Meet the Augustinian saints celebrated by the Church in August

August is a particularly important month for Augustinians, the Order of St. Augustine of Hippo to which Pope Leo XIV belongs, as the Catholic Church celebrates a number of Augustinian saints.

St. Augustine himself and his mother, St. Monica, are honored just one day apart at the end of August, but mystics, missionaries, and martyrs who lived out the Augustinian call to seek God through prayer, community, and charity also enjoy feast days this month.

Here are the Augustinian saints — and a blessed — the Church celebrates in August:

Blessed John of Rieti — Aug. 2 Blessed John of Rieti was an Italian Augustinian friar whose short life became a remarkable example of holiness lived through simplicity, charity, and joy.

Born around 1318 in Castel Porchiano, near Amelia, Italy, John entered the Augustinian order as a teenager and was sent to the friary in Rieti. Though he died at just 18 years old in 1336, those who knew him remembered him for his humility, friendliness, and deep love for his fellow friars.

John was particularly attentive to the sick and to visitors, treating everyone with kindness and reverence. According to the Augustinian tradition, he never did or said…