Born on 13 November 354 in Algeria, northern Africa. He grew up in a family of where Christianity was not part of the family tradition.
His mother was the only Christian who she married a pagan and conceived Augustine.
St Monica (his mother) constantly prayed for Augustine to be converted from a life of loose living, which included parties, entertainment, and worldly ambitions.
His father died and was converted on his deathbed.
Augustine lived with a girl from Carthaginian for 15 years of his life from age 15-30. To whom he had a child named Adeotadus with without marriage.
They began worshipping false Gods of Manichaean though he was one of the most intelligent men who ever lived. He found holes in this religion and found truth in God. St Monica's daily prayers for 33 years to convert him and to finally marry the Carthaginian woman. Though he converted he didn’t marry her, and St Monica got more than what she bargained for. She was a mother to one of future the pillars, authors, Doctors, and Fathers of the Church.
St Ambrose of Milan had also preached to St Augustine that Christianity was the one true religion this factored on his conversion.
Yet he did not become a Christian then, because he thought he could never live a pure life. One day, however, he heard about two men who had suddenly been converted on reading the life of St. Anthony, and he felt terrible ashamed of himself. "What are we doing?" he cried to his friend Alipius. "Unlearned people are taking Heaven by force, while we, with all our knowledge, are so cowardly that we keep rolling around in the mud of our sins!"
Full of bitter sorrow, Augustine flung himself out into the garden and cried out to God, "How long more, O Lord? Why does not this hour put an end to my sins?" Just then he heard a child singing, "Take up and read!" Thinking that God intended him to hear those words, he picked up the book of the Letters of St. Paul, and read the first passage his gaze fell on. It was just what Augustine needed, for in it, St. Paul says to put away all impurity and to live in imitation of Jesus. That did it! From then on, Augustine began a new life.
He was baptised, became a priest, a bishop, a famous Catholic writer, writing up to 4 000 000 words which was great for those times. Founder of religious priests and one of the greatest saints that ever lived. He possessed many virtues of a true Christian, and was charitable and chaste. On the wall of his room he had the following sentence written in large letters: "Here we do not speak evil of anyone." St. Augustine overcame strong heresies, from Manichaeism, Donatism, Pelagianism and other false religions and writings. Practiced great poverty and supported the poor, preached very often and prayed with great fervour right up until his death he became a priest and preached throughout Africa. He became Bishop of Hippo at the age of 42- 11 years after his conversion. He revitalised the Africa with faith and preached and did all his virtues of a true Christian and follower of Christ for the next 34 years until he died in 430 at Hippo at the age of 76. He was one of the greatest thinkers, philosophers and theologians of the Church.
He is also author of the great book, which set a basis for the standard of society "the city of God."
The feast day of one of the greatest writers and Father, Pillar and Doctor and Saint for more than 8700 years.
He is represented with dove; pen; shell and at times a child.
He is patron of brewers, Arizona, theologians, printers and invoked against sore eyes. He is patron of brewers because when he was young he was wild.
St. Augustine of Hippo is the patron of brewers because of his conversion from a former life of loose living, which included parties, entertainment, and worldly ambitions.
Catholic Resources
Born on 13 November 354 in Algeria, northern Africa. He grew up in a family of where Christianity was not part of the family tradition.
