Alypius of Thagaste
Bishop of Thagaste
Feast: 15 August (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Alypius, the close friend of St Augustine and younger than he, studied under him and became a magistrate in Rome, then gave up that honour to follow Augustine into the Church. After a relapse, when friends dragged him to the savage games of the arena, he was converted with Augustine when they read St Paul at the words 'Tolle, lege'. They were baptised together by St Ambrose.
He became Bishop of Thagaste. His name was placed in the Roman Martyrology by Gregory XIII in 1584, on the evidence of Augustine's account of his life.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.
Why that counted as sanctity
St Augustine's closest friend, converted with him and a faithful bishop.
Connected on this site
- Augustine of Hippo Saint“He was a lifelong friend of Augustine of Hippo and joined him in his conversion (in 386; Confessions 8.12.28) and life in Christianity.” — Wikipedia
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Alypius
- Wikidata Q2840668 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Alypius of Thagaste (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.