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Friends of Augustine – Clare Priory Group

Friends of Augustine....
are part of the growing Lay Community who, in different ways are associated or affiliated with the International Religious Order of St Augustine; (OSA).
The 1st Augustinian Lay Congress was held in Rome in 1999, the 2nd in 2006 and the 3rd in July 2012. These meetings have been developing unity and communication between the many international lay groups along with close association with the Religious Order. They have been an excellent guide and vehicle helping us in growth as One Body.

The Clare Priory Laity Group was formed shortly after the 1st Augustinian Lay Congress in 1999, (representatives of our Group have attended every Congress), we have hosted “National” and International meetings and currently have around 16 members averaging around 12 at our monthly meetings.
Until Spring 2015 we ran our own website “friendsofaugustine.org” and we have now incorporated the main aspects of that site into the Priory website here at Clare.
Below are links under the heading “Augustine for Today”. These have been written by individuals investigating how St Augustine's teachings are still relevant to us today as they were to his own congregations, from Drug Addiction to True Happiness. Many have been written for our monthly meetings as discussion aids. There is a link to our Meeting Booklet used at our meetings as group members take it in turn to lead. The booklet also contains a little of our history and (hopefully) a few thought provoking items including a quotation from St Augustine's "Confessions" and our interpretation of the Rule (of St Augustine) – enjoy!
We find the Quotation from St Augustine so apt that we are printing it right here; we hope it may tempt you to join us at our meetings:
Thoughts from St Augustine:
There were joys to be found in their company which still more captivated my mind – the charms of talking and laughing together and kindly giving way to each other’s wishes, reading elegantly written books together, sharing jokes and delighting to honour one another, disagreeing occasionally but without rancour, as a person might disagree with themselves, and lending piquancy by that rare disagreement to our much more frequent accord. We would teach and learn from each other, sadly missing any who were absent and blithely welcoming them when they returned. Such signs of friendship sprang from the hearts of friends who loved and knew their love returned, signs to be read in smiles, words, glances and a thousand gracious gestures. So were sparks kindled and our minds were fused inseparably, out of many becoming one.
Augustine Confessions (IV, 8)

Please use the following Friends of Augustine links:

Meeting Booklet

Augustine for Today, (select topic in grid below):

If you wish to join us we normally meet on the last Thursday Evening of the month, (excluding December). Always contact the Priory first please.