The Brotherhood of St Augustine of Hippo was an Anglican brotherhood founded in the

Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...

, South Africa in 1867, and was based at

Modderpoort Modderpoort, also known as ''Lekhalong la Bo Tau'' or ‘The Pass of the Lions’, is the site in the eastern Free State, South Africa, where the Anglican Missionary Brotherhood, the Brotherhood of St Augustine of Hippo, was established by Bish ...

from 1869, in the Diocese of Bloemfontein.Karel Schoeman, 1986. ''The Free State Mission: The Anglican Church in the OFS, 1863-1883'', page 19-21. Edward Twells, the first bishop of Bloemfontein, had called for the establishment of a missionary brotherhood in 1865. In response, Henry Beckett left England for the Orange Free State in July 1867, with seven young men who would be the founding members of the Brotherhood of St Augustine of Hippo. Twells had purchased the farms Modderpoort and Modderpoort Spruit in 1865 as a base for missionary work in the area, but conflict in the region prevented the first group of brothers from settling there right away. The Brotherhood thus established itself initially at Springfield near

Bloemfontein Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legislative capital Cape To ...

, starting its missionary work at

Thaba Nchu Thaba 'Nchu is a town in Free State, South Africa, 63 km east of Bloemfontein and 17 km east of Botshabelo. The population is largely made up of Tswana and Sotho people. The town was settled in December 1833 and officially established ...

. Three of the group of seven fell away before the Brotherhood finally occupied Modderpoort in the autumn of 1869. Initially they occupied a cave. A priory and a sandstone chapel dedicated to St Augustine of Hippo were built by the brothers. Modderpoort was taken over, in 1902, by the Anglican

Society of the Sacred Mission The Society of the Sacred Mission (SSM), with the associated Company of the Sacred Mission, is an Anglican religious order founded in 1893 by Father Herbert Kelly, envisaged such that "members of the Society share a common life of prayer and fell ...

(SSM).

References

{{Authority control 1867 establishments in Africa Religious organizations established in 1867 Anglican orders and communities Anglican religious orders established in the 19th century Anglican Church of Southern Africa Christian missions in South Africa History of Christianity in Africa