The Order of the Augustinian Canons goes back to Saint Augustine, who as Bishop of Hippo Regius (located in what is now Algeria) in the early 5th century, formed a community together with the priests at his episcopal municipality in order to combine the care of souls with a monastic life.
To this day the Order of the Augustinian Canons has been committed to this ideal. “From the requisites of the present time” the order acts as a “priestly community for the ministry to the People of God. The canons form a priestly community in order to be able to fulfil their ministry better to the Church, and here specifically, to the diocese.” (Constitutions of the Congregation of the Austrian Canons Regular) In turn, the individual canon draws strength for his everyday life from the community.
