Independent Augustinian Communities

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These are Roman Catholic religious communities that follow the Augustinian Rule, but are not under the jurisdiction if the Prior General of the Augustinian hermits in Rome.

They include the Augustinian nuns, the Canons Regular, the Augustinian Recollects, the Premontres, The Sisters of St Rita , the Augustinian Sisters of Mercy of Jesus (South Africa), The Augustinians of the Assumption (which includes Byzantine Rite congregations), the Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception, the Brothers of the Assumption (in the Congo), the Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation (Philippines), Congregation of Our Lady of the Missions, and the Hospitallers of the Mercy of Jesus (Canada).

To a lesser extent there is a spiritual link, through the common Augustinian Rule with the The Alexian Brothers (located in the USA, Europe, England, Ireland the Philippines and India), the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word^[1] (who established the University of the Incarnate Word in Texas), and the Sisters of St Joan of Arc (in Quebec, United States, and Rome), the Dominicans and the Brothers Hospitallers of St John of God.

1 Augustinian Nuns
2 Canons Regular of Saint Augustine
3 Discalced Augustinians (Barefoot)
4 The Norbertines (Premonstratensians)
5 The Dominican friars
6 Brothers Hospitallers of St John of God
7 Notes
8 See also
9 External links

[edit] Augustinian Nuns

The enclosed orders of women under the Augustinian Rule (as distinct from the active orders of religious women who also do) are usually not visible to the general public except via the internet. Historically, the most important of the observant Augustinian communities of women are:

The Spanish Augustinian tertiary nuns, founded in 1545 by Archbishop Thomas of Villanova at Valencia.
The "reformed" Augustinian nuns who originated under the influence of Augustinian-educated Carmelite St. Teresa after the end of the sixteenth century at Madrid, Alcoy, and in Portugal.

The contemporary Augustinian nuns are established in centres as diverse as New Lenox, Illinois, Cascia in Italy, Rome, Tabalong in the Philippines, and Kenya in Africa.

Notable Augustinian nuns include composer Vittoria Aleotti (who composed the first sacred music by a woman ever to appear in print), mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich whose book The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ was an important influence to Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ, and the mystic Saint Rita of Cascia.

[edit] Canons Regular of Saint Augustine

Also called The Augustinian Canons, or Austin Canons (Austin being a corruption of 'Augustinian'), one of the oldest and most prestigious Latin Rite orders (not counted comprehensively in this article). Though both ancient and Augustinian in origin, nine congregations confederated internationally in 1959, and the Canons Regular now elect an Abbot Primate. They are independent from the Prior General of the friars. They have houses in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, England, Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan and Uruguay. The Austrian Canons, based in Herzogenburg, Klosterneuburg, Neustift, Reichersberg, Sankt Florian, Vorau and Neustift look after over 100 parishes in Austria and South Tyrol.

[edit] Discalced Augustinians (Barefoot)

An offshoot from the hermit friars (not counted comprehensively in this article), resulting from reform efforts. These barefoot Augustinians (in France Augustins déchaussés) were founded about 1560 by Thomas a Jesu (d. 1582).

[edit] The Norbertines (Premonstratensians)

Who have historical continuity with the Augustinian Canons, were founded by St Norbert. At the end of the 20th century, there were more than one hundred Norbertine monasteries worldwide and over 1,500 canons and lay brothers.

http://www.norbertines.org/order/orderglance.html

[edit] The Dominican friars

follow the rule of St. Augustine given to them by their founder, Saint Dominic, who had been a diocesan canon, before embarking on the life that led to the establishment of the Order. The Dominicans, in 1216 formally adoptedthe Augustinian Rule.

[edit] Brothers Hospitallers of St John of God

Not an historical offshoot, but following the Augustinian Rule, this order was founded by the Portuguese Saint John of God in Spain during the 16th century. They conduct 231 health care and social welfare services throughout the world and are the official health care providers to the pope.

[edit] Notes

^ c.f. The Rule of Saint Augustine and the Constitutions of the Order of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament (New York: Schwartz, Kirwin, and Fauss, 1893), pp. 33-35.