It was a historic first for the Order of St. Augustine when one of its own, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was elected as Holy Father.

Having officially been named the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church May 8, Prevost, now known by his chosen name of Leo XIV, became the first Augustinian Pope in the Church’s history. 

A religious order dating back to 1244, the Order of St. Augustine was founded with the purpose of living the spirituality of early Christians, following in the path of St. Augustine, the fifth-century theologian, philosopher and Bishop of Hippo. 

Advertisement

Now, both the Canadian and the Midwest Augustinians of Chicago are rejoicing in the historic election of their brother as he finds himself entrusted with the Chair of Peter.

“We, as Augustinians, never thought one of our Augustinian brothers would become the Pope, the Roman Pontiff of the Universal Church,” said Fr. John Arulthas Mariyanayagam, O.S.A.,  pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in King City, Ont., northwest of Toronto, a parish that has been served by the Augustinians for more than 60 years.

“At this present and modern time of the Church, we are looking at our God who has truly prepared one of our brothers through his missionary experiences over the years. It has been shown that he is  the best administrator of the order, someone who has travelled the world and had the responsibility of overseeing every Augustinian and every Augustinian house across the world.”  

The excitement is shared by Prior Provincial Fr. Anthony B. Pizzo, O.S.A., who shared his thoughts on the conclave results in a news release from the Midwest Augustinian Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel, which includes Canada.

“Pope Leo XIV is a man of deep integrity, a true listener and a companion to those on the margins of society. We see him as a bridge-builder, rooted in the spirit of St. Augustine, walking forward with the whole Church as a companion on the journey. We are honoured that he is one of our own, a brother formed in the restless heart of the Augustinian Order,” the statement reads. 

Born in Chicago in 1955, Pope Leo attended St. Augustine Seminary High School in Holland, Michigan, and Villanova University near Philadelphia, two distinctly Augustinian institutions. He officially entered the order in 1977 before making his solemn profession in 1981. 

Following his priestly ordination in 1982, he would go on to earn advanced degrees in canon law in Rome and spent the coming decades serving the Church with humility and distinction as a missionary in Peru, an educator and formator, as Prior Provincial of the Midwest province and later as Prior General of the entire Augustinian Order for two terms. 

After returning to the Province in 2013, he continued his missionary service as Apostolic Administrator and Bishop of Chiclayo in Peru. His leadership in the Church continued to expand: as a member of the Congregation for the Clergy, the Congregation for Bishops, Apostolic Administrator of Callao, Peru, and ultimately, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. In 2023, he was created Cardinal by Pope Francis and was elevated to the Order of Bishops within the College of Cardinals in 2025.

Advertisement

Mariyanayagam says this lifetime of service work as a dedicated Augustinian brother offers a glimpse into the personality and mission work that Pope Leo XIV will continue in his papacy.

“He has seen people, he has talked with people and he has encountered different languages, cultures and customs from around the globe in the people he has journeyed with,” he said. “Having served these diverse communities through the order, we look at him as a missionary pope in our modern time.” 

Speaking on the chosen name of Pope Leo, Mariyanayagam draws a unique parallel between the current pontiff and the last pope to take the name, Pope Leo XIII, who led the Catholic Church from 1878 until his death in July 1903. 

“ Leo XIII was dealing with the industrial revolution at the time, and through a social doctrine of the Church, he brought forth the teaching and doctrine of the Church to establish right relations between the capitalists and the workers at the time,” he explained.

Having established the workers' union and advocated for justice and the right wages of labourers, he believes Pope Leo XIV will have a similar path in facing modern struggles and challenges, such as artificial intelligence, an area of interest he has already identified. 

“This is going to be another phase of the papacy in our modern culture, in which we are facing a new revolution due to recent discoveries and further scientific improvements,” he said. 

Pope Leo XIV also recently chose a motto for his papacy that heavily reflects his Augustinian traditions — In Illo uno unum, which means “In the One, we are one.” The phrase comes from St. Augustine’s Exposition on Psalm 127, where he explains that “although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one.” 

That sense of oneness and unity, especially through charitable community service, is unique to the Augustinian order. While Mariyanayagam acknowledges much of Pope Leo XIV’s work will be a continuation of the Jesuit Pope Francis’ papacy, he believes the Holy Father’s Augustinian background will be noticeable in its own way. 

“ He himself said that he wishes to build bridges between communities, countries and different ethnic groups, so I am sure that the Augustinian community dimension of Pope Leo XIV is going to bring peace, reconciliation, equality and justice among the poor, vulnerable and the underprivileged.” 

Pope Leo XIV will do this with the spiritual backing of his brothers. 

Advertisement

“Pope Leo XIV brings to the papacy the heart of an Augustinian: a love for community, a thirst for truth and a shepherd’s care for the people of God. His life of mission, teaching and servant leadership reflect the best of our tradition. We offer him our prayers, our love, our unwavering support, and may his pontificate be a source of unity, peace and renewal for the Church and the world,” the Augustinian Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel statement concluded. 

“We, as Augustinians, will continue to pray for the success of the papacy of Leo XIV, our Augustinian brother, through the constant intercession of our Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Mother of Good Counsel and the powerful intercession of St. Augustine, our Holy Father of the Order,” Mariyanayagam added.