The Augustinian Province of England and Scotland is an administrative unit for the
Order of Saint Augustine
The Order of Saint Augustine, ( la, Ordo Fratrum Sancti Augustini) abbreviated OSA, is a religious mendicant order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1244 by bringing together several eremitical groups in the Tuscany region who were fo ...
that covers England and Scotland. It comprises all the Augustinian works that take place in England and Scotland.
The Province of England and Scotland
The Order of Saint Augustine is a Roman Catholic religious order. It was created in the 13th century and based upon the
Rule of St. Augustine of Hippo. There are Augustinians in the majority of countries around the world, including Europe, Oceania and the Americas.
History
England
The Augustinians, known from medieval times in England as the Austin Friars, came to England in 1248, when Richard de Clare,
Earl of Gloucester and Hertford offered Augustinian friars in Normandy, land on which to establish their first foundation in England.
[Clare Priory]
/ref> Clare Priory
Clare Priory is a religious house in England, originally established in 1248 as the first house of the Augustinian Friars in England. It is situated on the banks of the River Stour, a short distance away from the medieval village of Clare, Suffo ...
thus became the first Augustinian foundation in the English-speaking world. Other houses were opened in quick succession. In 1253 they settled in London where "Austin Friars" was to become the most important house of the Order in England.["The Augustinian Presence in England", St. Joseph's Church, Broomhouse, Edinburgh]
/ref>
The priory at Clare reflected the contemplative nature of the friars. The foundation in London reflected the missionary zeal of the new mendicant order. The next development, the setting up of houses in the university cities of Oxford (1266) and Cambridge (1289), represented the Order’s desire to further the study of theology and to maintain high standards of scholarship. Initially the houses in England had been part of the French Augustinian Province. By the year 1265 when the first provincial chapter was celebrated at Clare, England had become a separate province with its own prior provincial. Like all provinces, the English friaries came under the authority of the Prior General. In 1291, Holy Jesus Hospital
The Holy Jesus Hospital is a working office in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in the care of the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, National Trust. It is a Listed building, Grade II* listed building.
The site of ...
was founded at Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
. The friary served as a lodgings house because it was on one of the main roads to the north. (The building is used as the central office of the National Trust; The site holds remains of a 14th century church wall and window from the friary.
In 1300, the Austin Friars had twenty-two houses in Britain and a five priories in Ireland, which were then occupied principally by English Augustinians.[
Further expansion in England raised this number to thirty-four before the end of the fourteenth century. At the moment of its greatest expansion in 1350 the province would have numbered more than 700 friars and yet the fifteenth century saw it decline until at the moment of suppression in 1538 there were only 317 members.][ Fathers John Stone, Martin de Condres, and Paul of Saint William (all of ]Droitwich
Droitwich Spa (often abbreviated to Droitwich ) is an historic spa town in the Wychavon district in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe. It is located approximately south-west of Birmingham and north-east of Worcester.
The ...
) were martyred at Canterbury in December 1538 for their adherence to papal supremacy despite Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
's claims to the contrary.
Among the members of the Province there were noteworthy writers: poet Osbern Bokenham, Biblical commentator and historian John Capgrave
John Capgrave (21 April 1393 – 12 August 1464) was an English historian, hagiographer and scholastic theologian, remembered chiefly for ''Nova Legenda Angliae'' (New Reading from England). This was the first comprehensive collection of lives o ...
, Biblical translator Myles Coverdale
Myles Coverdale, first name also spelt Miles (1488 – 20 January 1569), was an English ecclesiastical reformer chiefly known as a Bible translator, preacher and, briefly, Bishop of Exeter (1551–1553). In 1535, Coverdale produced the first c ...
, and William Flete
William Flete was a 14th-century Augustinian hermit friar, a contemporary and great friend of St. Catherine of Siena.
Biography
The exact place and date of his birth are unknown and those of his death are disputed. He was an English mystic, and ...
, spiritual adviser to St Catherine of Siena
Catherine of Siena (Italian: ''Caterina da Siena''; 25 March 1347 – 29 April 1380), a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, was a mystic, activist, and author who had a great influence on Italian literature and on the Catholic Church. ...
.
Scotland
In 1260 there was an Augustinian house in Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...
, then in Scotland. Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...
contributed £20 towards the building of a new Augustinian church.
Wales
Around 1344, Ralph Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford
Ralph de Stafford, 1st Earl of Stafford, 2nd Baron Stafford (24 September 1301 – 31 August 1372), KG, of Stafford Castle and Madeley Castle in Staffordshire, was an English nobleman and a notable soldier during the Hundred Years' War again ...
founded a house for the Austin friars at Stafford
Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies about north of Wolverhampton, south of Stoke-on-Trent and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 70,145 in t ...
; this was late followed by a house at Newport, Wales
Newport ( cy, Casnewydd; ) is a city and Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county borough in Wales, situated on the River Usk close to its confluence with the Severn Estuary, northeast of Cardiff. With a population of 145,700 at the 2 ...
, where they also had a hospital.
Restoration
There were some attempts to restore or to continue Augustinian life by individuals who came from Spain, Rome and Ireland. Eventually, thanks to the Irish Province, it was possible to make a new start in the second half of the nineteenth century when St Monica’s, Hoxton Square, the first permanent foundation since the Reformation, was opened in 1864, followed by Our Lady of Good Counsel, Hythe (1891) and St Augustine's Church, Hammersmith
St Augustine's Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Hammersmith, London, England. It is a Romanesque revival style church and was built in 1916. It is located on Fulham Palace Road, south of the Hammersmith Flyover. It was founded by Augus ...
(1903). The consolidation of these communities continued and was followed by significant expansion in the second half of the century. The Order took on the responsibility of the parish of SS Peter and Paul, Dundee, in 1948. The return to Scotland heralded the renaissance of the Anglo-Scottish province. Further development took place in 1951: a new school, Austin Friars, was established in Carlisle, in the north of England. Austin Friars began as a boarding school for boys (11 yrs – 18yrs), with some day pupils. In the twenty-first century, it is co-educational, educates only day pupils.
Clare Priory, the first-ever Augustinian foundation in Britain, was bought back and became the novitiate for the vice-province. The first chapter of the Order to be held in England since 1532 took place at Clare in 1970. The 1970s saw further, considerable growth, with the establishment of parishes in Woodvale, Southport, and Bishop’s Court Preparatory School nearby, together with St Mary’s, Great Yarmouth. In 1973, the friars took over the parish of St Mary's Church, Harborne
St Mary's Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Harborne, Birmingham. It is situated on Vivian Road next to St Mary's Primary School. It was founded by the Passionists in 1875 and is currently served by the Augustinians.The Buildings of Eng ...
, Birmingham from the Passionists
The Passionists, officially named Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ (), abbreviated CP, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men, founded by Paul of the Cross in 1720 with a special emphasis on and de ...
.
With such growth, supported by generous assistance from the mother Province in Ireland and encouraged by several vocations from England and Scotland, the vice-province was granted full Province status in September 1977. Fr Bernard O’Connor became Provincial of the new Anglo-Scottish Province. Saint John Stone
John Stone was an English people, English Augustinians, Augustinian friar who was executed, probably in December 1539; he was canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI. He was a doctor of theology from Canterbury.
Life
Nothing is known of Stone's earl ...
, martyred under Henry VIII, was named patron of the re-established Province.
Present Day
As of 2021, there are 5 Augustinian communities around the UK; St. Mary's, Harborne
Harborne is an area of south-west Birmingham, England. It is one of the most affluent areas of the Midlands, southwest from Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in ...
, St. Joseph's, Broomhouse, Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, Clare Priory
Clare Priory is a religious house in England, originally established in 1248 as the first house of the Augustinian Friars in England. It is situated on the banks of the River Stour, a short distance away from the medieval village of Clare, Suffo ...
in Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
, St Augustine's Church, Hammersmith
St Augustine's Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Hammersmith, London, England. It is a Romanesque revival style church and was built in 1916. It is located on Fulham Palace Road, south of the Hammersmith Flyover. It was founded by Augus ...
and St Monica's Church, Hoxton
St Monica's Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Hoxton, Hackney, London. It was founded by the Augustinian Friars, built in 1866 and designed by E. W. Pugin. It is located on Hoxton Square. It is a Grade II listed building. . There are around 30 Augustinian Friars in total serving in the UK involved in a variety of ministries, including prison and University chaplaincy. Clare Priory, serves as a parish and retreat centre and also houses a shrine dedicated to Our Lady, Mother of Good Counsel.[
There is also a community of Augustinian Cannonesses at the Boarbank Hall in ]Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...
.Boarbank Hall
/ref>
See also
*Order of Saint Augustine
The Order of Saint Augustine, ( la, Ordo Fratrum Sancti Augustini) abbreviated OSA, is a religious mendicant order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1244 by bringing together several eremitical groups in the Tuscany region who were fo ...
References
External links
Province Website
St. Augustine's Centre, London
{{Augustinians in Britain
Order of St. Augustine
Catholic monastic orders
Canons regular
Mendicant orders
Roman Catholic friars
Catholic religious orders established in the 11th century
Members of Christian religious orders
Christian religious orders established in the 11th century
Christian religious orders established in the 13th century
Province of England and Scotland