Independent Augustinian communities are Roman Catholic religious communities that follow the Augustinian Rule, but are not under the jurisdiction of the Prior General of the Augustinian hermits in Rome.
They include the Augustinian nuns, the Canons Regular, the Augustinian Recollects,the Discalced Augustinian, the Norbertines, The Sisters of St Rita[1], the Augustinian Sisters of Mercy of Jesus (South Africa), The Augustinians of the Assumption (which includes Byzantine Rite congregations), the Canons Regular of the Immaculate Conception, the Brothers of the Assumption (in the Congo), the Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation (Philippines), Congregation of Our Lady of the Missions, and the Hospitallers of the Mercy of Jesus (Canada).
To a lesser extent there is a spiritual link, through the common Augustinian Rule with The Alexian Brothers (located in the USA, Europe, England, Ireland the Philippines and India), the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word (who established the University of the Incarnate Word in Texas), and the Sisters of St. Joan of Arc (in Quebec, United States, and Rome), the Dominicans and the Brothers Hospitallers of St John of God.
The enclosed orders of women under the Augustinian Rule (as distinct from the active orders of religious women who also do) are usually not visible to the general public except via the internet. Historically, the most important of the observant Augustinian communities of women are: