Augustinian

The Order of St. Augustine was one of the great mendicant orders of the Middle Ages (the others were the Dominicans, the Franciscans, and the Carmelites). The order began officially in 1243, when Pope Innocent IV issued a papal bull uniting several hermit communities that professed to follow the Rule of St. Augustine.

The Order's character mainly comes from the writings of St. Augustine, and their participation in the Mendicant movement. Since then, the Augustinians have placed their focus on missionary work, and working with the poor. The first Catholic missionaries in the Philippines were Augustinians, led by the explorer Andres de Urdaneta.

Perhaps the two most famous Augustinians are Martin Luther, who was a German Augustinian, and Gregor Mendel.

The official home page of the Order is http://www.aug.org/

Reference:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1534/osa.html

Au*gus"tine (?), Au`gus*tin"i*an (?), n. Eccl.

A member of one of the religious orders called after St. Augustine; an Austin friar.

© Webster 1913.

Au`gus*tin"i*an, a.

Of or pertaining to St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo in Northern Africa (b. 354 -- d. 430), or to his doctrines.

Augustinian canons, an order of monks once popular in England and Ireland; -- called also regular canons of St. Austin, and black canons. -- Augustinian hermits or Austin friars, an order of friars established in 1265 by Pope Alexander IV. It was introduced into the United States from Ireland in 1790. -- Augustinian nuns, an order of nuns following the rule of St. Augustine. -- Augustinian rule, a rule for religious communities based upon the 109th letter of St. Augustine, and adopted by the Augustinian orders. <-- sic original was "Regular canons of St. Austin".?? Not St. Augustine? -->

© Webster 1913.

Au`gus*tin"i*an, n.

One of a class of divines, who, following St. Augustine, maintain that grace by its nature is effectual absolutely and creatively, not relatively and conditionally.

© Webster 1913.