St . Augustine of Hippo

 

St. Augustine of Hippo: Biography and Selected Online Writings Early Church Father and Doctor of the Church   (scroll down for a list of online writings) Life: St. Augustine, born in Roman N. Africa to a devout Catholic mother and a pagan father, was a notoriously rebellious Catholic teenager who cohabitated with a girlfriend, joined an exotic Eastern cult, and ran away from his mother.    Augustine became a brilliant and renowned teacher of public speaking and was appointed by the emperor to teach in Milan, Italy, at that time the administrative capital of the Western Roman empire.  While there, he happened to hear the preaching of the bishop of Milan, Ambrose, who baptized him in 386.    St. Augustine ultimately renounced his secular career, put away his mistriss, and became first a monk, then a priest, then the bishop of Hippo, a small town on the N. African Coast.  The voluminous writings of this Early Church Father span every conceivable topic in theology, morality, philosophy, and spirituality.  St. Augustine of Hippo is commonly recognized as the great teacher in the Western Church between the New Testament and St. Thomas Aquinas.     The Fathers of the Church - Who They Are and Why They Matter In a single, upbeat talk, full of examples and fascinating stories about St. Augustine, St. Ambrose and other intriguing personalities, Marcellino D'Ambrosio explains who people are talking about when they refer to the "Fathers of the Church" or "Early Church Fathers.  Though the ranks of the fathers include a tremendous variety of cultures, locales, and personalities, there is surprising consensus that emerges from them on a variety of the most pressing questions of our day.  In this dynamic talk, available on CD or audiocassette, Marcellino makes clear just how much these figures have to teach us. For more Catholic resources to feed your faith, visit the Crossroads Initiative Homepage.     To sign up for our free weekly e-mail with Dr. D'Ambrosio's commentary on the Sunday readings, liturgical feasts, updates on where Dr. D will be speaking, a chance to WIN a FREE CD and MORE, CLICK HERE!