The Order of St. Augustine, commonly known as the Augustinians, or Austin Friars, is one of the five great mendicant religious orders founded inthe Middle Ages. St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the greatest theologians in the history of Christianity, made a distinct mark on religious life by writing the Rule of St. Augustine, a brief outline of principles governing life in a religious community.
The Rule of St. Augustine in Spanish
Inspiration from St. Augustine of Hippo
In his 1994 letter to the Friars of the Order commemorating the 750th anniversary of the founding of the Order, Father Miguel Angel Orcasitas, the Prior General of the Order at that time, indicated that from the beginning, St. Augustine was considered the father of the Order. The first Augustinians presented themselves as the legitimate heirs and authentic followers of Augustine's monastic ideals. While other religious orders follow the Rule of St. Augustine, the Augustinians have adopted the thought contained in his writings as a clear source of inspiration for approaching gospel values.
History of the Augustinian Order
Tradition has it that monks and hermits, dispersed by the Vandal invasion of North Africa in the fifth century, fled to Europe where they established monasteries, particularly in northern and central Italy. In 1244 Pope Innocent IV formed the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine by uniting several groups of hermits and ordered them to follow the Rule of St. Augustine. In 1256, Alexander IV joined other groups to the existing Order of St. Augustine in the "Grand Union" and officially named them as a mendicant order. The Order spread rapidly throughout Europe, taking an active part in ecclesiastical and university life. The English Augustinians were known as the Austin Friars, Augustinian Hermits, or White Friars, because they sometimes wore a white habit. Missions were established in Central and South America, Japan, and India. Supposedly there was an Augustinian chaplain on the voyage of exploration of Juan Cabrillo to California in 1542. The first Catholic missionaries in the Philippines, under the leadership of the great navigator, Andreas Urdaneta, were Augustinians. Friars were instrumental in the founding of the University of Mexico.
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The historical and concrete shape the Order has taken over its history has also been a source of inspiration for Augustinians. The order was apostolic from its beginning, following the model of fraternity lived by the Apostles and found in the early Christian community. It also carried out the mandate of the Church to proclaim the good news of the Gospel. From the beginning, the Augustinians tended toward a universal service to the needs of the Church. The medieval orders worked to make Europe the common home of Christianity by apostolic activity in the churches and by a presence in the universities. They were able to move from country to country with a sense of universality which overcame national boundaries, thus christianizing culture through study and spreading the gospel through missions. Among renowned Augustinians were St. Thomas of Villanova, a sixteenth century Spanish Augustinian bishop, Gregory of Rimini, a medieval theologian, St. Rita of Cascia, a mystic, St. Nicholas of Tolentine, known for his devotion to the souls in purgatory, and Gregor Mendel, the father of modern genetics.
Girolamo Seripando was one of the papal legates who led the Council of Trent. Martin Luther was a German Augustinian.Saints and Blesseds especially revered by the Augustinians.
The Augustinians Worldwide Today
The Wikipedia article on the Augustinians. Despite what it says, there is evidence that Augustine is the author of the Rule attributed to him.
Official homepage of the Augustinians This page provides a great deal of current information about the Order throughout the world.
Today, in addition to the parochial and missionary apostolates, the Augustinian Order conducts schools, colleges, and universities around the world.
There are many groups of religious women who are affiliated with the Augustinians. Primary among these are the cloistered contemplative Augustinian Nuns.
Lay persons can be affiliated to the Order as Secular Augustinians (formerly called the Third Order.
A listing in Spanish of Augustinian webpages: click here
The Augustinians in Latin America
The European Federation of provinces
The Augustinians in the United States
The Augustinians came from Ireland to the United States in 1796 and established parishes along the Eastern seacoast, beginning with St. Augustine Parish, Philadelphia. Villanova College, now Villanova University, was founded in 1842. One of the newest houses of the Order is Living Waters Retreat Center, Maggie Valley, NC. The National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia is located in south Philadelphia.
The Augustinians have three provinces in the United States: the Villanova or Eastern province, the Midwest or Chicago province, and the California or Western province.
Other Groups of Augustinians
During the 10th and 11th centuries, many cathedrals had a college of clergy, bound by no vows except those of their ordination. These came to be known as canons. The group following the Rule of St. Augustine became known as the Augustinian Canons or Black Canons.
Reform movements within the Order led to the formation of the Augustinian Recollects (originating in Spain) and the Discalced ("Shoeless")Augustinians (Italy). Originally part of the Augustinian Order, they became separate religious orders later in their existence.
The Augustinians of the Assumption are a French order. Since the Augustinians were suppressed during the French Revolution, the Assumptionists were formed in 1843 to follow Augustinian ideals.
The Society of St. Augustine and the Oblates of St. Augustine.
The Augustinian Servants of God is an offshoot of the Augustinian Recollects.
There are also a number of religious orders and congregations which follow the Rule of St. Augustine as the charter of their religious life, e.g, Norbertines, Brothers of St. John of God, and Dominicans, as well as many congregations of sisters.
In addition, there is an Anglican Order of St. Augustine.
Last updated October 4, 2004