Augustinian
at Heart
With the first Augustinian pope guiding the Church, Villanova highlights what it means
to live a life rooted in truth, unity and love
When Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, OSA, ’77 CLAS, became His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025, Villanova rejoiced in a moment of historic significance. The election of the first Augustinian pope—and the first from the United States—resonated across campus not only as a milestone for the Church but as a vivid reminder of the values that define Villanova’s mission: Veritas, Unitas, Caritas.
In his first days as pope, Leo XIV spoke openly about how the Augustinian tradition continues to ground his ministry. “The life of St. Augustine and his call to servant leadership reminds us that we all have God-given gifts and talents,” he said, “and our purpose, fulfillment and joy comes from offering them back in loving service to God and to our neighbor.” For Villanova, his words captured what it means to be Augustinian at heart—to seek truth together, to build community and to pour one’s gifts into the common good.
University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, ’75 CLAS has watched his Augustinian brother step into global leadership with the same spirit that has long marked his Augustinian formation. “He’s very simple, he’s very gentle—he’s a very intelligent man, and he loves engaging with people,” Father Peter said in a recent interview. “It’s a great joy to see him doing so well in the role.”
That formation is something Pope Leo has named directly. “So much of who I am I owe to the spirit and teachings of St. Augustine,” Pope Leo said when he accepted the St. Augustine Medal from the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova in August 2025.
As Villanova marked Pope Leo’s election, the University also reflected on its own place within this living tradition. Founded in 1842, Villanova is one of only two Augustinian Catholic institutions of higher learning in the nation. “As Augustinians, our emphasis, our charism, is building community,” Father Peter said.
At Villanova, Veritas, Unitas and Caritas aren’t simply affirmed—they’re pursued with rigor. In classrooms, labs, seminar rooms, athletic facilities and performance spaces, the Augustinian search for truth takes form. Students, faculty, staff and alumni are called to use their gifts fully and responsibly in service to others, as part of a community shaped by learning and purpose.
The sections that follow show how Villanova’s Augustinian identity takes shape across campus.
“ Together, we will care for one another and the people we serve. We will pray, we will listen, and then, filled with God's wisdom and grace, we will act. ”
- The Rev. Robert Hagan, OSA, JD, '87 CLAS
FRIARS AMONG US
Since Villanova’s founding in 1842, the University has been strengthened by the active presence of Augustinian friars. They serve as teachers, administrators, chaplains, mentors and trustees, helping to shape a community rooted in St. Augustine’s vision of faith and friendship.
As prior provincial of the Augustinian Province of St. Thomas of Villanova and a member of the Villanova University Board of Trustees, the Rev. Robert Hagan, OSA, JD, '87 CLAS, reflects, “Together, we will care for one another and the people we serve. We will pray, we will listen, and then, filled with God’s wisdom and grace, we will act.” At Villanova, the friars’ leadership and example continue to inspire lives of learning, service and shared purpose.
HOLDING THE DOOR
At Villanova, holding the door open is more than a polite gesture—it’s a quiet tradition that reflects the University’s commitment to inclusion, care and community. “Villanova means ‘new home,’ and I think that you really feel a sense of neighborly pride when at Lancaster Avenue,” says Emma Kronenberg ’25 CLAS, ’27 MA. She found belonging through student organizations like Rays of Sunshine and Special Olympics Fall Festival, which promote space for people to be their authentic selves. Through these communities, she discovered mentors, lasting friendships and even a future career path in higher education. As Kronenberg shares, “Holding the door open at Villanova is not just constructing an opportunity, but welcoming people in.”
“ Our worship life reminds us that we understand those values...more deeply and concretely each time we gather. ”
- Mat Verghese ’18 MA
GATHERED IN SPIRIT
Worship at Villanova is a communal experience rooted in the Catholic tradition that deepens understanding of Augustinian values, personal identity and the presence of God among us. Across campus, students, faculty and staff of all faiths are welcomed into moments of reflection, reverence and encounter. Mat Verghese ’18 MA, a doctoral candidate in Theology and director of Liturgy in Villanova’s Center for Liturgy and Sacred Music, notes, “Our worship life reminds us that we understand those values—and indeed our very selves—more deeply and concretely each time we gather.” From quiet midweek prayer to moments of loss, gratitude or joy, worship links Villanovans to generations past and forms a community “one in mind and heart,” as Pope Leo prayed, sent forward to build unity and serve with love.
A CALL TO SERVICE
At the heart of Villanova is an Augustinian community striving to follow in the footsteps of St. Augustine and St. Thomas of Villanova, figures who used their knowledge, skills and time in service to others. “They show us by their example and their words what the common good is all about,” says Kate Giancatarino, executive director of the St. Thomas of Villanova Center for the Common Good. Established in October 2022 as part of Villanova’s Strategic Plan, Rooted. Restless., the Center helps carry this legacy forward through local partnerships and national and international Service and Justice Experiences.
Guided by Veritas, Unitas, Caritas, students learn that service is not only what they do, but how they speak to injustice, build community and become active participants in a more just world. “Community is rightly about sharing meals and joys, and it is also about sharing the hurt we have encountered and opening space for that dialogue and connection to take place,” Giancatarino adds.
That learning also reshapes the classroom. “The hope and intention is that students are encouraged to dig deeper into their academic work, not for their sole benefit but for the benefit of those they meet as well,” Giancatarino says. In connecting study with lived experience, students learn to put knowledge into service and to ignite change in ways that endure beyond a project or trip.
“ We equally seek to meet St. Augustine as he meets us, in the depths of our own complex history. ”
- James Wetzel, PhD
INSPIRED SEEKERS OF TRUTH
At Villanova, the Augustinian intellectual tradition shapes not just what is studied but how the University pursues knowledge. St. Augustine was a seeker of truth who grappled with the deepest human questions, and his restless spirit continues to guide Villanova’s academic life, preparing students to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. The Augustinian Institute helps carry this mission forward, playing an important role in ensuring Augustine’s voice continues to speak effectively to today’s world.
The Augustinian Institute reflects this University-wide approach to teaching, research and discourse, ensuring Augustine’s thoughts hold a vibrant and integral place within Villanova’s academic and community life through lectures, publications, fellowships and academic resources. As James Wetzel, PhD, professor of Philosophy, Augustinian Endowed Chair in the Thought of St. Augustine and director of the Institute, explains, “We equally seek to meet St. Augustine as he meets us, in the depths of our own complex history, where he shows up as an inspired seeker of truth. These symbiotic Augustines, ever ancient, ever new, define the intellectual space of the contemporary Augustinian university.”
Across campus, this spirit fosters a culture in which students, faculty and staff ask better questions, listen deeply and remain open to discovery. This distinctive learning community, rooted in the Augustinian tradition, forms reflective thinkers, ethical leaders and change-makers prepared to meet the challenges of their time. ■
MISSION-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP
An alumnus with more than 35 years of service as an administrator, pastor and teacher, the Rev. Bernard C. Scianna, OSA, PhD, ’87 CLAS has been appointed vice president for Mission and Ministry. He becomes only the third person to lead the office that advances Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic mission. Assuming the role in June 2026, Father Bernie succeeds the Rev. Kevin DePrinzio, OSA, PhD, who is serving a six-year term in Rome after being elected to the General Council of the Order of St. Augustine.
In his new role, Father Bernie will oversee the Office for Mission and Ministry, which coordinates initiatives tied to Villanova’s Augustinian heritage and Catholic identity; promotes scholarship on contemporary issues through the lens of Catholic social teaching; attends to the University’s spiritual and sacramental needs; and provides faith-based opportunities for students, faculty and staff.
University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, ’75 CLAS highlights the strength Father Bernie brings to this important position. “The Office for Mission and Ministry is fundamental in ensuring our Augustinian Catholic values are reflected in all that we do at Villanova,” he says, adding that Father Bernie’s extensive institutional, pastoral and educational experience means “the office is well-positioned to continue enriching our community and upholding the Augustinian traditions that guide and ground all we do as a University.”
For the past five years, Father Bernie has served as senior associate dean of students for Student Support, helping undergraduates navigate personal and academic challenges while strengthening well-being and community building on campus. Before that, he spent nearly a decade in key leadership roles within the Augustinian Order, including eight years as prior provincial of the Midwest Province, from 2010 to 2018, and he served on the Villanova Board of Trustees from 2008 to 2018. In 2019, he became Villanova’s inaugural director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, working to establish the office and lead anti-hazing and educational programming.
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