When Pope Leo XIV, the first pope from the United States, emerged onto the loggia of Saint Peter’s Basilica, he introduced himself to the world as “a son of Saint Augustine.” From his early formation and priesthood to his missionary work and leadership in the Order of Saint Augustine, the life of Robert Prevost has been shaped at every turn by this great Doctor of the Church.

In this unique collection, you will come to know the mind and heart of Pope Leo through his reflections on Augustine’s life, thought, and spirituality, gathered from both before and after his election to the papacy. Included are excerpts from Prevost’s doctoral dissertation, original translations of messages delivered in Spanish, rare passages from book forewords, and references to Augustine in Pope Leo’s early audiences, homilies, and speeches.

This portrait of a thoroughly Augustinian pope is also rounded out by a timeline of Prevost’s life, the full text of The Rule of Saint Augustine, and an insightful foreword by Sister Margaret Atkins, a canoness of the Order of Saint Augustine at Boarbank Hall in England.

Deeply informative yet highly readable, I Am a Son of Saint Augustine is the perfect introduction to the new head of the Catholic Church—a true son of his spiritual father.