On December 16th 1243, Pope Innocent IV issued the bull Incumbit nobis calling several eremitical communities in Tuscany, Italy to unite into a single religous order with the Rule and way of the life of Saint Augustine. This had been the wish of the hermits.
In March 1244 the hermits held a founding chapter in Rome under the guidance of Cardinal Richard Annibaldi and the Union was put into effect. The pope directed the hermits to elect for themselves a prior general and to draw up a set of constitutions, From then on they became known as the Hermits of the Order of St. Agustine and from this began the history of the Order of Saint Augustine.
The hermits began to exercise pastoral care around their hermitages whilst maintaining a contemplative life. By 1250 they were in the churches of Santo Spirito in Florence and Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome.
General Chapters were held every year and we learn that by 1250 the new order consisted of 61 houses. By 1255 the Order had spread into England, Spain, France and Germany.
Although the Order wasn't founded until 1244 the monastic tradition embraced by the hermits has its roots in the time shortly after Saint Augustine returned to his native Thagaste after being ordained a Priest in 391. He obtained the use of a garden at Hippo to build a monastery for his lay community. Augustine's ideal spread to other parts of Africa. Between the years 430 to 570 this life style was appearing in Europe. Although this rule became overshadowed by other rules in particular St. Benedict's, it was still used and only later given to hermit congregations such as the Tuscan hermits mentioned above.
Further development took place on the 9th April 1256 with the bull Licet Ecclesiae catholicae of Pope Alexander IV. The pope confirmed the integration of the Hermits of St. William, the Hermits of Brettino, the Hermits of Monte Favale and other small congragations with the Tuscan Hermits into "the one profession and regular observance of the Order of Hermits of St. Augustine". This "Grand Union" was made at the Tuscan hermits' foundation of Santa Maria del Popolo, under the direction of Cardinal Annibaldi, with delegates from each hermitage.
This union of 1256 was an important step in the Church’s reform of the religious life. The Pope’s intention was to end the confusion arising from the excessive number of small religious groups, channelling their spirituality into an apostolate of preaching and pastoral care in the rising cities of Europe. The Augustinians thus taking their place as mendicant friars alongside the Dominicans, the Franciscans and shortly after, the Carmelites. The Mendicant Movement in the thirteenth century was seen as a revolutionary response to a revolutionary situation, fresh challenges were evolving through economic and intellectual changes in society. The friars were sent directly into the commercial centres to preach to the educated classes bringing the spirituality of the Gospel to the people.
The spiritual identity of the Order has two foundations. St Augustine’s concept of religious life, in particular the importance of the interior search for God and community life and the Mendicant Movement by which the Order of St. Augustine becomes an apostolic fraternity.
This is just the beginning of the Order and its history through to modern times will be built up as an accessible document from this web site.
