Society of Saint Augustine

The Society of Saint Augustine (''Societas Sancti Augustini''), also known as the "Augustinians of Kansas", is a Roman Catholic

Institute of Consecrated Life An institute of consecrated life is an association of faithful in the Catholic Church erected by canon law whose members profess the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and obedience by vows or other sacred bonds. They are defined in the ...

which takes as its pattern of living, the way of life delineated in the

Rule of Saint Augustine The Rule of Saint Augustine, written about the year 400, is a brief document divided into eight chapters and serves as an outline for religious life lived in community. It is the oldest monastic rule in the Western Church. The rule, developed b ...

of Hippo. The community was founded on October 16, 1981 in Amarillo, Texas by four

Augustinian Recollects The Order of Augustinian Recollects (OAR) is a mendicant Catholic religious order of friars and nuns. It is a reformist offshoot from the Augustinian hermit friars and follows the same Rule of St. Augustine. History The Order was founded in 16t ...

(''Friars from the Order of Augustinian Recollects''). They were later joined later by two Augustinians; (''Friars formerly from the Order of Saint Augustine.'') As an

Augustinian Augustinian may refer to: *Augustinians, members of religious orders following the Rule of St Augustine *Augustinianism, the teachings of Augustine of Hippo and his intellectual heirs *Someone who follows Augustine of Hippo * Canons Regular of Sain ...

community, The Society of Saint Augustine is composed of priests, religious brothers and lay people. It is rooted in the Augustinian Recollect tradition but differs somewhat from many other Augustinian Communities in that it places great emphasis on the inclusion and involvement of the laity (lay persons) in the life and ministry of the community. Wherever a Community house is established, great emphasis is placed on extending Augustinian spirituality. Lay "Affiliates" take part in Communal activities and regular formation. These "Affiliates" are invited to join the friars in Daily Offices, communal events—and even in the apostolate, where appropriate. In turn, they extend Augustinian spirituality by their lives. The members of the community are committed to living a traditional mendicant Augustinian Religious life, based on meditation / recollection, community prayer. Members wear the traditional religious Habit consisting of a black (or White) mendicant tunic, black leather

cincture The cincture is a rope-like or ribbon-like article sometimes worn with certain Christian liturgical vestments, encircling the body around or above the waist. There are two types of cinctures: one is a rope-like narrow girdle or rope-like belt ...

, scapular and capuce. Over this they wear a silver Augustinian Cross. Members may also wear the Rosary. They celebrate the daily Divine Office or "Liturgy of the Hours"; practice a simplicity of life and are to be faithful to the

. Drawing from the various reform movements in the Augustinian Tradition (the Spanish Recollection, The Observantine Congregation of the Augustinian Order, etc.,) the Society of Saint Augustine seeks to authentically adapt traditional Augustinian Religious Life to the contemporary needs of Society. The community transferred to the

Archdiocese of Kansas City The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas ( la, Archidioecesis Kansanopolitana in Kansas) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical province or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the United States of America. The archbishop's episcopal seat is locat ...

in 1997 when it was invited by Archbishop James P. Keleher to minister in that diocese. While fostering the "active/contemplative" dimension of Augustinian Religious Life, the Society of Augustine involves itself in a broad spectrum of ministries, including parochial and pastoral care, adult catechesis, Hispanic ministry, teaching, direction of retreats and military chaplaincy. The community also places great emphasis on "

pro-life Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life or abolitionist movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in respon ...

" issues. Presently, this community of reform Friars has two houses: ''Villa Saint Augustine'', in Kansas City (which serves as the Administrative Center for the Community), and ''Villa Ostia'', a retreat house in up-state New York. In April 2009, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City entrusted two parishes to their care: Holy Family Parish, St. Mary-St. Anthony Parish. (St. Anthony Parish had formerly been entrusted to

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

Friars who had left some time ago.) The Religious Sisters 'affiliated' with the Society, while sharing in the

charism A spiritual gift or charism (plural: charisms or charismata; in Greek singular: χάρισμα ''charisma'', plural: χαρίσματα ''charismata'') is an extraordinary power given by the Holy Spirit."Spiritual gifts". ''A Dictionary of the ...

of the community, are governed separately from the Friars. Presently, the Augustinian Recollect Sisters of our Lady of Consolation, have one convent in Topeka, Kansas. Mendicant orders Augustinian orders History of Catholic religious orders Christian organizations established in 1981