Notable convert, brilliant theologian and writer; the principal father of the Western Church

oday we celebrate St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430), the greatest bishop and writer of the Western Church in antiquity. He studied rhetoric (the art of speaking) and philosophy. During his restless youth, he lost his faith, but never stopped passionately seeking the truth. He traveled to Rome and Milan. The prayers and tears of his mother —Saint Monica— and the holiness of the Bishop of Milan —Saint Ambrose— convinced him that the Truth is Jesus Christ. He then accepted to receive baptism. Later, when he returned to Carthage, he was ordained a priest, and a little later, consecrated as bishop of Hippo. Augustine was a man of prayer and deep thought. He wrote many important works, including the Confessions, the biography of his youth and conversion, and The City of God, where he argues that the Roman Empire fell due to its moral decay. He was very dedicated to caring for his "flock." —This is how Augustine prayed: “You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”