The Augustinian contemplative nuns after the progress in the renewal of their constitutions and their meeting with Pope Leo XIV: “Let us all row to help Peter in the mission entrusted to him”

The contemplative Augustinian nuns from the various federations of the Order have spent several years working together, in coordination with the assisting friars of each federation and the Prior General, to renew their Constitutions. A working session had long been scheduled for May 15th–19th at the International College of Saint Monica in Rome. Providentially, the gathering coincided with the inaugural Mass of the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV, and the working sessions unfolded amid growing hopes and possibilities that the Pope might receive an Augustinian delegation in audience on Monday, May 19th—and so he did.

A years-long process born of communion

The process of renewing the Constitutions began approximately three years ago, primarily through virtual meetings, and included two in-person gatherings—the first in Madrid in September 2024, and the second now in Rome.It has been a fruitful journey of numerous encounters, helping the nuns deepen mutual understanding and appreciate the richness of the Augustinian charism as it is lived out in diverse forms and traditions.

The Commission for the Renewal of the Constitutions of the Augustinian Nuns is composed of twelve sisters, each representing different federations within the Order. This latest session was also attended by the assisting friars of the federations and by the Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, Fr. Alejandro Moral.

A providential encounter

The Augustinian nuns noted that their collaborative work has brought them closer together, fostering deeper bonds of fraternity:“We are currently in the final stage of drafting, after which the text will be circulated among all the communities of the Order for review and eventual approval during the various federal assemblies. The final version must then be approved by the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life.”

The previous Constitutions date back to 1988. The new draft enriches the spiritual and charismatic elements, incorporates documents from the Magisterium, updates canonical norms, and addresses the present-day challenges of monastic life.This session had been planned months in advance, given the international nature of the participants, and Providence made it possible for them to be present at the outset of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate.

And finally, the audience with Pope Leo XIV

On Monday morning, a delegation of Augustinian friars from various countries, family members, and Augustinian nuns from the monasteries of Lecceto (Siena), Rossano (Cosenza), Valdepeñas (Ciudad Real), Huelva, San Mateo, Benicasim (Castellón), and Sotillo de la Adrada (Ávila) were granted an audience with the Pope. The sisters described it as a joyful, festive, and fraternal gathering: “The room felt like a little corner of the Augustinian heart.” The Pope welcomed them warmly, offering a few moments of personal conversation with each individual. On behalf of all the federations, the Augustinian nuns presented him with a chasuble adorned with the image of Our Lady of Good Counsel, the papal coat of arms, and the emblem of the Augustinian Order.

The sisters from Benicasim expressed their gratitude for being received so simply and fraternally during such intense days for the Pope: “We had the chance to greet him personally and receive his blessing. It was a deeply moving encounter.”

From the Monastery of La Conversión, the nuns shared their prayer: that the Holy Spirit may grant the Pope the grace of the Good Shepherd, that he may come to know the people of this age whom he is called to accompany, that he may summon them to unity from all paths, and lead them with gentle strength and unwavering love toward the Father’s House.

The federations Our Lady of Good Counsel and Saint Alonso de Orozco, Madonna del Buon Consiglio, La Conversión, Nuestra Señora Madre del Pilar, and Santo Tomás de Villanueva also wished to share the profound joy experienced during these days of encounter with the Order:“Augustinian fraternity came alive in the communal work of renewing the Constitutions of the female branch of the Augustinian Order, and in the beautiful time spent with our brothers at the Curia and the International College of Saint Monica.”

This laborious process of renewal, born from a longing for communion, was rewarded with an unexpected and moving grace: to be present at the beginning of a new pontificate and to be received by the first Augustinian Pope. An immense joy that will undoubtedly become part of the living history behind the new Augustinian Constitutions.

All rowing in the boat to support Peter in the mission entrusted

Sister María Eucaristía, President of the Federation of Our Lady of Good Counsel and Saint Alonso de Orozco, closes this account by reflecting on the echoes of these extraordinary days for the female branch of the Order of Saint Augustine.

“From this Augustinian context, the universal gathering in Saint Peter’s Square took on even deeper meaning. In sharing the Gospel passage where Peter says—perhaps amidst the astonishment because of the risen yet seemingly absent Christ—‘I am going fishing,’ and his brothers respond immediately, ‘We’ll come with you,’ we felt the call to join him personally as Church, and especially as the Augustinian family.We are all called to row in the boat, to support Peter in the mission entrusted to him. That is the living answer to being ‘one mind and one heart,’ which defines our charism. We have no doubt this marks a moment of spiritual inflection for the entire Order.”