Abbey & Order

The Augustinian canons of Neustift

In 1142 the Blessed Hartmann founded Neustift Abbey near his bishop’s seat of Brixen/Bressanone. It has been home to Augustinian canons, priests living as a monastic community, ever since.

Liturgy

The everyday life of the canons is still defined by the joint Divine Office and the daily church services.

Pastoral care

Pastoral care is a particular focus of the Augustinian canons’ work.

Education

One of the canons’ main responsibilities has always been education. At Neustift they still run a boarding house for school students and an education and conference centre.

With their three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, the Augustinian canons abstain from everything that drives the modern world: financial greed, power, influence and unlimited entertainment. The three vows are part of the Rule of the saintly church father St Augustine, on which the Augustinian community of canons is based. Here the emphasis is on ‘community’, as according to Augustine the main goal of communal life in the abbey is to ‘live harmoniously in your house, intent upon God in oneness of mind and heart.’

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