The Augustinians of the West elect Fr. Kevin Mullins as their provincial.

With Fr. Gary Sanders stepping down earlier this year as Provincial of the Western Region of the Augustinian Order, the Very Rev. Kevin Mullins has been elected his successor.

Fr. Kevin joined the Order of St. Augustine in 1984, spending a year in San Diego. He then traveled to the novitiate in
St. Louis for a year, later furthering his studies in theology in Washington D.C. Father Kevin was ordained in 1990, and spent his first six years in the priesthood at the parish of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Los Angeles.

Fr. Kevin’s journey took him to St. Augustine, Florida, and later to the Orlando suburb, Castlebury. From there, he returned home to the Bay Area, serving as pastor of Our Lady of Grace for eleven years. Finally, before his recent installment in January, Fr. Kevin called Wisconsin and St. Rita’s Parish home. In November of 2014, he was elected Provincial of the
Augustinians of the West.

“This June, we are having a provincial chapter meeting, where different sections meet and report about their regions,” he said. “Most importantly, we plan our vision for the next four years. We are looking ahead to those men in formation who are in the process of becoming ordained, and we look forward to an increase in our numbers.”

Fr. Kevin is a well-travelled man, having called many cities across the United States his home.

“I was born and raised in the Bay Area and graduated St. Elizabeth High School, which was run by the Franciscans,” he said. “Afterwards, I studied at Cal State Hayward, which was not a religious school.”

Though instructed by Franciscan friars, the Augustinians also had an impact on Fr. Kevin’s formation.

“My connection to the Augustinians occurred when several Augustinian friars came up to the Castro Valley in 1980, and two of the friars that came there had taught at Saints; that is how I first found out about Saints.”

Fr. Kevin has already made his presence felt on campus by celebrating mass, and helping Fr. Kirk with his Friday tradition of grilled cheese.

“It is great to have Fr. Kevin as a member of the St. Augustine monastery and community, and I look forward to having him here in the area more often,” Fr. Kirk said. “I definitely appreciate his help in the kitchen such as with the grilled cheese project.”

By Matt Danaher (’16)

This article originally appeared in The Augustinian, the student-run newspaper of St. Augustine High School. Read The Augustinian here: http://www.sahs.org/campus-life/the-augustinian/