St. Augustine Church

St. Augustine Church You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You. Located in Old City, Philadelphia, St. Founded by Father Matthew J. Today, St.
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Augustine Church is the oldest permanent establishment of the Augustinian Order in the United States. Carr in 1796, St. Augustine's has a rich and storied history, tied closely to the city in which it stands. Funds for the original church building were collected from the people of the parish as well as from some notable donors: President George Washington, Commodore John Barry, and merchant Stephe

n Girard. The first church building was designed by Douglas Fitzmaurice Fagan and served the rising population of German and Irish immigrants that were settling on the north side of the city. Carr also established St. Augustine Academy in 1811, the forerunner of Villanova University. In 1844, growing anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic sentiment in Philadelphia reached a breaking point. On May 8th, at the culmination of 3 days of riots instigated by the Native American Party, or the "Know Nothings," the original church building was burned. A substantial theological library of over 3,000 books was also lost in the fire. Suing for damages, St. Augustine Church's case was one of the first tests of the First Amendment right to freedom of religion. A new church was designed by Napoleon LeBrun, completed in 1847 and consecrated in 1848. Augustine's stands sentinel in Old City between Vine St. and the Ben Franklin Bridge. It serves a diverse and vibrant community of restless hearts seeking rest in God. All are welcome.

See you on Sunday!
08/11/2026

See you on Sunday!

08/07/2026
Photos from Solemn Vespers and Te Deum here at Saint Augustine Church on Saturday, July 25, 2026 in honor of Saint James...
07/29/2026

Photos from Solemn Vespers and Te Deum here at Saint Augustine Church on Saturday, July 25, 2026 in honor of Saint James the Apostle Feast Day and the Semiquincentennial of the Founding of the United States.

Join us!
07/22/2026

Join us!

06/28/2026

🎶 Today we sang our send-off song — and it came straight from the heart.

We bid farewell to two beloved priests: Fr. Jim Paradis, OSA and Fr. Joe Genito, OSA, as they head to Chicago to serve on the Augustinian formation team. Fr. Jim will serve as Formation Director for those who have completed their novitiate, and Fr. Joe will join him as part of that same sacred work of forming the next generation of Augustinian friars.

You will both be sorely missed here in Philadelphia, but we send you off with joy, with pride, and with every prayer we have. 🙏🏽

May God bless you and all the Augustinians who will be in your care!

05/24/2026

St. Augustine Church Philadelphia history!

Address

243 N Lawrence Street
Philadelphia, PA
19106

Telephone

+12156271838

Website

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