Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430) Feast Day August 28th

Augustine of Hippo is one of the 4 Doctors of the church.
He was one of the most intelligent men who ever lived
He was born in Numidi (now Algeria) in 354. His parents were Saint Monica and Patricius, a pagan. His father, on his death bed became a Christian and died in 373 when Augustine was just 19.
Augustine was rebellious and his mother prayed for 17 years before he became converted. He was educated in Cathage, then went to Rome, followed by moving to Milan where he taught rhetoric. For 10 years he was interested in Manichaeism (see notes).
In Milan he listened to the sermons of Saint Ambrose. To his mother’s joy he was converted and baptised. He was 33. He and Saint Ambrose probably composed the * Te Deum.*

The year was 387 when Saint Monica died. She had spent many years praying for her son before he was converted. In her last two years she saw her prayers wonderfully answered.

Saint Monica died in Ostia as she and her son gazed at the sea and discoursed about the joys of the blessed.

He returned to Africa. H e spent several years in communal living, teaching, meditating, fasting and praying. He ended up becoming a priest and went to Hippo as an assistant to bishop Valerius and established a monastic community.
On the bishop’s death he became bishop - Augustine of Hippo.
He began to write. Many of his books, all in Latin, are still available to read. Confessions and City of God are his most famous books.
Confessions looks at his childhood and conversion. (See list of books)

He died in 430 ,aged 76, when his city was being besieged by Vandals who had invaded the Roman Empire.

Saint Augustine is considered by many to be the greatest teacher of Christian Truth after Saint Paul - writer of the epistles in the New Testament.

I have included a list of his books his ideas, plus definitions for Manichaeism and Filique
Gold from Dark Mines by Irene Howart ch1 pages 7-44
Sources Wikipedia and The Church’s Year by Charles Alexander
Encyclopedia of Saints by Howard Loxton