A Transformative Experience: Insights from the Augustinians’ General Chapter

During the first three weeks of September, I had my first opportunity to attend the General Chapter of the Augustinian Order. Held every six years, the Chapter gathers around 80 Augustinians from 46 countries and 41 jurisdictions to pray, listen, discuss business, connect with each other in Augustinian community, and elect the next prior general of the Order.

 

I represented the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova as its prior provincial and had the opportunity to serve with two additional delegates: Fr. Michael Bielecki, O.S.A., who served in Rome for 10 years as secretary to the Curia, and Fr. Gary McCloskey, O.S.A. who travels frequently to our other provinces presenting on areas of Augustinian pedagogy. Fr. Futoshi Matsuo, O.S.A. also participated on our behalf and represented our Province’s friars in Japan as the regional superior of our Japanese delegation. Fr. Bob Guessetto, O.S.A., who served in Rome for many years as our master of professed students, served as one of our many translators. What a joy to connect with them and our other brothers from all corners of the world.

 

 Each day our mornings began with Mass and prayer, concelebrated by all the friars, in the chapel of the Collegio Santa Monica. Breakfast followed, and then meetings were held on a range of topics concerning our common life together, Augustinian scholarship, the importance of collaboration, living our vows authentically, how best we can support our brother Pope Leo XIV, and more. 

 

We would break for midday prayer and pranzo. Pranzo is the main meal of the day in Italy, and all of us would come together in the dining room for community and great pasta! We would resume meeting around four o’clock and meet until about 7:30 pm. We would break for Vespers, followed by cena (or supper) at 8:00 pm. 

 

The food was outstanding! I don’t think I’ve ever eaten pasta every day for three weeks straight. My new favorite condiment is olive oil, a nice, nuanced flavor that goes with everything: bread, salad, pasta, and vegetables. There were clearly good meals, good community, good conversation, great insights and lots of laughs. 

 

A big part of the experience was living in and appreciating the diversity of our Order. The meetings were held in three different languages: Italian, Spanish, and English. There were translators for every session, and we wore headphones so that we could keep up with the conversation. Even in our diversity of geography, language, and many other areas, there was so much common ground in terms of our life together and our commitment to living one mind and heart intent upon God. We truly are one Body of Christ, and it is both a grace and an effort to continue to listen to other perspectives, search for understanding, and find ways to witness to God’s truth in a world of competing voices.

 

We discussed many topics in our sessions, some of which are very practical and some of which are more conceptual. We assessed the Order in terms of its needs, renewal, vocations, community life, and apostolic commitments. We talked about the importance of collaboration: how much we need each other, how much we need God, and how much we need the laity to partner with us in our mission. We renewed our commitment to offer a prophetic voice, to witness to the gospel values that often challenge the status quo. We explored the issue of artificial intelligence, which is a priority for our brother, Pope Leo. We encourage and support the ethical and moral use of artificial intelligence that does not degrade or undermine the dignity of the human person. We listened to each other, we listened to our Augustinian Sisters who offer a unique perspective and collective wisdom from all around the world, and we listened to the Holy Spirit.

 

Pope Leo himself joined us on two occasions. He celebrated our opening Mass on Monday, September 1, at San Augustino Church in Rome, where Augustine’s mother Monica is entombed. He offered a message of peace and community, encouraging us as we began our time together. Years ago, when Pope Leo served as prior general of the Order, he invited Pope Francis to celebrate the same Mass to open our General Chapter.

 

Pope Leo also joined us during our morning meeting on September 15. He emphasized the importance of deep interiority as a source of strength for mission, the joy of fostering vocations, humility in study, the sharing of goods in community, and the renewal of the Order’s missionary zeal. (And then he stayed for lunch, which as we know is very Augustinian!)

 

On September 9, our brother Fr. Joe Farrell, O.S.A., was elected the new prior general of the Augustinian Order worldwide. He faithfully served as vicar general for the last 12 years to Fr. Alejandro Antón Moral, O.S.A. You can imagine the sacrifices from being away from home for so long – the travel, the work, the preparation – but also how that prepared him to assume this role. He has been called to this position not only by his brothers but by God. As members of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova we are very grateful and proud, and we want him to know and feel that he has our prayers and support to help him carry this responsibility for the Order, for the world, and for the Church. We are also grateful to Fr. Alejandro for his selfless servant leadership and passionate lifelong commitment to our Order.

 

Another member of our Province, Fr. Kevin DePrinzio, O.S.A., was elected to the Augustinians’ General Council and appointed as assistant general. I was hoping to bring one friar home with me and wound up leaving two there! However, we are reminded time and time again that God’s plans are not always our plans, and we ask for grace to accept, trust, and move forward for a greater good that we often do not fully see or appreciate at the time. Our brothers have been called to serve a greater good for the good of the Order, and we congratulate them and pray for them as they begin their new roles.

 

In addition to business, there were opportunities on the weekends to visit places like Genazzano, which is the first place that Pope Leo went upon his election to the papacy. Genazzano is very special to the Augustinians: it is the home of the icon of Our Mother of Good Counsel. One of the highlights was going into that beautiful chapel that houses the icon of Our Mother of Good Counsel, in prayerful devotion offering decades of the rosary. With all the Augustinians in attendance, the Hail Mary was prayed in at least seven different languages by our brothers: Italian, English, Spanish, Japanese, German, and more.

 

We also remembered the Jubilee Year of Hope. We processed through St. Peter’s Square, carrying the cross and praying decades of the rosary for all your many intentions, as we made our way up to the Vatican. One by one, we passed through the Holy Door, which is a threshold moment: a time of renewal, to leave the past in the past to embrace a bright future with Christ as our light with our Augustinian values. What a powerful moment for the whole Chapter to do that together!

 

One of the great benefits of the experience was meeting new friars, forming new friendships, and finding ways to collaborate and work together. Friendship was so important to Augustine. All his most profound encounters with God were with people who were close to him in his life, like his mother Monica and his friend Alypius. We discover God not on our own, but through one another, and then we invite people to join us in community, become our Augustinian friends journeying together on our way to God.

 

The General Chapter reminded me that what we reflected on in Rome is not meant only for the friars gathered there. These Augustinian values belong to the whole world. Each of us is called to balance contemplation with action, to tend to our interior life, while also stepping outward in friendship and service to others in whatever new ways God calls us. The Augustinian General Chapter invites all of us to ask: what is God saying in the interior of my heart? How can I respond in such a way that will help others, help the poor, help the world see and experience the love of God? The Augustinian mission is alive and well. Thank you for joining us in our restless journey for peace.