Augustinian General Curia

The General Curia | Order of Saint Augustine (Augustinians) - Rome

 

The General Curia of the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA), located in Rome, Italy, serves as the central governing body of the Augustinian Order. Based in Rome, it functions as the administrative and spiritual center for Augustinian friars active across the globe. The term "Curia" refers both to the international leadership team and the physical residence on via Paolo VI where the community lives and works together.

 

Leadership and Governance

Following the General Chapter of September 2025, the central government is composed of the following members:

• Prior General: Father Joseph Farrell, elected as the 98th successor of the Order.

• Vicar General: Father Alexander Lam.

• Assistants General: Father Kevin DePrinzio, Father Martin Davakan, Father Frederick Comendador, Father James Wambugu, Father Benjamin Franco García.

• Secretary General: Father Javier Pérez Barba.

• General Bursar (Economo): Father José María Herranz.

• Procurator General: Father Pasquale di Lernia (Italy).

• Postulator General: Father Justo Villareal Diaz

• General Archivist: Father Andrés Gómez, OSA

 

The Curia is responsible for coordinating the Order's global activities, including missions in Africa and South America, while maintaining official relations with the Holy See. As a religious community, the Curia includes the Prior General and various other Augustinian members who reside on-site without specific community-assigned roles.

 

Geographic Significance and Extra-territoriality

The Augustinian headquarters occupy a strategic location on via Paolo VI, bordering the exterior of the eastern colonnade of Saint Peter's Square. While the site is geographically situated within Italian territory, it is granted extra-territorial privileges by the Vatican City State. This location places the Curia at the literal threshold of the Vatican.

 

The Curia Campus and Associated Institutions

The property houses several significant institutions beyond the administrative offices:

 

• The Augustinianum: A postgraduate Patristic Institute conducted for the Vatican, serving as the official center for the study of early Christian theology. It was inaugurated by Pope Paul VI in 1970.

• Saint Monica's International College (Collegio internazionale Santa Monica): The largest building on the property, providing accommodation and education for Augustinians pursuing priesthood or postgraduate degrees in Rome.

• The General Curia Building: The residence and workspace for the Prior General and the General Counsel.

 

Historical Background

The Order established this site in 1882 when the Augustinian General Commissary purchased a small villa to serve as a new center following the government seizure of the original Convent of Saint Augustine in Campo Marzio. Over time, the campus expanded to include the international community of professors and students that evolved into the current Collegio Santa Monica.