The Order of Saint Augustine is associated with the United Nations as a Non-Governmental Organisation.
Through this association there is the intention to bring UN perspectives and activities to the worldwide Augustinian family and, reciprocally, to bring to the UN the perspectives and activities of Augustinians internationally.
It is hoped that this reciprocal enrichment will make ever more fruitful the witness to community by Augustinians through works of education, development and human rights promotion.
The Augustinian Order intends that its UN association be marked by a close working relationship with the Holy See, as well as by ecumenical and inter-faith collaboration.
The first full-time representative of the Order at the UN was
Jesus Guzmán O.S.A. (
standing on the right the above photo).
He is a Mexican Augustinian who previously was an Assistant General of the Order of Saint Augustine.
He was formally presented to the permanent representative of the Hoy See Observer Mission at its Headquarters in New York, Mons. Fortieri.
The Holy See Observer requested that the representatives of the Order of Saint Augustine aid the work of the Holy See in studying the drafts of documents that the United Nations publishes on the occasion of major World Summits.
The Augustinian team at the UN has drawn up a mission statement which has been approved by the central governance of the Augustinian Order.
Since 2007, the Augustinian U.N. team has been led by Fr. Jack Deegan O.S.A. of the U.S. Villanova Province.
