| Saint Alypius of Thagaste | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4th Century |
| Died | 5th Century |
| Honored in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Canonized | 1584 by Pope Gregory XIII |
| Feast | August 15 |
Saint Alypius of Thagaste was bishop of the see of Tagaste (in what is now Algeria) in 394. He is also credited with building the first monastery in Africa. He was a lifelong friend of Saint Augustine of Hippo and joined him in his conversion (in 386; Confessions 8.12.28) and life in Christianity. He came from an aristrocratic family and his early life was as a magistrate in Rome. Most of what is known about him comes from Augustine's autobiographical Confessions.
One commonly cited event, from the Confessions (6.8.13) concerns the young Alypius, who had extremely strong moral beliefs, being taken by friends to watch violent Roman games in the arena. He initially resists this, keeping his eyes shut, but he is unable to control himself because of the sounds and eventually succumbs and opens his eyes. To his horror, he finds himself enjoying the spectacle and even invites other friends to come with him later. However, he eventually repents of this and returns to the spiritual fold. There is no record of his cultus, until he was added into the Roman Martyrology by Pope Gregory XIII in 1584. His feast day is August 15.