova Province s Men in Formation On a visit to the Midwest in January, Father Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A., Prior Provincial of the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova, had the opportunity to meet with the men from the Villanova Province, who are presently in Formation, either as novices at Racine, Wisconsin, or as professed friars studying at Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in Chicago. Pictured (l-to-r): Row 1: Brother Bryan Kerns, Father Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A., Novice Jimmy White and Brother Colin Nardone, O.S.A. Row 2: Novice Javier Aguilar, Brother Aldo Potencio, O.S.A., Brother Joe Murray, O.S.A., and Novice Luis Asencio. Joseph Loya, O.S.A., Named as Acting Program Director at Villanova University International Augustinian Volunteers Depart for Peru After a retreat held at Villanova University in January 2015, International Augustinian Volunteers departed the following week to begin their year of service in Chulucanas, Peru, an Augustinian Mission site. Pictured (l-to-r) are Michael Donovan, Kristin Van Spankeren and Alyssa Mall.

5 Prior Provincial Michael F. Di Gregorio, O.S.A., Celebrates Mass on Ash Wednesday at St. Augustine Prep, NJ On February 18, 2015, Ash Wednesday, Father Michael Di Gregorio, O.S.A., celebrated Mass and distributed ashes, at St. Augustine Prep in New Jersey. Pictured: Father Di Gregorio, O.S.A. (center) is the principal celebrant at Mass on Ash Wednesday. Concelebrants were (from left) Father Patrick McStravog, O.S.A., Father Francis Devlin, O.S.A. and Father Donald Reilly, O.S.A., President of the Prep. Denis G. Wilde, O.S.A., Visits St Augustine Prep, NJ (Below left:) Father Denis Wilde, O.S.A., who celebrated Mass, is pictured with Donald Reilly, O.S.A. (President of Saint Augustine Prep, left) and Francis Devlin, O.S.A., who teaches Theology. (Right:) Father Wilde, O.S.A., is pictured with some of the students at Saint Augustine Prep.

6 Province Peace and Justice Director Jack Deegan, O.S.A., Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the Augustinian Defenders of the Rights of the Poor (ADROP) Jack Deegan, O.S.A., gave the sermon. The Augustinian Defenders of the Rights of the Poor (ADROP) marked its tenth anniversary with a Mass of Thanksgiving, celebrated at Villanova University s Corr Chapel, preceded by a brunch at the Connelly Center, on Sunday, March 1, Sanctuary, led by Dan Mason, provided music for the Mass. Michael F. Di Gregorio, O.S.A., Prior Provincial. presided. Concelebrating were Paul F. Morrissey, O.S.A., and Jack Deegan, O.S.A., ADROP s founder and chair of the board of directors, as well as Director of Justice and Peace for the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova. Father Jack Deegan, O.S.A., gave the sermon. Taking to heart these words of Pope Francis, We will not find the Lord unless we truly accept the marginalized ADROP has been serving people for ten years, fulfilling their mission daily - identifying needs and matching them with available resources. In his sermon, Father Deegan quoted Saint Leo the Great,... the measure of one s mercy and goodness does not depend on the size of one s means. ADROP truly embraces the works of mercy, striving to improve our world by ministering to people in need. Congratulations to Father Jack, Andrew Slike (Executive Director of ADROP), Father Paul Morrissey (Restorative Justice Coordinator) and all at ADROP - the Augustinian Defenders of the Rights of the Poor - who have contributed to its success in serving those in need for the past ten years. May its success continue! Jack Deegan, O.S.A. (left), and Paul F. Morrissey, O.S.A., conceleb rants at the Mass. For more information about Andrew Slike, Executive Director of ADROP. ADROP, visit their website at:

7 Looking Ahead 2015 Saint Rita Peace Award Father Joseph Genito, O.S.A., Director of the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia in South Philadelphia, will present this year s Saint Rita Peace Award to Father Douglas McKay, in recognition of his commitment to those in need. For years, Father McKay has walked the streets of the Grays Ferry section in Philadelphia, helping people with addiction to alcohol, drugs and crime. This year s Peace award will be presented at a banquet to be held on May 1, For more information, please visit: Retreat in June 2015 for Friars of the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova Friars of the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova will gather at Villanova for a Province retreat in June 2015, from Sunday evening until noon Friday (June 7-12, 2015). The retreat will be led by Alberto Bochatey, O.S.A., who is an auxiliary Bishop of La Plata, Argentina. Friars: Please send information for publication in News Notes to: communications@augustinian.org Teddie Gallagher, Communications Director Phone: Ext. 248