Br. Augustine (James) Wharf of the Holy Trinity was born on June 21, 1932, in Medford, Massachusetts to parents James and Ruth (Stone) Wharf.

Br. Augie first entered the minor seminary of the Calced Community in 1946. He shared that he entered out of ignorance and confusion because he thought they were the sons of St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross. He went on to their novitiate, was professed and made solemn vows as a Calced friar in 1956. In 1957, he and a group of brothers left the O’Carms and founded a congregation named the Brothers of the Holy Eucharist – with ministry that cared for orphaned and wayward boys. But his desire for life as a Discalced Carmelite was reawakened in 1964 and in 1965, he was accepted, transferred to the Washington Province and made his novitiate in Waverly, New York. He professed solemn vows in 1966.

Brother Augie was very much a part of the province, having been provincial tailor for about 59 years. He served as subprior in Brookline, Massachusetts and in Holy Hill, Wisconsin. He also served as a member of the provincial formation board for several years. In 1968, He was one of the original founders of our Desert Community in Hinton, West Virginia where he faithfully lived the religious life of the desert for a little over five years.

Br. Robert Sentman shared his memories of his good friend, Br. Augie who, in fact, inspired Br. Robert to become a Discalced Carmelite. Their years together were rich and fruitful and a close friendship bonded them together. Throughout their shared time in Massachusetts, Br. Robert recalled how very talented Br. Augie was and all that he did for the community. Beyond being the province tailor (which he learned from his time with the O’Carms), Br. Augie worked as a plumber, an electrician, and a groundskeeper at the monastery. Br. Robert remembered with deep appreciation their shared annual retreats, either on the Intercoastal Waterway in North Carolina or in Wells, Maine, right near the ocean. He also recalled how each friar’s individual family became one big family for all the time each spent with the other. When transfers separated the two, each missed the others company, but they remained in touch by exchanging audio tapes and phone calls.

On July 14, 2025, Br. Augustine was freed from the pain of severe arthritis and the debilitating effects of aging when he died at the age of 93 at St. Patrick’s Manor in Framingham, Massachusetts. He is buried in the Carmelite Cemetery, Hubertus, Wisconsin.