St. Augustine was born on November 13, 354 at Tagaste in Africa. In spite of the piety of his holy mother, St. Monica, he fell at an early age into the greatest disorders and even at a later period became a heretic of the sect of the Manichæans. Unfortunately his father, Patricius, was then an idolater, so that he met with little or no restraint on his side. In the beginning of 370 he continued his studies at Carthage and the following year his father died, after being converted to Christianity. Sometime later, St. Augustine took up his abode at Carthage and opened a school of rhetoric. Later he went to Rome and then to Milan, where he also began to teach rhetoric. Here God’s grace, the prayers of his mother who had followed him to Italy, as well as the instructions of saintly friends, particularly of St. Ambrose, effected his conversion. He abandoned the sect of the Manichæans, and after some time gave himself entirely to God. St. Ambrose administered to him the Sacrament of Baptism on Easter eve, 387.
On his return to Africa, he lost his mother at Ostia in the same year, and in 388 he arrived at Carthage. At Tagaste he began to lead a community life with some of his friends. When he was ordained priest in 390 and he had removed to Hippo, several of his brethren followed him there, where he established another community. Five years later he was consecrated Bishop and made coadjutor to Valerius, Bishop of Hippo, whom he succeeded in the following year.
From this period until his death his life was one of ceaseless activity. He governed his church, preached to his people, and wrote voluminous works that have been the admiration of the ages. His humility prompted him to write his “Confessions” about the year 397, and from this work we have a detailed account of his early years. He exerted his zeal against the various errors of his day, and showed himself as intrepid a defender of the Faith as he had been its ignorant enemy. The Manichæans, Priscilianists, Origenists, Donatists and Pelagians all came in for a share of his zeal. Shortly before his death the Vandals, under Genseric invaded Africa, and the saint was witness of the desolation that followed in their tracks. The great St. Augustine died on Aug. 28, 430. Lives of the Saints, pgs. 337-339