The Vicar General of the Order of Saint Augustine and Assistant for North America, Father Joseph Farrell, accompanied by the Assistant General, Father Ian Wilson, carried out the second part of their renewal visit to the Province of Villanova
Representing the Prior General, both fathers held meetings with the Augustinians of Villanova, first from December 8 to 22, and now, from February 28 to March 6.
This included various communities along the East Coast of the United States, including those located in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. The Augustinian Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova is the East Coast Province of the Augustinian Order. We serve communities in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and other portions of the East Coast.
“We experienced the hospitality and fraternal care characteristic of our way of life in all the communities. It is clear that our friars live with enthusiasm, love, and dedication to their Augustinian vocation,” Father Farrell shared with the communications office in the document he provided about these weeks of work in the northern United States.
In listening sessions with our brothers, we found that the members of the province are working hard in the apostolates of counseling, parishes, shrines, peace and justice advocacy, education, missions, chaplaincy, administration, formation, vocation, and province internal ministries. Each of these ministries demand time and energy. Some of our brothers are being called to serve in two or more of these ministries and do so with great love for the Gospel and enthusiasm for the Augustinian community life.
An area of concern for many of our friars is how best to respond in a pastoral way to the complicated theme of immigration in the United States. In our apostolates, the friars are working on developing ways in which they can pastorally work with those who are most affected by the uncertainties of current realities. It is a concern that affects our brothers serving in parochial ministries but also in the apostolates of education and counseling in very real ways.
In the Villanova Province and in many of the circumscriptions of the Order, the Friars are aging and are serving in ministries long past the age of retirement of their peers. In fact, in some places, they are being called upon to take on more responsibilities as they grow older in order to maintain the Augustinian presence in our ministries.
Another priority for the province membership is vocation promotion and initial formation. The selection and training of formators for initial formation is proving to be challenging and the members of the Villanova Province are collaborating with friars from the Provinces of St. Augustine (West Coast USA) and Our Mother of Good Counsel (Mid-West USA), to plan on how best to respond to the immediate needs of vocation promotion and initial formation.
Finally, a third priority is the continuing collaboration of the Federation of Augustinians in North America. Preparations are underway for a Convocation of all the members of the three provinces in North America. This gathering will take place at Villanova from June 9-13, 2025. A team comprised of members from the three provinces is working on content and process of how the Convocation will develop.
Congratulations and thank you to the Prior Provincial of the St. Thomas of Villanova Province, Robert Hagan, OSA and to the Province Council and staff for the service they provide to our brothers and in the exemplary way they collaborate with each other and with our lay partners in ministry.
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