In the 1850s, Catholics in Augusta, Kentucky, decided to request the presence of a priest, but the one assigned was able to come to them from new Richmond, Ohio, only occasionally. (Later that priest became Bishop August Toebbe of the Diocese of Covington.) A congregation was formed, partially through the efforts of a Mr. Cook, who lived in the city, and Mr. Richard O'Neill, who offered his home as a place for the gathering. After a while, the Benedictine Fathers traveled from Covington to serve the Catholics on one Sunday of the month. These priests urged the construc-tion of a church building. So, from the contributions of Catholics and non-Catholics alike, land on Fourth Street was purchased for $400, bricks were made on the acre site, and on May 29, 1859, the first bishop of Covington, George Al Carrell, S.J., D.D., laid the cornerstone. The forty Catholic families were mostly German and Irish. Almost seventeen months later, on October 7, 1860, the brick church was dedicated to St. Augustine by the Very Reverend Thomas R. Butler, Vicar General of the Diocese of Covington.

The Benedictine priests, including Father Oswald Mossmueller, O.S.B., Father Emmeran Bluemel, Father

Lender Schneer and Father Isadore Walter helped until the first resident pastor, Reverend Alto Hoermann, O.S.B., was named in 1866. Serving after him were Father P.D. Beck, Father Bernard P. Teutenberg. (From 1868 to 1871, Father Eberhardt Gahr, O.S.B., was pastor and the first rectory came into existence. After Father Gahr, there came Father Charles Exel and Father J.H. Krull. Then from 1875 to 1885, the parish was administered by Father Caspar Ostlangberg who asked the Sisters of Notre Dame for their help with the school. A financial report from 1877 shows the priest's salary was $391.85. The amount paid to the diocese from St. Augustine for that year was $25.00. The Sunday collection for the same year was $136.20. After Father Ostlangberg came Father William Gorey. In 1887, the pastorate was under Father Bernard Greifenkamp, whose term included the addition of the present sanctuary and the construction of the current rectory. The next pastor, in 1904, was the Reverend Anthony G. Goebel, who also helped the progress of the parish with a new school building in 1905. From 1909 to 1911, there came Father Henry Gellenbeck, who prepared for the Golden Jubilee on October 24-25, 1909 by improving the parish building for $1,400: frescoing the church, installing ten statues as well as electric lights in the church, school and rectory and painting all exteriors. In December 1911, Father Romaine Van der Vorst was brought from being chaplain of St. Joseph Hospital, Lexington, to become pastor of St. Augustine's. He was there for seventeen years.

Following him were Father E.M. Dalschen, 1928-1931, and Father Michael Tierney, 1931-1967. Both Father Van der Vorst and Father Tierney are buried in the Augusta Hillside Cemetery. After Father Tierney, there was Father Dan Lally from 1967-1968, and Father Louis Brinker from 1968-1983.During Father Brinker's time, the church was completely renovated to its current charm. The steeple and spire had decayed and deteriorated so much that they had to be replaced. Many other repairs were completed. After Father Brinker, Father Lawrence Keller was named pastor. He retired in 1995, which is when the present pastor, Father Dan Saner, arrived. He was also made pastor at St. James in Brooksville and St. James in Minerva and oversaw many improvements to the church building and school. The school was eventually expanded to include preschool and kindergarten classes. Sadly, Father Saner passed away in 2009 so Father Ed Brodnick became pastor of St. Augustine & St. James.After the retirement of Father Ed Brodnick in 2012, Father Greg Bach, an Augusta native, became the interim pastor of St. Augustine & St. James. In the Spring of 2013, Rev. Monsignor Dominic K. Fosu was assigned as Parochial Administrator of St. Augustine & St. James parishes, and eventually installed as pastor. In June of 2020, Msgr. Fosu was assigned to Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Burlington, KY and Fr. Joseph Shelton was assigned as pastor of St. Augustine in Augusta and St. James in Brooksville.