Discover who YOU are
We are Augustinians.
We would like to walk with you the walk of life with all the challenges and questions it brings with it.
Learn more about us answer your restless calling today.
A lamp to your feet
Where am I going?
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please you. And I
Do I have a vocation?
“God calls all the souls he has created to love him with their whole being, here and thereafter, which means that he calls all of them to holiness, to perfection, to a close following of him and obedience to his will. But he does not ask all souls to show their love by the same works, to climb to heaven by the same ladder, to achieve goodness in the same way. What sort
Vocation as a call to holiness
One way of expressing this is to say that the fundamental human vocation is the call to holiness, the call to be a saint. The saints are not just heroic people who live in history books; they are ordinary Christians who have tried to live their faith without holding anything back – to love God with their whole hearts, to love those around them without counting the cost, to work
To be saints…
To be saints is not a privilege for the few, but a vocation for everyone. — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) November 21, 2013
Educators
Priests
Missionaries
Religious
Augustinians
Discover who WE are
We were founded as an Augustinian Order in 1244 when Pope Innocent IV gathered together various hermit communities in Italy and have been present in Malta since the 14th century.
We follow the footsteps of Christ and Saint Augustine.
We serve God and his people in diverse ministries as priests, educators and missionaries.
Our Stories
Augustinian Heart Blog
Sar il-ħin. Alla ġej id-dar għalina.
Sar il-ħin. Alla ġej id-dar għalina. Il-Mulej jidħol fl-istorja tal-ħajja tagħna. Niftħulu l-bieb u nħalluh jidħol. Inkomplu f’din il-mixja tagħna f’dawn il-Ħdud tal-Avvent…f’dan iż-żmien ta’ preparazzjoni…mhux preprazzjoni biss għax-xiri tar-rigali, tiżjin, u elf ħaġa oħra, imma wkoll għal ftuħ ta’ qlubna biex bil-liberta sħiħa inħallu lil Alla jkompli jippreparana… Matul dawn l-4 Ħdud tal-Avvent, permezz tal-liturġija, konna qegħdin fi tfitxxija għall-passi u s-sinjali tal-presenza ta’ Alla fil-ħajja tagħna. Fil-fatt fl-ewwel
Wake up Call!
Qegħdin nibdew sena liturġika ġdida. Ġie Avvent ieħor. Dan l-Avvent jinkoraġġina biex immorru lura għal din il-ħerqa u tfixxija li qarbitna lejn Alla. Dan iż-żmien ġdid jagħmlilna l-mistoqsija: hemm xi ħaġa fija jew f’ħajti li huwa neċesarju bidu ġdid? Din hija wake-up call. Jista’ jkun li nqbadna fit-timetables tagħna u sirna inqas sensittivi għal dak li qiegħed jiġri madwarna? Forsi tant aħna busy li hemm bżonn ta’ ftit riflessjoni. Niftakru
Nilqgħu lil oħrajn
Kemm jien akkoljenti? Li tkun akkoljenti, ma jfissirx biss li tagħti xi ħaġa milli għandek, jew xi kultant minn dak li ma tridx jew m’għandekx x’tambih imma fuq kollox tagħti lilek innifsek. Fl-ewwel qari, din il-mara għanja offriet l-akkoljenza lil Eliżew f’Sunem. Sunem jinsab ftit ‘il bogħod mill-għolja tal-Karmelu u ma kienx hemm xi bżonn partikolari li jieqaf jiekol u jistrieħ għandha. Imma hi għax emmnet f’dan il-valur offrietlu jibqa’
Huwa preżenti fina
Illum hija l-festa ta’ Pentecoste…waħda mill-isbaħ festi. Hija l-festa tal-Ispirtu s-Santu… Minn din il-ġurnata l-Ispirtu kien “mogħti”, u nirċevuh u nirrikonoxxu d-don ta’ Kristu Rxoxt. L-Ispirtu li jagħti l-qawwa, li huwa preżenti f’kollox, preżenti fil-kultura tagħna. Huwa wkoll l-Ispirtu li bil-kwiet u tul iż-żmien jipperparana biex ngħixu l-fidi. Huwa l-Ispirtu li qed preżenti f’kull mument tal-ħajja tagħna. Mingħajru, ma nkunx l-istess. U grazzi għad-doni tiegħu, nista’ nimxi, nimxu f’dan il-vjaġġ
Is-sena t-tajba!
Is-sena t-tajba lil kulħadd. Nibdew sena ġdida b’xewqat sbieħ u tajbin. Nawguraw lil xulxin sena mimlija b’ħafna affarijiet sbieħ, li l-liturġija tal-lum tiġborha f’kelma waħda – BARKIET – Il-Mulej jbierkek, li l-Mulej jimlik bil-barkiet tiegħu matul din is-sena li għadna kif bdejna. U fil-fatt il-qari jurina b’mod konċiż x’tikonsisti din il-barka ta’ Alla: li naraw wiċċ Alla u li niltaqgħu miegħu, li ngħixu u nesperimentaw il-ħniena t’Alla, li hija l-imħabba
Vocation as a call to be the unique person you are made to be
Vocation as a call to be the unique person you are made to be – There is yet another level to ‘vocation’. Each saint is unique, and you are called to be holy not just in a general way, but in the particular way that God has made you to be. God created you as a unique individual, and calls you by a name that no-one else has been given.
Frequently Asked Questions
We were founded as an Augustinian Order in 1244 when Pope Innocent IV gathered together various hermit communities in Italy and have been present in Malta since the 14th century. We follow the footsteps of Christ and Saint Augustine and serve God and his people in diverse ministries as priests, educators and missionaries.
In Malta we are presenti in 6 communities: Valletta, Rabat, Tarxien, Pietà, Paceville and Victoria (Gozo).
Here are the three key differences between diocesan priests and religious priests:
1. Where they live.
Diocesan priests serve in the particular geographical region of a diocese or archdiocese. Usually, the bishop assigns them to a parish, where they live independently and interact with the parishioners and broader community. Diocesan priests sometimes live with other priests who serve at their parish, but each can own his own property.
Priests who are in a religious order are not assigned to a particular diocese. Instead, the superior of the order (the Prior Provincial) tells a religious priest where he will live to carry out his ministry. It could be in a different city, or even a different country. Religious priests live in community with one another. The religious priests in community own possessions communally.
2. What their mission is.
A diocesan priest is generally called to serve the needs of his parish. He celebrates Mass and administers sacraments to the parishioners, including Baptism and Reconciliation. At the same time, he runs the parish by making administrative and financial decisions. Additionally, a diocesan priest serves the particular pastoral needs of his parish, such as visiting the sick and spiritually accompanying parishioners.
In contrast, religious priests can work in a wide variety of ministries including a parish, though they also administer the sacraments and celebrate Mass. Their work depends on the charism of their religious order, which refers to the spirituality and particular focus for which the order was founded. Ministries can include teaching, working with the poor, assisting the elderly, leading a contemplative life of prayer, and much more.
3. The promises they make.
All priests make an important and unique commitment to the Church when they decide to enter seminary and when they are ordained. But there are some differences in the types of promises priests make, and when they make them. Diocesan priests make three promises to the bishop at their ordination:
- To recite daily the Liturgy of the Hours
- To obey the bishop
- To live a life of celibacy
Religious priests make temporary solemn vows before their ordination as part of their formation. After a certain number of years, depending on the order, they make final solemn vows. These vows, which are shared by religious brothers, sisters, and priests, are the three evangelical counsels:
- Poverty
- Chastity
- Obedience
Diocesan priests and religious priests are wonderful gifts that Christ has given us in his Church, and in their separate but complementary ways, they help the Church to flourish. We pray in a special way today for vocations to the diocesan and religious priesthood, and for all vocations to consecrated life.
Religious vows are sacred promises. They reflect a life orientation and profound loving commitment. After a period of formation members of religious communities, Sisters, Brothers and those becoming Religious Priests, publicly profess such vows of poverty, celibate chastity and obedience.
Religious vows joyfully free a person to live for God and through that first love to serve others with love and to witness to God’s faithfulness, compassion and care for all.
Poverty is the vow that call us to live simply. We depend on the generosity of our benefactors and commit to living in a community that provides for our material and financial support. The vow of poverty is an invitation to follow Jesus by renouncing earthly goods for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Chastity is a personal virtue – to love others appropriately as a single, celibate male. Chastity is an invitation to renounce marriage and sexual activity. It is also a deeply rewarding form of love. It’s not all sacrifice…. Augustinians share in the intimate and chaste love of family, friends, and those we serve in ministry.
Obedience is the vow to give respect and deference to our legitimate superiors. Our local superior is called a Prior, and he holds responsibility for the local community. Local communities are organized into Provinces, headed by a Provincial. The Provincial serves as the Ordinary, which means that the Provincial can assign where a friar lives and works.
The Rule of St. Augustine incorporates the basic principles of the Augustinian spirituality of religious community life. The Rule of St. Augustine was written around the year 400.
1) Discernment
3) Pre-Novitiate
4) Novitiate
5) Simple Vows
7) Solemn Vows
8) Ordination to the Diaconate
9) Ordination to the Priesthood
Ask by getting in contact with us on our contact page, or talk to a vocations director.
Discover who WE are and who YOU are
To young men we also offer the possibility of living in our community in Pietà for a few days where they can share our life built on the experience of the first Christian community.
Here they live the reality of our daily life by sharing our prayers, our community Eucharist, our food, our recreation and our work, particularly in the service of our brothers and the Church.
Above all we share together the beauty of each person’s story by celebrating the experiences and qualities of each one of us.
Let's Walk Together
We can’t wait to hear your story.
Allow us to accompany you as we embark on this journey of discovering the calling and the wonderful plan that God has for you.
Fill in the form below to start a conversation with our Augustinian Vocations Director.
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