Father Augustine was born in Bruges in 1896. At the age of fourteen he was received, presumably as an aspirant to the monastic life, at St André. Two years later he was to find himself at the abbey of St Sebastian in Bahia, Brasil, and it was there that he received the habit at the early age of sixteen. Two years after that he was sent to the new foundation of Mount St Benedict in Trinidad where he made his solemn profession in 1918. Later he was sent back to Europe to study theology, receiving the diaconate at Malines and the priesthood at Maredsous in 1926.
This factual account of the early years of a monastic life suggests that conditions were far from ideal for a young man, who it would seem, early on showed some signs of mental instability. His Superiors were constant in their praise - this was an edifying, humble, obedient and intelligent monk. The hot climate did not suit him and his Superiors thought that perhaps he would do better in England. So to England he came in 1927 and five years afterwards was formally accepted into the Conventus at Ampleforth. For the next thirty years he worked on the Mission - indeed, on as many as a dozen of our parishes, until he finally became hospitalised in 1962. He died in the Retreat at York on 1st August 1973.
He was a man of great courage and bore with fortitude his long years of illness, constant to the end in his determination to say Mass and receive the Sacraments. May the Lord reward him for all his goodness.
AUGUSTINE CALLAGHAN [Antony] 1 August 1973
Born at Bruges Belgium
Educ at Bruges Belgium
1901-03 Coll S Louis
1903-05 Xaverian Bros
1905-10 St Vincent's
1910 Aug Postulant in Abbey of S Andre Lophem
1912 Went to S Sebastian's Abbey Bahia Brazil (Cong Beuron) &
received the Benedictine Habit
1914 Sent to the new foundation on Mt St Benedict Trinidad
1915 Simply Professed Abbot Majole de Craigny
1918 Solemnly Professed " " " "
1915-17 Minor Orders
1918 Subdeacon Abp Dowling OP
1925-27 Studies at Mont Cesar Louvain
1925 27 Dec Deacon
1926 10 Aug Priest at Maredsous
1932 Sep Received into the familia of St Lawrence Missions-
1937 St Benedict Warrington
Easingwold
1940 Barton-on-Humber
1941 Warwick Bridge
1944 Invalided
1946 May Trinidad
1947 Ampleforth then to St Peter's Seel St, Workington, Harrington & Brindle
1962 Retired
1973 1 Aug Died at York