As the Church Universal devotes a day of celebration for the countless men, women and children whose pilgrimage on earth has ended and who now enjoy the peace of the everlasting sabbath in heaven, so too, we Augustinians set aside this day to call to mind the many brothers and sisters of our Order who have reached their ultimate goal.
Their memory encourages and inspires us, their prayers assist us and spur us on. United as we have been with them through the bond of our common religious profession, we seek to be united together with them in Christ in the fullness of life.
November 13, 354, is the birth date of Saint Augustine, chosen by the Order as the occasion on which to commemorate, in addition to all the saints and blesseds of the three Augustinian Families recognized by the Church, all our members, of every language, race and nation whose names are inscribed in the Book of Life. In recent years this day has also been observed as a day of prayer for vocations to the Order.
“Among the religious Orders, the holy Order of the Hermits of Saint Augustine, within the Church, has been and continues to be abundantly fruitful with seeds of virtue, flowering of observance, blossoms of wisdom and fruits of sanctity in its religious, through the grace of God… There are many who perform no miracles, but they are in no way inferior to others who do so…” (Jordan of Saxony).
