August 28 is a special day for the Augustinians every year: the Solemnity of St. Augustine of Hippo, the Order’s inspiration and guiding light. August 28, 2025, however, was a particularly special day. Not only did the Augustinians get to celebrate this important feast with their brothers at St. Augustine Church in Old City, Philadelphia (the Order’s first foundation in the United States), but to also celebrate the elevation of one of their own to the papacy as part of the presentation of the Saint Augustine Medal.
In 2024, the Province of St. Thomas of
The Augustinians planned to celebrate with Cardinal Prevost on St. Augustine’s feast day the following summer. In the interim, however, the cardinal became Pope Leo XIV – and while the pope himself could no longer attend, that did not stop almost 700 people from honoring him in absentia. Prior Provincial Fr. Robert P. Hagan, O.S.A., traveled to Italy in July to present His Holiness with the medal and to film the pope’s remarks and blessing [watch now] to share with the assembled community on August 28.
The celebration began with a Mass in St. Augustine Church, founded in 1796, to recognize the feast of St. Augustine and to offer thanksgiving for Pope Leo XIV. Music was provided by the musicians of St. Augustine’s and the Pastoral Musicians of Villanova University, with additional music provided by the Chuica family. The Chuicas, originally from Peru, were music ministers at the Augustinian church of San Jose Obrero in Chulucanas and were close friends with our Holy Father when he served there.
Fr. Robert Hagan, O.S.A., presided at the Mass, which was concelebrated by Fr. Anthony Pizzo, O.S.A., Prior Provincial of the Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel in the Midwest, and Fr. John Lydon, O.S.A., who served with Pope Leo in Peru for many years. “Well, I know you were expecting somebody else. So were we,” Fr. Rob said to laughter as he opened his homily.
“We stand on hallowed ground. Our first
He continued, “Could those early friars have imagined that, as they were laying an Augustinian foundation, building on this very site and planting the seeds of faith in this country – as they were standing up for those who had no voice, as they were witness to anti-Catholic Know-Nothing riots on May 8, the Feast of Our Lady of Grace, and the fire that ultimately destroyed the first church located right here – that so many generations later, out of the ashes, on May 8, 2025, the first pope, the self-proclaimed ‘Son of Augustine,’ the successor of St. Peter, would come from North America and the Augustinian community?”
After Mass, the celebration continued with cocktails and dinner at the Union League of Philadelphia. Attendees, perhaps originally hoping to snap a photo with Cardinal Prevost, took selfies with cardboard standees of Pope Leo XIV.
Keith Jones, an award-winning news anchor, host, and reporter for NBC10 News, emceed the event, with Bishop Dan Turley, O.S.A., offering the invocation before dinner. The Augustinians’ Director of Advancement & Communications, Madonna Sutter, offered heartfelt thanks to all attendees and to the Augustinian Friars in attendance, calling them up for a group photo before the pope’s remarks were played for all who were there.
In addition to celebrating the Order, the
August 28, 2025, may have looked different than we originally intended when we selected Cardinal Prevost, O.S.A., to be the recipient of the Saint Augustine Medal, but as is so often God’s way, our plans were superseded by something greater. What a blessing to celebrate the Augustinian spirit of one of our brothers, the Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, on the supreme feast of our Order – not only in a church that bears St. Augustine’s name, but a church that is the first foundation of the Augustinians in the United States.
May the Lord bless and keep you, Pope Leo!
