St Augustine parish of the Catholic Diocese of Mzuzu, on 7th September 2025 honored and celebrated the feast day of St Augustine of the Hippo their parish patron.
It was a colorful event where all the 9 churches of the parish gathered to thank God and beseeched the intersession of St Augustine.
Leading the eucharistic celebration for the day the Vicar General of the Catholic Diocese of Mzuzu Father Isaac John Katumbi said if Christians want to follow Jesus Christ, they must deny themselves and carry their cross at their patron saints deed while on earth.
In his homily, the Vicar General encouraged the parish parishioners to emulate the life of St Augustine who at the age of 33 years was converted to Christianity and left everything and followed Jesus Christ.
Augustine was born to a Christian mother, St. Monica, and a pagan father, Patricius. Despite his mother’s devout faith, Augustine grew up influenced more by his father’s paganism, but the turning point came in 386 when Augustine, while in a garden in Milan, heard a child’s voice singing “Tolle, Lege” (“Take up and read”). Interpreting this as a divine command, he picked up a nearby Bible and opened it to Romans 13:13-14, which urged him to abandon his life of sin and put on the Lord Jesus Christ. This moment marked his final conversion to Christianity.
St Augustine parish was established in 1986 from St Peters Parish in Mzuzu and currently it has about 3,600 members following the establishment of St Micheals pro-parish which was part of St Augustine parish.
The Parish Priest for the Parish, Father Albert Chirambo said the life of St Augustine is a source of hope to Christian who have gone against God , citing that no matter how sinful someone maybe but God forgives.
“Our hearts are restless until they rest in God, we cannot find peace in sins, let us follow the will of God and find peace like our patron saint“ Father Chirambo quoted St Augustine sentiments.
St. Augustine’s journey from a life of sin to sainthood is a testament to the transformative power of God’s grace. His intellectual brilliance and spiritual depth continue to inspire Christians across the world, making him one of the most influential figures in the history of the Church.
One of the Parishioners, Judith Tembo from St Faustina Outstation said the history of their patron has taught her conversion is possible despite the past sins and age.
St. Augustine died on August 28, 430, during the siege of Hippo by the Vandals. His feast day is celebrated on August 28, and he is the patron saint of theologians, brewers, and those seeking conversion.