October 10 - Saint Thomas of Villanova

Saint Thomas of Villanova

Bishop

Today we celebrate the memory of Saint Thomas of Villanova, one of the great Spanish saints of the 16th Century, known as the Father of the Poor.

Like Saint Augustine, he was called to serve the Church as bishop, much against his will, but carried out this service with great fidelity and zeal, bringing about a significant renewal in his Archdiocese first by the example of his own life, as well as by his wise and effective decisions.

In the midst of a society and a Church surrounded by wealth and privilege, Thomas lived always as a poor and humble servant of God and of his people.

Thomas Garcia Martinez was born about 1486 in Fuenllana, Spain, and was raised in Villanueva de los Infantes, with which town his name is forever linked. He studied at the University of Alcalá and later at Salamanca, where he entered the Order and was professed on November 25, 1517. On December 24, 1518 he was ordained priest. He then taught theology in Salamanca and was entrusted with the duties of prior of the friary there and later at others as well.

He served also at various times as Prior Provincial and Visitator. In 1544 Charles V nominated him to the See of Valencia. Though he tried to decline, his provincial ordered him to accept. On October 10, 1544, Pope Paul III made the appointment. He was consecrated at Valladolid where he was then prior. The See of Valencia was ranked as first class because of its size and resources. 

However, it was not in good condition. For the whole previous century there had been no resident bishop. Thomas undertook a widespread reform, beginning with visitation within weeks of his arrival. He drew up statutes, founded the first seminary, helped young women to find employment rather than fall into disrepute, and saved many orphans from poverty.

Personally, however, he sought to live always as a simple friar, preferring to wear his religious habit and giving generously to the poor. By his preaching he made a great impression and drew many to religious life, including the future Augustinians, Alonso de Orozco and Juan de Muñatones, who was to become bishop of Sergobe. The sermons which Thomas left number more than 400 and have run some 19 editions.

Thomas died on September 8, and was buried in our friary of Our Lady of Help in Valencia as he had desired. Later his remains were moved to both the cathedrals of Valencia and Salamanca. He was beatified on October 7, 1618 by Paul V and canonized on November 1, 1658 by Alexander VII. 

Thomas was thoroughly Augustinian in his preferential choice of life, his spirituality, his preaching, teaching, and in his ministry, especially as a bishop. He demonstrated the power of reform and renewal from within by his own example, becoming symbol of hope in the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation. He resembles Augustine in his learning, in his preaching, and his inclination toward the contemplative life, while at the same time responding generously to the needs of others.

September 10 - Saint Nicholas of Tolentine

San Nicholas de Tolentino

Priest

There are, for many of us, people who have served as models and inspiration in our own lives and, at times, in the choices we make. The friar whom we remember today, Saint Nicholas of Tolentine, has been for Augustinians throughout most of our history, such a model, illustrating the ideals we strive after in our religious lives and ministry. The saints, after all, have no need of our praise. We, however, have need of their example, encouragement and intercession.

 Nicholas is the first member of the Order to have been canonized, and for much of the Order's history served as the model - par excellence - of the perfect integration of a life of contemplation with that of active ministry among God's people. He was born in 1245 in Sant'Angelo in Pontano, Italy, and joined the Order there shortly after the Grand Union. The early years of his life as a friar were devoted to preaching in various houses of his province, but his last thirty years were spent in Tolentino, where he was engaged principally as confessor, benefactor of the poor and diligent minister to the sick. Nicholas was a man filled with compassion and charity toward his brothers in the monastery, great hospitality to visitors and generous attention to all in need. At the same time his life of prayer and recollection, of penance and fidelity to the common life won the admiration of all. His devotion to the faithful departed and his prayers for their salvation earned him the title Patron of the Souls in Purgatory. Nicholas died on September 10, 1305 and his body is venerated in his Basilica in Tolentino. He was canonized by Eugene IV in 1446. 

Nicholas holds a special place on our calendar and in our history, not only because he was the first member of the Order to be canonized, but because he exemplifies well the balance between two essential elements of Christian - and Augustinian - life: love of God and love of neighbor; prayer and good works; and for friars, a life of contemplation combined with a life of generous service in ministry.

September 28 - Blessed Thomas of Saint Augustine

Thomas Ochia Kintsuba Jihyoe of Augustine

Martyr

Augustinian Thomas “Kintsuba” Jihyoe of Saint Augustine, along with his 187 companions, was beatified November 24, 2008. The beatification ceremony took place in Nagasaki, Japan. “For all of us, this is a magnificent opportunity to renew our own faith, and to open our hearts to the inspiration of such a courageous and generous witness to Jesus Christ and the Gospel,”

Augustinian Prior General Robert F. Prevost, O.S.A. said. “In our world today, while most of us are not subject to physical dangers in professing our faith, we do find many situations of indifference and even direct opposition to the message of Christ and to the teaching of the Church.

The strength and courage of Blessed Thomas of Saint Augustine can encourage each of us to renew our own commitment in giving our lives in service to the Gospel.”

Thomas Jihyoe of Saint Augustine (1600?-1637) was a Japanese Augustinian friar who gave his life for Christ during the persecution of Christians in Seventeenth Century Japan.

Thomas was born around the year 1600 in Omura, Japan, near Nagasaki. His parents, Christian catechists, were both martyred for the Faith. As a youth Thomas studied under the Jesuits in Arima. When the Jesuit school was closed during the persecution, Thomas, along with his Jesuit teachers, was expelled from his native land. He went to Macao, where he continued his studies.

In 1622 he went to Manila, Philippines. There he entered the Augustinians, taking his vows in 1624. He was then sent to Cebu City, Philippines, where he completed his theological studies and was ordained a priest in 1627 or 1628. He was the first Japanese Augustinian friar to be ordained a priest. As the persecution in Japan continued, more and more Catholic missionaries were martyred. Thomas, seeing that the Christians there were in great need of pastoral care and guidance, felt a call to return to the land of his birth.

He tried several times to obtain the permission of his superiors to return to Japan, and finally, in 1631, he went back to his homeland. Since he was Japanese, it was fairly easy for him to conceal his priesthood from the authorities. He obtained a position in the administration of the Governor of Nagasaki under the name Kintsuba (Garnished with Gold). Fearless, and motivated by faith, Thomas was able to offer support to the imprisoned, including Augustinian Bartholomew Gutiérrez. When Bartholomew was killed, Thomas continued to encourage and help the other Christian prisoners.

Soon the Governor began to suspect that there was a priest ministering to the captives in jail. Thomas had to flee the city. He took refuge in a nearby cave. He became the object of a famous manhunt. Officials posted in many places his picture with the warning, “Do not harbor this person! If you know where he is, turn him in.” So many of these “wanted” posters were displayed that his face became well-known throughout Japan.

Hiding was difficult. Thomas would go out under cover of night to minister to the faithful Catholics. He constantly changed his appearance, wearing disguises and never following the same route twice. Finally, in 1637 he was captured. He revealed his true identity to his captors. He underwent many kinds of cruel torture. Remaining steadfast in his Christian faith, Thomas was condemned to death.

On November 6, 1637 he was hung by his feet with his head inserted into a pit of rotting garbage until he died. He was initially listed along with the three Jesuits and 184 lay Catholics whose process of beatification and canonization was opened in 1996 by the Bishops of Japan. Subsequently, Thomas' cause was entrusted to the Augustinians.

Blessed Thomas “Kintsuba” Jihyoe of Saint Augustine and his 187 companion martyrs were beatified November 24, 2008. Josef Sciberras, O.S.A., the Augustinian Postulator of Causes, oversees the progress of his cause.

The death of these Augustinians, religious and laity, men and women, natives of Japan and missionaries from foreign lands, bears witness to the universality and unity of the Order and of the Church. The grace of Christ and the bonds of fraternity inspired and sustained the faith and fidelity of our brothers and sisters under horrendous circumstances.

September 28 - Blessed Peter de Zuñiga, Thomas of Saint Augustine and Companions

Bl. Pedro Zuñiga

Priests & Martyr

Today we celebrate the glorious memory of a group of Augustinian martyrs of Japan - religious and laity, native Japanese and foreign missionaries, who paid the supreme sacrifice of their lives in the face of horrific torture - for their love of Christ and fidelity to  the Catholic faith.

Their death inspired and continues to inspire others to value the gift of faith and the communion we share in the Church.

The first Augustinians arrived in Japan in 1602 and quickly drew many people not only to the Catholic faith but also to the Augustinian way of life as religious, tertiaries and confraternity members. In January, 1614, a Decree of Extinction ordered the suppression of Christianity, however, and several years later, fierce persecution of the Christians began. Among those who suffered martyrdom were members of the Order from Spain, Portugal and Mexico as well as many native Japanese. Fr. Ferdinand of Saint Joseph, the Augustinian protomartyr of Japan, along with Andrew Yoshida, a catechist who worked with him, were beheaded in 1617.

Fr. Peter Zúñiga, a Spaniard from Seville, who grew up in Mexico but later joined the Order in his native country, was burned to death in 1622. Br. John Shozaburo, Oblates Michael Kiuchi Tayemon, Peter Kuhieye, Thomas Terai Kahioye, and tertiaries Mancio Scisayemon and Lawrence Hachizo were beheaded in 1630. Fr. Bartholomew Gutiérrez, Fr. Vincent of Saint Anthony Simoens, Fr. Francis of Jesus Terrero, Fr. Martin of St. Nicholas Lumbreras and Fr. Melchior of St. Augustine Sánchez were burned to death in 1632. Thomas of St. Augustine, who was the first Japanese Augustinian to be ordained a priest, was born in about 1602.

He was educated by the Jesuits, becoming proficient in Latin and public speaking. He later moved to Macao to continue his studies, returning five years later to work as a catechist and preacher, often forced to flee from place to place to do his work. In 1622 he went to Manila to join the Order for the great admiration he had for the Augustinians and their work in Japan. He was professed at Intramuros in 1624 and was ordained in Cebu. After several failed attempts he was able to return to Nagasaki in 1631. Being Japanese he was able to keep his priesthood secret and even obtained a position in the governorship of Nagasaki with the name Kintsuba.

On All Saints Day, 1636, after being arrested for being a Christian, he then revealed to his captors, “I am Father Thomas of Saint Augustine Jihioye, of the Order of Saint Augustine.” He was tortured for several months with excruciating punishments but would not renounce the faith. On August 21, 1637 he was taken with 12 others, men and women, some of whom were tertiaries, some members of the Confraternity of the Cincture, to be subjected to the torture of the pit in which they were suspended by their feet with their heads immersed in a hole in the ground.

Finally, on Thursday, November 6th he was taken to the pit for the last time together with four others, and died, as witnesses recalled, one of the greatest martyrdoms of the period. In November 1982 he was included in a list of 188 martyrs whom the Japanese bishops proposed for canonization. 

The death of these Augustinians, religious and laity, men and women, natives of Japan and missionaries from foreign lands, bears witness to the universality and unity of the Order and of the Church. The grace of Christ and the bonds of fraternity inspired and sustained the faith and fidelity of our brothers and sisters under horrendous circumstances.

September 4 - Our Mother of Consolation

Our Mother of Consolation

In moments of sorrow and trial the Christian people have frequently turned to Mary for comfort and assistance. Today's commemoration of the Augustinian devotion to Our Mother of Consolation is an expression of that confidence in Mary's presence and solace. The devotion was born out of an experience of sorrow and loss, but became a reminder that we are never forgotten or abandoned, never alone.

The title of Our Mother of Consolation has been the principal devotion to Mary within the Order at least since the 17th Century. Its origin among the Augustinians is directly tied to the life of Saints Monica and Augustine who are commonly depicted together with the figures of Mary and the Child Jesus in interpretations of the image. The other title of the devotion is Our Lady of the Cincture. According to tradition, Monica, immersed in sorrow because of the death of her husband and the waywardness of her son, was granted a vision of Mary and the Child Jesus, who sought to offer her comfort or consolation. Mary handed her a leather cincture which she asked Monica to wear as a continual reminder of her presence and thus, a visible sign of encouragement. From that moment Monica wore the cincture and, after his conversion, recommended it also to her son as an indication of Mary's abiding protection. Thus, by this same tradition, it became historically, the principal and common symbol for all who follow Augustine's Rule. 

The various titles by which the Order venerates Mary - Help, Grace, Good Counsel, Consolation - all suggest an understanding of the Mother of God as benefactress or patroness of her people, as one who responds to the many needs which humanity experiences. Mary is truly mother and sister to us, because as faithful disciple of her  Son, she learned well the lessons of selfless love and generous service. As Mother of Consolation she is particularly near to those in need of companionship and comfort.   

August 17 - Saint Clare of the Cross of Montefalco

Saint Clare of the Cross of Montefalco

Virgin

There are saints to be imitated and saints to be admired," says an old and wise proverb. For many reasons the saint whose memory we celebrate today would probably fall into the second category, for she was endowed with extraordinary gifts of grace and practiced radical forms of penance that are the cause of amazement to many.

She was also a person, however, filled with great love who could not be content to live by half measures or compromise.

 Clare was born in Montefalco, Italy, in 1268, the second daughter of Damiano and Iacopo Vengente. From a very early age she lived an eremitical life with her older sister Giovanna and another young woman in a small dwelling which Damiano had built for them. Clare was a lively and intelligent young girl, but equally prayerful and penitential. The small community of hermits grew, and in 1290 was established as a formal convent of nuns under the Rule of Saint Augustine.

Upon the death of Giovanna, Clare at 23 years of age was elected abbess, and became mother, teacher and spiritual director of the convent. A young woman of deep spiritual perception, though with almost no formal education, she was much sought after for advice and counsel from people of all walks of life, and from within the walls of the cloister became a director of many souls.

She was deeply devoted to the Passion of Christ and was known to experience periods of ecstasy as she contemplated the mystery of the Cross. For many years she received no consolation in her interior life except that of her own fidelity to prayer and acts of penance. During her final illness she repeated to her sisters that she bore the cross of Christ in her heart. After her death, this was verified when the nuns examined her heart and found in it symbols of the passion of the Lord, formed from cardial muscle. Clare died on August 17, 1308 at the age of 40 and was canonized by Leo XIII in 1881.

 The life of Clare of the Cross is a striking reminder that holiness is the work of grace and not of human effort. Nonetheless, cooperation with the work of God is indispensable for spiritual growth, "for He who made us without our willing it, will not save us without our willing it."  

May 16 - Saints Alypius and Possidius

Alypius and Possidius

Bishops

Our celebration today honors the memory of two saints who were intimate friends of Saint Augustine and members of his religious community. Like him they were also called to ministry as bishops in North Africa and served the Church well especially in helping to reveal the fallacies of unorthodox teachings at the time. Their love for religious life according to the inspiration of Augustine helped to spread its influence in North Africa.

Alypius was born in the middle of the fourth century in Tagaste, Africa, to parents who were influential citizens of that city. He studied law in Rome,  but first met Augustine while at school in Carthage. Augustine praised Alypius, whom he called "the brother of my heart", for his honesty, sincerity and sense of justice.

Like Augustine, Alypius was at one time a Manichean. The two friends were both converted to the Catholic faith and were baptized together by Saint Ambrose in 387. Alypius was a member of Augustine's first monastery in Tagaste. When Augustine was ordained a priest in Hippo, and founded a community in that city, Alypius joined him there, and was subsequently ordained bishop of Tagaste around 384. He once traveled to the East, where he met the great biblical scholar Saint Jerome. He took part in the African Councils of the Church during his time as bishop, and was chosen along with Possidius and Augustine to represent the Catholic bishops at the famous meeting with the Donatists in Carthage in 411. He took part in the Council of Milevi (Numidia) in 416 and composed a written report on this Council for Pope Innocent. Alypius travelled to Italy several times as part of his opposition to the Pelagian heresy. He carried Augustine's writings with him in order to present them to Pope Boniface. It is believed that he was present at the death of Augustine in 430. Alypius died shortly thereafter, probably later in the same year.

Possidius, the first biographer of Augustine, was born in northern Africa, and became a member of Augustine's first monastic community in Hippo, along with Saint Alypius. He was named Bishop of Calama (Numidia), where he faced opposition from the Donatists. Possidius narrowly escaped death on one occasion when Donatist extremists set fire to a house where he was visiting .

Twice he went to Italy to defend the rights of the African Church. He was present at the Councils in Carthage in 403 and 407, and was chosen along with Alypius and Augustine to represent the Catholic Bishops at the famous meeting with the Donatists in Carthage in 411. He also took part in the Councils of Milevi (416) and Carthage (419) which treated of the Pelagian heresy. When Calama was conquered by Vandal invaders in 429, Possidius took refuge with Augustine inside the walls of Hippo and was with Augustine at the latter's death in 430. Possidius returned to Calama, but in 437 was exiled by King Hunmeric, who suppressed Christianity and forced Arianism on the territories that he conquered. During this time of exile, Possidius completed his famous book, The Life of Augustine. He died in exile around the year 437.

The Order has celebrated the feasts of Alypius and Possidius since 1671. Clement X confirmed devotion to them on August 19, 1672. The memory of these two saints is closely tied, both as monks and bishops, to that of Saint Augustine. They are, in fact, the two greatest representatives of his monastic legacy. However, it is not for this reason alone that history remembers them. They were dedicated Christians, religious and shepherds of the Church in their own right.  

May 13 - Our Lady of Help

Madonna dell Soccorso

Yet another celebration today, honoring Mary under a title that originated precisely among the Augustinians, Our Lady of Help. Perhaps this title among all the others, reflects the common and universal confidence of the faithful in

Mary's intercession on behalf of those in need. As to a loving and attentive mother, the Christian people have had recourse to the one indicated by Jesus himself at his last hour, "Behold your mother."

 Devotion to the Blessed Virgin under the title 'Our Lady of Help' or 'Our Lady of Succor', began at the start of the 14th Century in the Church of Saint Augustine in Palermo, Sicily.

Fr. Nicola Bruno, theologian, preacher and prior of the friary there, having suffered continually from unbearable pains in his side, invoked the Blessed Virgin for relief as he prayed before her image in the church. That night the Virgin of that same image appeared to him announcing his healing. From this event the painting came to be known as 'Our Lady of Help' and devotion spread, not only locally, but throughout the Order, especially in Italy, Spain and Latin America. This memorial has been celebrated in the Order with its own liturgy since 1804.

 The many titles by which Mary is invoked particularly as a helper of the Christian people - Mary, Help of Christians, Our Lady of Perpetual Help (also originally an Augustinian devotion) - reflect the faithful's confidence in Mary, chosen by God as the special instrument through which the Savior, our Ultimate Help, would come into the world. 

May 7 - Blessed Maria of Saint Joseph Alvarado

Blessed Maria of Saint Joseph Alvarado

Virgin

We remember and celebrate today the life and witness of an Augustinian sister who devoted her life and energy to the care of sick and poor children and elderly of Venezuela, and who founded a religious congregation for this purpose.

Her witness is perhaps all the more powerful as she is a contemporary of ours, having died in 1967. She reminds us, as do so many other men and women, canonized or not, that love for God is made manifest in the practical love of neighbor, especially the most needy.

Maria of Saint Joseph is the first native of Venezuela to be beatified. She was born Laura Alvarado Cardozo  in Choroní (Aragua), on April 25, 1875, and from childhood showed a great sensitivity toward the sick and the needy.

She worked as a hospital volunteer, gathering other young women around her, and from this group there developed over time the Congregation of the Poor of Saint Augustine. Maria and her first companions made their religious profession on January 22, 1902, Laura taking the name Maria of Saint Joseph.

The canonization of Saint Rita in 1900 had been a strong factor in inspiring these women to adopt the Rule of Saint Augustine and the habit of Augustinian Tertiaries. In 1952 they changed the name of the community to "Recollect Augustinian Sisters of the Heart of Jesus", their charism being to assist abandoned children and the elderly poor.

The first orphanage was opened in Maracay in 1905, followed in rapid succession by thirty other foundations in various cities. Beginning in 1906 Maria experienced a series of infirmities, but was not deterred in her attention to the needy nor her great devotion to the Eucharist. She died in Maracay on April 2, 1967 at the age of 92 and was beatified by John Paul II in Rome on May 7, 1995.

Numerous are the active religious congregations of women founded in various countries in recent centuries according to the Rule and spirituality of Saint Augustine. Many founders and foundresses, such as Blessed Maria, were inspired in doing so by the life and teaching of Augustine himself or by association with members of the Order, showing not only the contemporary quality of the Rule but also the relevance of Augustine's insights on religious life to every age.

May 5 - Vincent Soler and Companions

Vincent Soler

Priest and Martyr

Today we commemorate the death of seven Augustinians who suffered martyrdom during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. In every age and in every place, there have been men and women who have lived their Christian vocation to the full extent of shedding their blood for love.

There still are those who do so today. Their fidelity and courage, made possible only through the power of God's grace, calls each of us to consider well the precious gift of faith - and its consequences.

 During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) many friars of the Order of Saint Augustine and of the Augustinian Recollects shed their blood for their fidelity to Christ and the Church. Between July 25 and August 15, 1936, seven Recollect religious from the Monastery of Motril in Granada, were executed, having decided to remain together in their city despite the dangers involved. Among them was Vincent Soler, former Prior General of the Recollects, five other priests and a 27 year-old brother who had entered the Order just two years earlier.

The six priests had given many years of service to the missions in the Philippines, Brazil and Venezuela. They were beatified by John Paul II on March 7, 1999. In his homily at the Mass that day the pope offered the reminder that "they did not die for some ideology, rather they gave their lives freely for Someone who had already died previously for them. Thus they returned to Christ the gift which they had received from him."

The Order of Augustinian Recollects began as a contemplative movement within the Order in Spain in the 16th Century, and while it obtained its independence in the 20th Century, we continue to share very many elements of a common spirituality and centuries of common history. We also share the same Liturgical Calendar as a sign of our heritage and spiritual communion.    

November 8 - Blessed Avelino Rodríguez and Companions

Spanish Martrys - Blessed Avelino and Companions

Priest and Martyr

Today we honor the memory of a group of 98 Augustinians of Spain, who were martyred during the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939. As is the case with all Christian martyrs, their death proclaims the strong conviction that eternal life is our ultimate goal, the price of which may even be our life on earth.

This vision, as well as the courage and love that marks the lives of martyrs, is an encouragement and stimulus for us who continue to make our pilgrimage amid the challenges and difficulties of life.

This group of 98 Augustinian martyrs represents friars from several communities of the Order in Spain who were the victims of religious persecution during the Spanish Civil War which lasted from 1936 to 1939. These 98 brothers of ours, together with 400 other martyrs of the war, were beatified in Saint Peter's Square by the Prefect of the Congregation of the Causes of Saints, Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, on October 28, 2007.

The Augustinians declared blessed include 65 friars from the monastery of El Escorial together with the provincial, Avelino Rodríguez, and the Assistant General, Mariano Revilla, another 10 from the college-seminary of Uclés, 3 from Gijón, 6 from the school of Santander, 10 from the convent of Caudete, 4 from the community of Málaga. Among them were students in formation, pastors, lay brothers, professors, elderly and young religious. 

These 98 friars are among the first of the approximately 200 friars from the four Spanish provinces who died during the years of the civil war. Most were assassinated. Prior General Miguel Angel Orcasitas wrote in his letter on the occasion of the beatification of one of the martyrs, “It is still too soon to give a definitive historical judgment regarding the Spanish civil war, which created a stifling climate of struggle, reprisal and irreconcilable hatred. But there is no doubt about the existence of an authentic religious persecution, which fell upon the Church with unusual violence...the contrasting historical views cannot tarnish the validity of the personal testimony given by these brothers, who suffered persecution for Christ and accepted the consequences, even death itself. Their constancy is an undeniable spiritual inheritance.” (Blessed Anselmo Polanco, Letter....29 March 1995)

November 7 - Blessed Gratia of Kotor

Blessed Gratia of Kotor

Religious

We remember today a brother of our Order, Gratia of Kotor, a sailor and laborer who responded to God's call to religious life and devoted his energies and talents to the life of his community.

He is like so many other religious and lay men and women, who live their vocation in the simple, often humble, routine of each day, using the gifts given them by God to render him glory and to enrich the lives with which God has surrounded them.

Gratia was born in 1438 in the small town of Mula on the coast of Dalmatia near Cattaro (Kotor), not far from present-day Albania. He followed in the footsteps of his father who was a sailor and visited many port cities, being particularly drawn by the beauty of Venice. One day, after hearing a sermon of Simon of Camerino in the Augustinian church of Saint Stephen in that city, he entered the Order as a brother and took the name Gratia out of gratitude to God for the many gifts he had received. Simon of Camerino had founded a community near Padua where the friars lived in absolute poverty while ministering at a shrine dedicated to our Lady. Here Gratia lived a life of prayer and penance and devoted his energies toward the construction of the monastery and the cultivation of its garden.

Later, when Simon established the friary of Saint Christopher in Venice, Gratia was transferred there, where he was greatly loved by the people and sought after by them for his prayer and counsel. Here he died on November 8, 1508. Within the church of Saint Christopher a marble monument was erected to his memory by a senator of the city, while Gratia’s remains were eventually taken back to Mula. Pope Leo XIII confirmed his cult in 1889. 

Gratia might have been considered a belated vocation in his day, earning a living by the hard labor of an itinerant sailor. Following his entrance into religious life he continued to use his natural gifts in the service of God and his community, and by his simple but genuine demeanor drew others to also recognize the grace of God at work in their lives.   

October 23 - Saint William the Hermit and Blessed John the Good

October 23 - Saint William the Hermit and Blessed John the Good

Saint William the Hermit and Blessed John the Good

Religious

Today the Augustinian Order celebrates the memory of two laymen who chose to live a life of contemplation and penance apart from society, but whose example, nonetheless, attracted many followers. Eventually some of these disciples banded together into communities and became part of the newly emerging Order of Saint Augustine in the 13th Century. Again we see how the decisions, commitment and example of two people can have implications on the lives of many others - this time for the good. None of us, even in the desert, lives for himself alone.

Both of these hermits belong to the period of the Order’s pre-history.

William, who was never personally associated with the Augustinians, and who died, in fact, 100 years before the Grand Union, was born in France. He became a penitent pilgrim to many shrines of Christianity, and eventually became a hermit in the region of Tuscany, in a place called Malavalle (Grosseto), where he spent the remainder of his life in prayer, silence, fasting and penance until his death in 1157. He did not found a religious community, nor did he write a Rule. But in the last months of his life a disciple who cared for him, wrote “The Rule of Saint William,” after the saint’s death. William’s burial site was soon being visited by many pilgrims, some of whom remained in Malavalle to imitate William’s heremitical and penitential life and considered William their holy patron. Innocent III confirmed his cult in 1202. With his canonization, devotion to William continued to spread as did the number of disciples who founded new houses in various places throughout central and northern Italy, as well as in what are now Belgium, Germany, Bohemia and Hungary. In 1244 they became the Order of Saint William. In 1256 this Order was called by the Holy See to become part of the expanding Order of Saint Augustine, though many Williamites withdrew from the Union shortly after.

John was born in Mantua, Italy, about 1168, and at the age of 40, after years of frivolity and a serious illness, vowed to devote his life to God as a hermit in the region of Budrioli. He attracted disciples who gathered together and built a monastery, while John continued to live a very penitential life apart as a hermit, focusing on prayer, fasting and bodily mortification. Those who lived with him – some for 30 years – speak of him as humble, kind and charitable, with a reputation as a miracle worker who attracted many visitors. He was illiterate all his life, the last 10 years of which he spent in even greater contemplation, once he had handed direction of his community over to others. At the beginning of October 1249 he set off with some of his disciples for his native town of Mantua where he died on October 16th. The process for his canonization began shortly after his death, but various obstacles delayed its progress. Pope Sixtus IV authorized his cult in 1483. His remains are now in the cathedral of Mantua. Lanfranco of Settala, who became Prior General at the time of the Grand Union in 1256, was a member of John’s community. 

William and John are reminders to us of the strong foundation of the lay heremitical movement out of which the Order grew in the 13th Century. The desire for contemplation, penance and a certain detachment from society for the sake of the Gospel, provided, and still provides, the context out of which Augustinians are called to be of service to the Church and the world. They are necessary elements fostering a focus on the interior life which Augustine recommends not only to religious but to all Christians.       

October 20 - Saint Magdalene of Nagasaki

Saint Magdalene of Nagasaki

Virgin and Martyr

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. Saint Magdalene followed the example of Jesus by accepting physical suffering in order to strengthen the spiritual resolve of her fellow Christians.

She is a convincing example of a young person totally devoted to the Gospel and the service of others, whose love  for God and neighbor knew no limit.

Magdalene was born in 1611 near Nagasaki, Japan, the daughter of devout Christian parents. While she was still young her mother, father, and siblings were martyred for the faith. In 1624 she became acquainted with two Augustinians, members of the Recollect Congregation, Francis of Jesus and Vincent of Saint Anthony, and was attracted by their deep spirituality.

She became an Augustinian tertiary, teaching catechism to the young, seeking alms for the poor, encouraging her people in times of persecution. When these two friars were martyred, she placed herself under the spiritual guidance of two other Augustinians who eventually also received the crown of martyrdom. In 1629 she sought refuge in the hills of Nagasaki, sharing the sufferings of her fellow Christians, baptizing the young and visiting the sick.

Because many Christians were renouncing their faith in the face of torture, she decided to encourage them through her own acceptance of persecution. In September 1634, dressed in the habit of a tertiary, she turned herself in to the anti-Christian civil authorities. In October of that same year she was subjected to the torture of the pit for 13 days. On the last day the pit was filled with water and she was drowned. Her body was burned and her ashes were dispersed to prevent the Christians from having any relics of her. Magdalene was beatified in 1981 and canonized by John Paul II on October 18, 1987. 

The story of the Augustinian martyrs of Japan is a wonderful illustration not only of Christian resolve in the face of trial, but of the unity and universality of the Order. Laboring in this country were friars from various nations and from several branches of the Order who, together with many dedicated lay persons, found themselves more closely united in mind and heart for a common purpose and a common witness.

October 11 - Blessed Elías del Socorro Nieves

Blessed Elias del Socorro Nieves

Priest and Martyr

Steadfast commitment to faith has brought many men, women and children throughout Christian history to offer the supreme sacrifice of their lives.

Today we remember one such person who did so in the early part of the 20th Century in Mexico, Fr. Elías Nieves, an Augustinian pastor who would not leave his parishioners without the benefit of the sacraments even at the risk of his own life.  Fr. Elías reminds us, by his choice, that there are some things more valuable than life itself.

Elías was born in Yuriria, Mexico of modest farming parents in 1882. While young he had a great desire to become a priest, but when he was 12 years old his father was killed by robbers and he was forced to put aside his studies in order to support his family. In 1904, at the age of 21 he was admitted to the Augustinian high school in Yuriria.

Though he had to face the challenge of being much older than his fellow students, was lacking financial resources, and suffered from a weak constitution, he was determined to pursue his vocation. In gratitude for all he had received and with intense devotion to our Blessed Lady, on his profession of vows in 1911 he added to his name ‘del socorro’ - in reference to Our Lady of Help. He was ordained in 1916 and exercised his ministry in various places. In 1921 he was named associate pastor of La Cañada de Caracheo (Gto.), an extremely poor pueblo. In 1926 when there began a great persecution of the Mexican Church, priests were ordered to relocate to the cities from small towns.

Despite his reticent character, Elías refused to obey and hid in a cave in the hills outside the pueblo in order to continue his ministry under cover. He did this for 14 months before he was finally discovered. He admitted that he was a priest and was arrested with two laymen who offered to stay with him. On March 10, 1928 the three were taken to the city of Cortazar.

On the way the two laymen were shot. A little farther along it was the turn of Fr. Elías. The captain of the guard said to him, “Now it is your turn, let’s see if dying is like celebrating the Mass.” Elias blessed the soldiers and recited the Creed. His last words were: “Long live Christ the King”. His remains are preserved in the parish church of La Cañada. Elías was beatified with Mother Teresa Fasce on October 12, 1997. 

Fidelity to vocation is a striking characteristic of Blessed Elías, first in his resolve to pursue religious life and priesthood despite multiple, difficult odds, and later in his commitment to minister to his people even at the risk of his own life. Elias stands out as a man of principle and zeal, who witnesses to the power of God’s grace to accomplish mighty deeds in the humble and the meek.  

September 22 - Blessed Josefa de la Purificación Masià Ferragut

Blessed Josefa da la Purificacion Masia Ferragut

Blessed Josefa, the Augustinian nun whom we remember today, was one of a family of four daughters - all religious - who together with their aged mother, were martyred for the faith in 1936 during the civil strife in Spain. They were united not only by blood and by faith but also by their steadfast commitment to Christ and the Church even to the sacrifice of their lives.

 Blessed Josefa was born in Algemesí (Valencia), Spain on June 10, 1887. She made her profession in the monastery of the Discalced Augustinians of Benigánim on February 3, 1906, where she later served as prioress and mistress of novices. During the religious persecutions of the time, the Archdiocese of Valencia paid a great price in the lives of priests, men and women of Catholic Action of various ages, and several hundred religious from many religious institutes.

When finally forced to abandon her convent, Josefa, together with her sisters, Vicenta, Joaquina, and Maria Felicidad who were Capuchin Nuns, took refuge in the home of their eighty-three year old mother, Maria Teresa Farragut. Here all five sought to live an authentic monastic life of prayer, recollection and silence over a period of several months until they were taken to the prison of Fons Salutis, a former Cistercian Monastery which had been converted into a jail. They were executed on October 25, 1936.

On March 11, 2001 they were among 233 religious men and women, priests and lay persons whom Pope John Paul II beatified in Saint Peter’s Square. The remains of these five members of a single family are venerated in the parish church of Saint Pius X in Algemesí. 

The capacity to offer the supreme sacrifice of one’s life through martyrdom flows from the complete consecration of self in baptism and religious profession, when these are embraced with total dedication and sincerity. Josefa, her sisters and their mother, united not only by the bond of blood but also by their common witness to the faith in the face of persecution, give striking evidence of the depth of their conviction and their commitment to Christ.  

August 26 - Saints Liberatus, Boniface and Companions

Saints Liberatus and Boniface

Martyrs

We celebrate today the memory of a group of seven monks of North Africa who were martyred during the Christian persecutions of the late 5th Century. They had each chosen to live monastic life under the inspiration of Saint Augustine's early communities and chose, as well, to meet death together rather than deny their faith. They are the Liberatus, Boniface and Companions

 In 484, some 34 years after the death of Saint Augustine, the Vandal king, Hunneric, issued a decree ordering the closure of all Christian monasteries and the consignment of all monks and nuns to the Moors.

The seven members of the monastery of Gafsa, Tunisia, founded under Augustinian inspiration, were taken prisoners. They were the Abbot Liberatus, Deacon Boniface, Subdeacons Servus and Rusticus and the lay monks Rogatus, Septimus and Maximus. They were taken to Carthage where efforts were made, in vain, to have them renounce the faith.

The youngest, Maximus who was only 15 years old was particularly pressured to abandon his confreres and his Christian way of life, but refused, preferring to accept the same fate as the rest. They were then ordered to be burned alive. When it proved impossible to set the wood of their funeral pyre afire, they were clubbed to death. 

Constant in their Christian resolve and fidelity to one another, these seven monks offered wonderful witness to the faith as well as to their fraternal communion. Our Order was granted the right to celebrate their liturgical memorial on June 6, 1671.

August 19 - Saint Ezekiel Moreno

Saint Ezekiel Moreno

Bishop

Today's feast honors the memory of an Augustinian friar who labored for many years in the Philippines and in Colombia, South America, as a religious, a priest and later as bishop.

During the latter part of his life he suffered many trials due to civil unrest, the persecution of the Church and the affliction of cancer. Through all of these difficulties he remained a good shepherd to his people and a patient, faithful disciple of the Lord.
 

Ezekiel was born in Alfaro, Spain, on April 9, 1848. He joined the Recollect Congregation of the Order of Saint Augustine in Monteagudo (Navarra) in 1864, and professed vows on September 22, 1865. He was sent to the Philippines where was ordained in 1871 and where he labored for 15 years. He then returned to Spain to serve as prior in Monteagudo for three years, after which he gave all of his energy to various forms of ministry in Colombia, South America, until shortly before his death.

He was a leader in the restoration of the Recollect Province of La Candelaria in Colombia, Vicar Apostolic of Casanare, and in 1899 became bishop of Pasto. His life as bishop was not easy due to the horrors of a cruel civil war, a period of rising anticlericalism, and persecution of the Church. Nevertheless, through his simple spirit of openness and rigorous defense of the rights of the Church, he showed himself a faithful pastor whose concern was the well-being of the Church entrusted to his care.

Struck by cancer he returned to Spain at the insistence of his priests in order to receive treatment, and died there at Monteagudo on August 19, 1906 at the age of 58. He was beatified in 1975 and canonized in the Dominican Republic by John Paul II in 1992 at the close of the 5th Century Celebration of the Evangelization of Latin America. Throughout his life and still at the time of his death, the Recollects were members of the Order with profession made to the Prior General. 

"Saint Ezekiel Moreno, by his life and evangelizing work, is a model for pastors, especially those of Latin America, who, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit wish to respond with new zeal, new means and a new expression to the great challenges which confront the Church of Latin America" (John Paul II).

July 17 - Blessed Magdalene Albrici

Blessed Maddalena Albrici

Virgin

We honor today the memory of an Augustinian nun whose great love for religious life and generous attention to the needs of others, drew many to follow her example as consecrated women or as more committed lay persons.

By means of the joyful and faithful practice of one's faith, others can find the possibility of belief and the path to interior happiness and peace.

Magdalene was born at Como in the region of Lombardy, Italy, about 1415. As a young woman she joined a small community which had formed outside the walls of the city and was living according to Saint Augustine's Rule. Under her wise guidance this house eventually was established formally as a convent, named for Sant'Andrea, while remaining under the Augustinian Rule, and began to attract a number of women desiring to live as religious. Magdalene was elected superior and continued as such almost continually for life. Eventually she obtained affiliation of her convent with the Observant Congregation of the Augustinians of Lombardy who served the nuns as chaplains.

Magdalene was a vigorous promoter of Augustinian life, establishing new convents and, by the depth of her own spirituality and the magnetism of her personality, drawing existing ones to adopt the Augustinian Rule. She was widely sought after as a spiritual guide, as well, and in this role furthered the spread of the Third Order. A spirit of penance and contemplation as well as devotion to the sick and needy were special characteristics of her life.

Magdalene died in the middle of May, 1465, following a long and difficult illness which severely limited her activities in her later years, but which she accepted with resignation. Such great numbers of the faithful made their way to the convent at the news of her passing, that her burial had to be postponed for several days. When, in 1593, the nuns from Sant'Andrea in Brunate moved to the convent of Saint Julian near Como, Magdalene's remains were also transferred there. Presently, they are interred in the cathedral of Como. Pius X confirmed her cult on December 10, 1907.

Due to the depth of her own spirituality and the strength of her religious convictions, Magdalene became an attractive witness to the validity of a religious vocation. She loved Augustine's vision of religious life as the means for spiritual growth and confidently promoted it among religious and laity alike. She let her light shine before others in order that they too might be enlightened.