August 12, 2026

By Father William Muench
NCC columnist

This summer I am dedicating my reading and study to the writings of St. Augustine of Hippo. I thought of St. Augustine for this year because our present Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, is a member of the Religious Order of St. Augustine (OSA). Pope Leo mentions St. Augustine often in his homilies and writings. The Augustinian Order of the Catholic Church was founded in the year 1244. The members, priests and brothers emphasize a life of service following the lead of St. Augustine in God’s grace with the power of truth.

Here in our diocese, the Diocese of Ogdensburg, the Augustinian Fathers ministered to the parish of St. James in Carthage for many years. You may remember that the school in that parish is named Augustinian Academy. I knew many of the Augustinian priests who were stationed at St. James, Carthage. I remember well – though years ago, when I was teaching – attending basketball games between IHC in Watertown and Augustinian Academy in Carthage.

St. Augustine of Hippo lived during the 400s. His writings are an important part of Catholic spirituality. This summer I began my study with St. Augustine’s book, “The Confessions.” I had heard a talk by Peter Kreeft, a professor at Boston College, who considers this book by St. Augustine, “The Confessions,” as, the most important of Catholic Spiritual writing after the Bible.

Today, I would like to share with you some of what I am beginning to learn about St. Augustine’s spirituality that I have learned from this book. First off, “The Confessions” is a prayer; the whole book is a prayer. It is a dialogue between St. Augustine and God. Augustine finds the words of God through Sacred Scripture; Augustine speaks to God through his own life experiences. He writes in the first chapters about his own conversion. He tells of his seeking baptism. And then later, he writes of his involvement in the Catholic Church as a bishop.

Augustine spends time in these early chapters telling of his close relationship with this mother, Monica. She is a Catholic, but he is unbaptized. In this book we learn how Augustine investigates and gets involved in different religions. Augustine realizes how his mother prays for his conversion and her efforts to lead him to find the Catholic Church. His mother now is honored as a saint in our Catholic Church, St. Monica.

In the very first paragraph of “The Confessions,” Augustine prays to God, and we learn how he discovers peace and power as he begins to find faith in God. He writes, “Thou (God) dost so invites us to praise Thee in our joy. For Thou has made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless till they rest in Thee.” Augustine’s message throughout this book is that all will find spiritual power and peace when we find faith in God, and this faith will guide and lead us to happiness with our God.

So, now as I begin to work my way through Augustine’s “The Confessions,” I learn how he invites me to walk with him, that we must all learn strength our faith. It is truly a time of constant conversion. I am beginning to discover so much in becoming a person of faith. So, I now promise you that I will share with you what I discover as I continue my study of Augustine’s writings.