St. Augustine of Hippo

Joyous feast! St. Augustine was born in the Berber territory of Numidia, then the Roman province of Africa and now divided between Algeria and Tunisia, in 354 and was raised by his devout mother, St. Monica, who eventually sent him to ancient Carthage to further his studies.

The Saint, then a Manichean, eventually became a professor of rhetoric and moved to Milan to teach in the late 300s. In Milan St. Augustine met the great St. Ambrose and was converted to Orthodoxy, giving away his worldly possessions to the poor to become a monk.

In 391 St. Augustine was ordained a priest and, four years later, consecrated to the episcopacy and after some time as an auxiliary was in 395 elected Bishop of Hippo in Numidia. During his 35 years as a bishop St. Augustine wrote his famous Confessions as well as many works combating the various heresies besetting the Church at that time.

St. Augustine fell asleep during the Vandal siege of his see in 430 at the age of seventy-six. More on his life can be found here and here. May his blessing and prayers be with us all!