August 31, 2025 - "Saint Alypius"

Alypius was born sometime in the middle of the fourth century in Tagaste, Africa (modern day Souk Ahras, Algeria). The parents of Alypius were influential citizens in Tagaste.  He studied law in Rome, but he first met Augustine when they were at school in Carthage.  Augustine praised him as someone who was honest, sincere, and just.  

 

While Alypius was living in Rome, he held a government position involving the distribution of funds.  He carried out his duties with integrity, not seeking to fill his own pockets with money that belonged to others.  Such upright behavior was very unusual in Rome at this time.  When a Roman Senator tried to involve Alypius in dishonest transactions, Alypius refused to have anything to do with the Senator’s schemes.

 

Like Augustine, Alypius was at one time a Manichean.  The two friends were both converted to Christ and were baptized together by St. Ambrose in 387. Alypius helped Augustine start the first monastery in northern Africa at Tagaste. When Augustine was ordained a priest in Hippo and started a monastery there, Alypius joined that community.

 

Alypius once traveled to the East where he met St. Jerome.  Alypius was ordained Bishop of Tagaste around the year 394.  Augustine had not yet been ordained Bishop at that time. He took part in the African Councils of the Church during his time as Bishop and was chosen along with Possidius (who will be a subject of a future column) and Augustine to represent the Catholic Bishops at the famous meeting with the Donatists in Carthage in 411. (Donatists were followers of Donatus Magnus, a schismatic bishop of Carthage in the mid-fourth century. They believed that the validity of the sacrament depended on the personal virtue of the celebrant.  Many North Africans shared this view at the time of Augustine.) In 416, Alypius took part in the Council of Milevum or Milevi, Numidia (modern day Mila, a city in Algeria). Alypius prepared a written report on this Council for Pope Innocent.

 

Alypius traveled to Italy several times as part of his opposition to the Pelagian heresy. (Pelagianism is a Christian heresy named after Pelagius that denies the doctrine of original sin and asserts that humans can live a sinless life through their own free will and effort, without the need of divine grace.) Alypius often carried Augustine’s writings with him to present them to Pope Boniface.

 

It is believed that he was present during the death of Augustine in 430.  He died shortly after Augustine, probably in 430.

 

Until next week,

Fr. John