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Possidius of Calama
bischop of Calama and friend of Augustine
SaintResearchedPre-congregation
Feast: 16 May (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Born
370
Died
437
Beatified
—
not needed: before formal processes
Canonised
By tradition
recognised before formal processes began
Who they were
Possidius, a monk of St Augustine's community, was his friend for forty years and wrote his life and a list of his works. About 397 he became Bishop of Calama, where he founded a monastery.
A Donatist cleric tried to murder him, yet he interceded for the guilty bishop. He was driven from his see by the Arian Vandal king Genseric, and was alive in exile in 437.
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 friend and biographer.
Connected on this site
- Augustine of Hippo Saint“Possidius (5th century) was a friend of Augustine of Hippo who wrote a biography and an indiculus or list of his works.” — Wikipedia
Sources
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Possidius
- Wikidata Q718003 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Possidius (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.