Portal:Catholicism/Patron Archive/August 28 2007

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aurelius Augustinus, Augustine of Hippo, or Saint Augustine (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430) was one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity, there considered to be one of the church fathers. He framed the concepts of original sin and just war.

Saint Augustine was of Berber descent. At the age of 11, Augustine was sent to school at Madaurus. There he became very familiar with Latin literature, as well as pagan beliefs and practices. His revered mother, Monica, was a Berber and a devout Catholic, and his father, Patricius, a pagan. Although raised as a Catholic, Augustine left the Church to follow the controversial Manichaean religion. As a youth Augustine lived a hedonistic lifestyle for a time and, in Carthage, he developed a relationship with a young woman who would be his concubine for over fifteen years. During this period he had a son, Adeodatus, with the young woman. In 383 he moved to Rome to establish a school there. At age thirty, Augustine was a professor of rhetoric for the imperial court at Milan.

In the summer of 386 Augustine underwent a profound personal crisis and decided to convert to Christianity, abandon his career in rhetoric, quit his teaching position in Milan, give up any ideas of marriage, and devote himself entirely to serving God and the practices of priesthood, which included celibacy. Ambrose baptized Augustine, along with his son, Adeodatus, on Easter Vigil in 387 in Milan, and soon thereafter in 388 he returned to Africa. On his way back to Africa his mother died, as did his son soon after.

Upon his return to north Africa he sold his patrimony and gave the money to the poor. The only thing he kept was the family house, which he converted into a monastic foundataion for himself and a group of friends. In 391 he was ordained a priest in Hippo Regius, (now Annaba, in Algeria). He became a famous preacher.

In 396 he was made coadjutor bishop of Hippo. He remained in this position at Hippo until his death in 430. Augustine died on August 28, 430.

Attributes: child; dove; pen; shell, pierced heart
Patronage: brewers; printers; sore eyes; theologians
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