Augustinians - The Augustinian Friars

The Augustinian Friars

From the 2008 Constitutions of the Order of Saint Augustine, we read:-

The Order of Saint Augustine is composed of the following:

a) friars, whether professed or novices, who are members of the various Circumscriptions of the Order (meaning a Province, Vicariate, or Delegation).

b) the contemplative nuns belonging to the monasteries of the Order.

c) the members of the Augustinian Secular Fraternities, legitimately established by the Prior General.

In addition to these three branches, the Augustinian family also includes other groups: a) Religious institutes, both male and female, formally aggregated to the Order by a decree of the Prior General (this would include the Augustinians of the Assumption, the Sisters of St Rita, etc.) b) Other groups of lay Augustinians c) Lay faithful affiliated to the Order

The Augustinian, or Austin, friars (O.S.A.), are a mendicant order. As consecrated religious, they pray the Liturgy of the Hours throughout the day. This Latin Rite Order, while a contemplative Order, differs from traditional monastic Orders in three ways: 1) They do not take vows of stability, meaning that they can live in one house (called a friary or sometimes a monastery) typically for several years before being moved into a different community of the Order. 2) They are engaged in apostolic activity, such as mission work, education, prison ministries, etc. The Order is under the supervision of a Prior General in Rome, and as an international Order they are divided into various Provinces throughout the world, with each Province being led by a Prior Provincial; (3) As an Order, they have a special commitment to corporate poverty as opposed to simply the poverty professed by the individual friar. While this is not currently legislated as it was in the origins of the Order, this is to be a distinguishing mark of their lives as a community.

As is typical of most Catholic religious orders, the Augustinians wear a religious habit, consisting of three pieces: a tunic, a cincture, and a shoulder cape with hood. The tunic and shoulder cape may be black or white (white typically being reserved among the professed friars for tropical locations, and where Dominican friars are not present, so as to avoid confusion), and a black cincture. Novices of the Order wear a white tunic and hooded cape with a black cincture. When white is used by professed friars, however, a scapular is added to the habit, which is the same as the Dominican habit, thus the possible confusion. This is due to St. Dominic's origins as a canon regular.

As consecrated religious, Augustinians profess the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and obedience. They follow the Rule of St. Augustine, written sometime between 397-403, for a monastic community Augustine founded in Hippo (modern day Algeria), and which takes as its inspiration the early Christian community described in the Acts of the Apostles, particularly Acts 4:32: "Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common" (RSV).

By decree of the Holy See, the Augustinian Order is granted exempt status, which places it under the direct dependence of the Pope, meaning that bishops have no jurisdiction with regards to the internal affairs of the Order.