Who are the Augustinians?
The Order of St. Augustine, or Augustinian Order, fundamentally based upon the teachings of Jesus Christ and later of Aurelius Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo (354 - 430 A.D.), was founded to live and promote the spirit of community as lived by the first Christian communities (Acts of the Apostles 4, 32-35).
The Order of Saint Augustine was born juridically in March 1244, when Pope Innocent IV united various groups of hermits in service to the Universal Church as a community of Mendicant Friars. The Order, from its very beginning, has recognized Saint Augustine of Hippo as its father, teacher, and spiritual guide, not only because it has received the Rule and the name of the Order from him, but also because it has received from him its doctrine and spirituality.
There are many ways to describe the Augustinian Order, to speak of its character, its history, its mission, its charism. First and foremost, however, the Augustinian Order is people - men and women - who, in the words of the Rule we profess, "live together in harmony, being of one mind and one heart on the way to God." We are Christians who, captivated by the example of Saint Augustine, journey together, as we build community and serve the Lord's people.