St Augustine’s Rule

The strength of the community

It dates back to the late fourth century Anno Domini, but is no less relevant today than it was over 1500 years ago. The collection of regulations that St Augustine drew up for his community of priests is an everyday guide to living together for the Augustinian canons.

The success of the rules lies primarily in the fact that St Augustine formulated them concisely. In this way he made it easy for his successors to apply them to their own particular circumstances. The Rule of St Augustine is modelled on the ideals of the original Christian community. It doesn’t regulate every detail of daily life but focuses on the principle of Christian love, which forms the basis of every successful community.