Villanova's app introduces freshmen to Augustine

When St. Augustine wrote his Confessions, he probably never pictured his work being read on iPhones and iPads. Yet that is exactly what students at Villanova University in Pennsylvania are doing with the “Augustine’s Confessions” app.

The app was released Nov. 13, the feast day of St. Augustine, and is used as a learning tool for freshmen. The app includes Augustine’s book, more than 14 hours of audio, a timeline, and an annotated map of Augustine’s travels. It is narrated by Augustinian Fr. Peter Donohue, president of Villanova University.

Augustinian Fr. Allan Fitzgerald, director of Villanova’s Augustinian Institute, said there has been a positive response from those using the app.

“Everyone that has spoken to me has been very full of praise for it,” he said, adding he hopes any schools that study Confessions will use it.