An Augustinian Pope for an Augustinian Age: What Pope Leo XIV Affirms About Our Mission at St. Augustine Prep
An Augustinian Pope for an Augustinian Age: What Pope Leo XIV Affirms About Our Mission at St. Augustine Prep
by: Brendan D. Towell
The world is watching as the newly elected Pope Leo XIV steps into his role as the successor of St. Peter. With each passing day, the media offers a glimpse into the man himself and in his words and witness, we hear an echo of something ancient, wise, and urgently needed. Now more than ever, the Church has chosen not just a leader, but a vision: an Augustinian one.
For those of us at St. Augustine Prep, this is more than symbolic. It’s confirmation of something our community has known for over 65 years: that the spirit of Augustine - his honesty about the human condition, his restlessness, his passion for truth, and his yearning for God - is precisely what this moment in history calls for. You could say we’ve been ahead of the curve, but more than anything, we’re simply grateful to see the wider Church walking this Augustinian path alongside us.
St. Augustine famously wrote (and our students pray daily), “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” The modern world is full of distractions and substitutes for God with quick fixes, shallow pleasures, and empty promises. Yet, as any parent knows, none of these are ultimately satisfying. Especially not for young people. Especially not for boys navigating a world that so often misunderstands or misdirects their energy, their questions, and their longing.
At St. Augustine Prep, we form young men to become Augustinian servant leaders: searchers of truth, builders of community, lovers of wisdom, and advocates for the common good. Hermit Brothers are taught to confront life’s deepest questions and to discover that their desires are not a problem to be solved, but a signpost pointing to the Divine. We help them understand that they are wired for God, and that anything less than God simply won’t do.
At the heart of it all is our Augustinian focus on community; this is our "secret sauce." It’s what has always set us apart. We don’t just educate, we form a true Brotherhood. We don’t just instruct; we accompany. We believe that the search for truth must be lived out together, in friendship and mutual encouragement. That sense of belonging, purpose, and shared mission is what has sustained us, and it’s what so many families today are yearning for.
With the election of Pope Leo, the world will now begin to learn our Augustinian vocabulary. Terms and values like community, restlessness, truth, unity, love, and interiority will no longer just be words we reflect on in our classrooms and chapels - they will shape the Church’s global witness. Hopefully, our campus (along with Augustinian schools around the world) can become magnets for faithful families looking for an alternative to what so often feels like cultural chaos and an educational system that is inconsistent with their own values.
As the global Church turns its gaze toward the insights of Augustine, our community in Richland, NJ stands ready to help lead the way. If you’re a family seeking more than just a high school experience - if you’re looking for formation, purpose, and a deeper vision of what education can be - we invite you to consider St. Augustine Prep.
This is our time. This is your moment. As Pope Leo XIV now reminds us: the restlessness of the human heart is not a burden - it’s a calling. Allow St. Augustine Prep to help you answer it.