Alypius of Thagaste

Infobox Saint
name=Saint Alypius of Thagaste
birth_date=4th Century
death_date=5th Century
feast_day=August 15
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church


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canonized_date=1584
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canonized_by=Pope Gregory XIII
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Saint Alypius of Thagaste was an early bishop of the Catholic Church, having been made Bishop of Tagaste (modern day 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 a 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. Although he is now revered as a Saint, no record of him as a Saint appears until he was added into the Roman Martyrology by Pope Gregory XIII in 1584. His feast day is August 15.

See also

*St. Alypius the Stylite

External links

* [http://www.osa-west.org/saintsalypiusandpossidius.html Information on Saints Alypius and Possidius]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01374c.htm Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Saint Alypius]
* [http://www.midwestaugustinians.org/saints/s_alypiuspossidius.html Life of St. Alypius and St. Possidius (Augustinians of the Midwest)]