The Augustinians are a Roman Catholic religious order of brothers, some of whom are ordained.  There are approximately 2,700 Augustinians in 50 countries. The Augustinian Order took shape when, in the twelfth century, there sprung a renewal in radical Christian discipleship among different groups of hermits that were attracted to living a deeply ascetic Christian life in the Italian countryside of Tuscany. In 1244, the Church gathered these groups of men to form one religious order that would live under the centuries-old Rule of Saint Augustine and serve the Church in various ministries. Like the Franciscans, Carmelites, Dominicans, and Servants of Mary, the Augustinians would survive on the generosity of others as a mendicant order. From the beginning, the Augustinian brothers were called to manifest their monastic roots in active service of the Church. Through the centuries, the Augustinians have faithfully responded to the needs of the Church, primarily in schools and parishes, while devoting themselves “to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers” (Acts 2:42). Our ministry and interior search for God are rooted in our living together as brothers, with God as our common possession (St. Augustine, Sermon 355, 2). Our Holy Father, Saint Augustine, left us his ideal of Christian community life, which we aim to live “harmoniously… intent upon God in oneness of mind and heart” (Rule of Saint Augustine, 1).