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The church is served by members of the Order of St.Augustine (known as Augustinians) who have been in this city in one way or the other since 1280. Near the site of the present church once stood St. John's Hospital which was founded on his return from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem by one Aelred the Palmer, who recruited the Augustinians to run his hospital. In the beginning the members were all either Welsh or English.

So who are the Augustinians ?                                                                                                                                                                                 The Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo (North Africa) -- 354 - 430 -- are several Christian monastic orders and congregations of both men and women living according to a guide to religious life known as the Rule of St.Augustine. Prominent Augustinians include the only English Pope - Adrian IV, Italian Pope Eugene IV, mystic Thomas a Kempis, Dutch Christian humanist Desiderius Erasmus, the German Reformer Martin Luther, the Spanish navigator Andres de Urdaneta, Italian composer Vittoria Aleotti, German mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich and the Austrian geneticist Gregor Mendel.  The order has made a very significant contribution to Christianity as well as establishing educational and charitable institutions throughout the world.

Of the four mendicant orders ( Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites and Augustinians ) only the Franciscans and the Dominicans existed before the thirteenth century. Though there are some who would dispute it, the Augustinian Order dates from 1244 and some more groups were aggregated to it in 1256 in what is called the Great Union. (see Augustinian Origins, Charism and Spirituality by Balbino Rano.) The Irish Augustinians originated from England and were brought here to educate the children of the Norman barons. The purpose of the Order consists in this, that united harmoniously in brotherhood and spiritual friendship, we seek and worship God and work for the service of his people. In this way, we share in the Church's work of evangelization bringing the Good News to the whole world "so that we may thus transform the world from within". This is our witness. Our present Superior (Provincial) in Ireland is Fr. Gerry Horan, OSA from Limerick. World-wide the Prior General is Fr. Robert F. Prevost OSA from Chicago in the United States.

Presently the Augustinians can be found in Ireland at the following locations; Dublin (4 houses), Drogheda, Fethard, New Ross & Grantstown, Dungarvan & Abbeyside, Cork, Limerick and Galway. They spread out from here to U.S.A., Australia, Nigeria, Kenya, the Republic of Benin, South Africa, Canada and Ecuador. It's worth noting that in Nigeria alone there are over 15 houses of indigenous Augustinians with over 150 Augustinians in total of whom, two are Bishops. All this happened in the relatively short space of just over 60 years...

On the world-wide scene Agustinians are established in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Congo, Czech Republic. Domenican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, England & Scotland, Germany, Holland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Malta, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Philippines,Poland Portugal,Puerto Rico, South Africa, Spain, United States of America, Tanzania, Vatican City and Venequela. Find them all at: www.augnet.org