St. Monica's: General House, International College, Augustinianum 

 

 

 

St. Monica's: General House, International College, Augustinianum Located directly across the street from Piazza de San Pietro, St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, are three large buildings which have great significance for the friars of the Augustinian Order. The site is most often referred to at Santa Monica or St. Monica's but the three buildings are quite distinct. The General House is the home of the Prior General and his Council while they are in office.

General Houses are often referred to as 'the Mother House' of the community. This no doubt is one of the reasons that many years ago, this name was chosen for this compound.

The prior general has the responsibility to visit all of the communities of the Order at least once during his six year term of elected office. He is also the president or presiding member of each Provincial Chapter that is held in the close to fifty provinces of the Order. At times, it is necessary for him to delegate another friar, usually one of his six councilors, if he is not able to preside.

He is also invited to participate in special celebrations and anniversaries in provinces throughout the world so often, the prior general is not in residence in Rome. One of his most important duties is to confirm and to encourage his brothers in their various ministries throughout the world. Similarly, his councilors often travel to the particular part of the world which they represent. The General House is located on the left as one enters the Augustinian property at 25 Via Paulo VI, named to honor Pope Paul VI.

Il Collegio Internazionale di Santa Monica is the very large building on the right of the main entrance and is most often simply called Santa Monica. Some young Augustinians who are in the years of their initial initiation to the Order and who are studying theology in preparation for ordination to the priesthood come to Rome for their studies. They come from many Provinces and have the opportunity not only to study but to experience various parts of the Order in the world through the other students and faculty with whom they live. It is truly and International community of friars.

Similarly, other relatively young friars, already ordained who have spent some years in ministry, are in Rome studying for doctoral degrees in Scripture, Moral or Dogmatic Theology, Canon Law, Spirituality, or some similar theological discipline. The house itself is something of an 'Augustinian hotel'; friars from all over the world often stay here for Augustinian international gatherings of many kinds or simply while visiting in Rome and Italy.

Part of the large building is leased to a hotel, La Residenza Paulo VI, and for a few business firms. The lnstituto Patristico Augustinianum or the Augustinian Patristic Institute is a Pontifical University which offers many kinds of theological degrees. Its administrators and some of its faculty members are Augustinian friars from around the world. Many other scholars, religious, ordained, and lay, collaborate with the Augustinians in this important ministry of studying the Fathers of the Church with a special emphasis on Augustine and his theology.

The building is on a slight rise in the land in between the General House and the International College.