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Optatus
4th century Christian theologian and priest
SaintResearchedAncient RomePre-congregation
Feast: 4 June (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
400
Died
397
Beatified
—
not needed: before formal processes
Canonised
By tradition
recognised before formal processes began
Who they were
Optatus, Bishop of Milevis in Numidia in the fourth century, was probably a pagan rhetorician before his conversion; St Augustine names him among the great converts.
He wrote a work in defence of the Church against the Donatists, including a list of the popes.
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
A convert bishop who defended the unity of the Church.
Sources
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Optatus
- Wikidata Q261992 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Optatus (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.