Meet the Augustinians

With last week's election of Cardinal Robert Prevost to the Chair of Saint Peter, attention has come to the Order of Saint Augustine, commonly known as the Augustinians. And for Catholics engaged in ecological protection and education, the order’s work in this arena is of special importance. And so, what should we know about the Augustinians?

Turns out, quite a bit.

Founded in the thirteenth century, the Order of Saint Augustine is rooted in the teachings and Rule of Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD). Like similar orders, the Augustinians emphasized (and still emphasize!) community living, charity, and service, with a spirituality that integrates contemplation and active ministry.

Today, the order is most widely known for its work in education, missionary activities, and pastoral care. But are the Augustinians as well-known for their eco-efforts as other Catholic orders—most especially, the Franciscans?

Maybe not.

But for the past decade especially, inspired by Pope Francis's Laudato Si, the Augustinians have aligned their mission more explicitly with ecological concerns, reflecting the broader Catholic call to care for creation.

Before we dive into that, let’s look at the history of the order, which shares a great deal with the medieval foundations of similar religious orders—especially those orders known as "mendicants."

Mendicant orders formed in response to growing urban areas throughout Europe in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Cities brought new human needs, and the Church responded organically with the birth of informal and, eventually, formal groups of religious men and women who engaged these new communities. The word “mendicant” comes from the Latin mendicare, meaning “to beg” or “one who asks for alms.” Unlike their monastic cousins, who largely lived in rural enclaves and labored to provide for their worldly means, the mendicants—such as the Franciscans, the Dominicans, and the Augustinians—labored to teach, preach to, and care for the urban poor. Their worldly needs were supplied for by the residents and the communities that they served.

The common vows among mendicants of poverty, chastity, and obedience gave them a distinctively attractive reputation in how they lived the Gospel with their trust in God and their service to their neighbor. With these roots of lifestyles turned away form worldly pleasures, all in the service of the Triune God, we find the necessary worldview that can foster a chrism of ecological protection.

Rather than arising from the vision of a single leader—such as Francis for the Franciscans and Dominic for the Dominicans—the Augustinians were christened in 1244 by Pope Innocent IV when several religious movements, primarily from Tuscany, petitioned the pope for recognition and for a mission. Pope Innocent granted their request and provided for them rules to live by: the Rule of St. Augustine, with an emphasis on communal living, prayer, and service to the Church. The Augustinians were also provided with a summary of their rule—a motto—derived from Saint Augustine himself: One mind and heart on the way to God.

Today, the order operates in approximately fifty countries, with about 2,800 members, including priests, brothers, and affiliated laypeople. They manage institutions like Pope Leo XIV’s alma mater Villanova University, Merrimack College, and schools, parishes, and missions the world over.

While the Augustinians have not historically been well known for their ecological work, their commitment to serving the Church and humanity aligns with the a growing emphasis on environmental stewardship, particularly following Laudato Si’, which calls for an “integral ecology” that connects care for the environment with social justice—that "oneness" called for by Saint Augustine.

Indeed, St. Augustine’s writings are foundational for a proper understanding of Catholic Ecology. In works like Confessions and The City of God, Augustine reflects on the beauty and order of creation as a reflection of God’s goodness. He saw the natural world as a gift to be respected, not exploited, aligning with the Catholic view that humans are stewards of creation (Genesis 1:26–28).

Augustine’s concept of ordo amoris (the order of love) implies a balanced relationship with all of God’s creation, including the environment, which can guide ecological ethics.

Of course, as with many religious orders, Medieval Augustinian convents were often situated in natural settings, such as woodlands, which were managed to convey spiritual and ecological significance. In other words, they connected their work in urban communities to their prayerful presence in nature.

This connection between urban and rural seem to be providing the basis of the order's future in ecological matter.

And, indeed, the Augustinians have responded accordingly. From the practical (Augustinian missions, such as those in Peru, Japan, and Indonesia, often involve sustainable community development) to the educational (Augustinian-run institutions like Villanova University have integrated environmental sustainability into their programs), the order is certainly no stranger to Catholic Ecology.

In his essay “The Augustinian Commitment to Addressing the Environmental Crisis,” Fr. Jeremy Hiers, O.S.A. sums up the Augustinian eco-foundations and what is to come thus:

As the Rule [of Saint Augustine] teaches, one of the core principles of the Augustinian Way of Life is an invitation to hold all things in common. Augustine based this on the model given to us by the very early Christian community (Acts 4:32-35). We are likewise called to bring our gifts and resources to the community and distribute them to all members according to need. From this principle, we can argue the Earth and all its goodness belong to all people because all that we enjoy from creation is a gift from the Creator of all people.

The goods of the Earth (e.g., clean air, rain forests, fossil fuels, etc.) are therefore meant to be shared. When we consume these goods in a way that takes them from others, we are robbing our human sisters and brothers in other parts of our country and our world what is also theirs. How do we as Augustinians ensure that we model this core principle by the way we live our lives?

During our General Chapter of 2019, the Order of Saint Augustine made a commitment to promote education, reflection, and action on how we are living this foundational Augustinian principle. To aid us on this journey, the Order recently made a commitment to the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, a unique collaboration between the Vatican, Catholic organizations, and “all men and women of good will” which creates community across secular and religious organizations that share a similar concern about the environment. The platform offers resources and information sharing to enable members to create and implement plans to live more sustainable lifestyles.

In other words, while the Augustinian Order’s work in nature protection and ecology is not as prominent as that of some other Catholic orders, it is increasingly significant in light of Laudato Si’ and the Church’s wider, ancient call to care for creation. Their theological heritage, rooted in St. Augustine’s appreciation for the order and beauty of creation, provides a foundation for ecological engagement.

And now, with the Successor of Saint Peter himself having served as the Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, we can be sure that there is much in the future to report about the Augustinians and their work to care for the great garden that God has given humanity to nurture, thrive in, and share.