The Augustinian Nuns

Who We Are
Like a sanctuary candle which burns quietly and steadily beside the tabernacle of the smallest chapel or most grand cathedral, the life of a contemplative Augustinian nun shines quietly and faithfully in her loving worship of and daily witness to our good and gracious God.

We, the Augustinian Nuns of New Lenox, Illinois, are members of the Order of Saint Augustine, a religious Order of the Roman Catholic Church. We have responded to God's invitation to this life of loving prayer and contemplation through our vowed commitment in a monastic contemplative community. Like the sanctuary candle in our monastery chapel our lives bear silent witness to the absolute and unquenchable love of God for all his children and to his desire for our response of love in return.

Each of us, whether we are aware of it or not, is continually and insatiably drawn toward God. We are drawn by that natural longing which, God himself, as a wise Creator, has placed in our hearts. "You have made us for yourself," wrote Saint Augustine, "and our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O Lord".

Our primary ministry in the Church and to our world is our hidden life of prayer as we witness to this search for God, which is rooted in the heart of every human being. Consecrating ourselves to God for his honor and glory we share in the prayer of Jesus that "all may be one" in the life and love of our heavenly Father.