The General Secretariat of the Order of St. Augustine has announced the appointment of Fr. Ian Wilson as General Councillor for Northern Europe
Closely involved in much of the work undertaken by Fr. Paul Graham - who died last December, and with whom he had a close lifelong friendship - the new Assistant General tells the Curia's communications office that his main objective is "to get to Rome and continue the good work that is already underway … And my priority” - in reference to his first task at the General Curia - “is to get to know the friars and the countries where the Order is present in Northern Europe: Ireland, England, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic."
"I think that in order to promote the Order we need to be more enthusiastic," Fr Ian continues. "We have a great richness and that needs to be communicated even more. As Augustinians in the world, we have to continually strive to share our values with others."
Regarding the “missionary” challenges present throughout continental Europe, where secularisation is shaking the very existence of the Church, Fr. Wilson points out that "although many people are not engaged with religion, or with the daily life of their parish community, that does not mean that they do not have the capacity to be moved by God through faith. Our task is to remember the legacy of St. Augustine when he tells us "pray as if everything depends on God and work as if everything depends on you". This is true for everyone today.
Fr Ian Wilson tells us more about himself
I was born on the 9th January 1954 parents being Jessie and Gordon Wilson. I was brought up in Hopeman, a small fishing village in the north of Scotland. My brother Gordon was born in 1957. Later my family moved to the north of England when I was 9 years of age. As an 11 year old I went as a boarder to Austin Friars School, Carlisle.
At that time the school was run by Irish and English Augustinian Friars. On leaving school in 1973, I began training as an Estate Agent. In 1977 I entered the Augustinian Novitiate at, Orlagh, Dublin. I took my simple vows on the 30th September 1979 at Clare Priory, Suffolk in England. After studies in London I moved in 1980 to Collegio Santa Monica in Rome, attending the internal school. I was ordained on the 29th September 1984, in the then Augustinian parish of Saints Peter and Paul, Dundee, Scotland.
After various appointments in both England and Scotland I joined the International Community, living in Il Convento Sant’ Agostino in San Gimignano, Italy, where I stayed for over ten years. I then returned to the English-Scottish Province, serving in Edinburgh, Clare Priory and, until recently, Birmingham.
My main interests are hill walking, cycling, photography and following Formula One. Fortunately I am a Ferrari fan.
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