Close to Home: Retired Augustinian Friars Move to Chicago

For Augustinians, community is the foundation of religious life, and central to the Order’s charism. When Augustinians profess their vows, they make a lifelong commitment to prayer, fraternity, and caring for one another. This summer, the Midwest Augustinians took a significant step to strengthen that commitment by relocating retired friars from Saint Anthony Assisted Living in Crown Point, Indiana, to Smith Village in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood, bringing them closer to the physical location of the Province ministries they have faithfully served for decades.

The move marks the beginning of a new chapter for eleven retired friars, who now live just minutes from the Province's main offices, St. Rita of Cascia High School, St. Clare of Montefalco Friary, St. Turibius, St. Rita, and St. Clare, and many of the ministries where these friars spent their lives in service. More importantly, it places them back within easy reach of their Augustinian brothers, family members, former parishioners, students, and friends.

"The main reason I wanted us to make this move was to get our guys back in this area," said Fr. Tom McCarthy, O.S.A., Prior Provincial. "The reason we're moving is to get our friars closer to the other friars."

When the votes were counted in the Provincial election and Fr. Tom was selected in December 2025, this move was the first major project on his mind. Just days after the vote was counted and affirmed, he started putting the project in motion.

Throughout the summer, friars, staff members, and volunteers packed rooms, transported belongings, furnished apartments, and helped residents settle into their new home.

Province Secretary Br. Nick Mullarkey, O.S.A., who lived at Saint Anthony in Crown Point, coordinated much of the transition with the help of Br. Joe Ruiz, O.S.A., Br. Gary Hresil, O.S.A., Br. Jeremy Welch, O.S.A., and Novice Michael Bourke along with Augustinian laypeople like Diane Mrozek, Luis and Miriam Espinosa, and others involved in the care of these friars. By all accounts it was a true community effort.

"Everyone's very happy," Br. Nick said after the move. "Overall, everything just seems to be a real increase. People seem to be adjusting well - overall it's a really good thing."

While several senior living communities were considered during the discernment process, Smith Village quickly emerged as the right fit. Located only minutes from the Provincial Center, the nonprofit community offers independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and memory care, allowing friars to remain together as their healthcare needs change over time. The other residents at Smith Village are also already familiar with many Augustinian ministries – whether they are or were parishioners at Augustinian churches, graduates from Augustinian schools, or knew someone who was.

The location also opens new opportunities for the Province to remain actively involved in the lives of its elder brothers.

Already, Augustinian friars have begun celebrating Sunday Mass at Smith Village, expanding the spiritual life available not only to the retired friars but to the broader resident community as well. Plans are underway to increase the Province's presence through additional Masses, Communion services, student visits, social activities, and other opportunities for interaction between generations of Augustinians.

Fr. Don Lewandowski, O.S.A., one of the Augustinians in residence who will be helping to celebrate masses, says that everyone has been very welcoming at Smith Village.

"Everyone has been very kind," Fr. Don said. "Both the staff and the other people living here have been very kind."

Fr. Tom hopes the community will become a place where younger friars, students, and benefactors naturally gather.

"I've already talked about starting a games club," he said, envisioning students from St. Rita and other Augustinian schools spending time playing chess, checkers, cards, or simply visiting with the retired friars. "When you're doing that, you're also going to be talking and seeing the wisdom of these friars."

The move also reflects an important belief about religious life: retirement does not mean stepping away from one's vocation.

"It's not just about their healthcare," Fr. Tom said. "It's also about their spiritual care."

Even as active ministry changes with age, retired friars continue serving the Province through prayer, encouragement, friendship, and the witness of lives faithfully lived. By bringing them closer to the Province's ministries and communities, the Midwest Augustinians hope those gifts will remain a visible and vibrant part of Augustinian life.

Br. Nick believes the difference will be felt in countless small but meaningful ways.

Friends and family will find it easier to visit. Friars traveling between Augustinian ministries can stop in for lunch or conversation. Residents will be able to participate more readily in Province celebrations and gatherings without the long drive that previously separated them from the life of the community.

For Fr. Tom, those everyday moments are exactly what the move was meant to create.

Rather than seeing retired friars living at a distance, he envisions a home where the generations of the Province naturally intersect: where young friars seek wisdom from those who came before them, where students encounter men whose lives have been dedicated to serving the Church, and where longtime benefactors can continue visiting the friars they have known for years.

"This is something for all of us," Fr. Tom said. "We're honoring the intent of our donors to take care of our guys in a very loving way, in a very healthy way, and in a very spiritually healthy way."

In many ways, the move to Smith Village is about much more than a new address. It is a tangible expression of one of the core values of Augustinian life: that community is not simply where friars begin their vocation, but where they continue to belong throughout every stage of it. By bringing our retired brothers closer to home, the Midwest Augustinians are ensuring that the bonds of fraternity, prayer, and shared life remain as strong in retirement as they were in active ministry.

To support these men in their new home, please consider spending an afternoon visiting our friars at Smith Village. You can also contribute financially to their ongoing care at www.midwestaugustinians.org/donate