He was very active as an Ecclesiastical scholar and author.
Lawrenz Agius wrote a number of books in Latin
(with his Latin name: Laurentius), Italian (as Lorenzo) and Maltese mainly about the
Augustinian Order in Malta or about Canon Law. For example, his
published works include:
- Fiuri fil Gnien Agustinian ... (Manuale dei Terziari Agostiniani).
Malta 1930,
- L'Ordine Agostiniano nelle Isole di Malta e Gozo. Valletta, 1931.
This was a short 42 page history of the Augustinian religious order
in the Maltese Islands.
- Manuale de Ecclesiarum Rectoribus ad normam Juris Canonici.
Turin. Marietti, 1931. (118 pages)
- Summarium iurium et officiorum parochorum, ad normam codicis iuris canonici.
Naples. M. D'auria Pontificius (ed) 1953. An image of the title
page of this 260 page book intended as a manual for parish priests appears
alongside. It is available in the Malta Public Library.
Patri Lawrenz rose to become 'Provincial' of the Order of St
Augustine in Malta.
Lorenzo Agius' work has been cited in works on
Maltese history, for example an
article in Melita Historica by George Aquilina and Stanley Fiorini
on 'New Documents relating to the Origins of Religious Orders in Malta'.
It has also been quoted in texts regarding the history of the
Augustinian Order such as "Bibliographie zur Geschichte und Theologie des Augustiner-Eremitenordens bis zum Beginn der Reformation" by Egon Gindele
(Berlin, New York. De Gruyter 1977).
'Patri Lawrenz' did not limit himself to religious
academic matters. For example, under his leadership the Augustinian
Order in Algeria founded or assumed responsibility for the Basilica of
St Augustine, the Bona convent, and the parish of St Monica (in
Ivannonville). In Tunis they were installed in the parish of the
Sacred Heart. All this was quite fitting since Saint
Augustine of Hippo had been of North African (Berber) descent.
Augustine of course had been a very prolific and famous Latin religious
writer, so in his own modest way Lawrenz was emulating the Augustinian
tradition..
