Saint Optatus of Milevis
Saint Optatus of Milevis (born c. 320 AD in North Africa; died c. 385 AD in Milevis, Numidia (modern Algeria)) was a North African bishop and theological writer who produced the first major Catholic refutation of Donatism — the theological controversy that divided North African Christianity for over a century. His work Against the Donatists (De Schismate Donatistarum) preceded and influenced Saint Augustine of Hippo in his own anti-Donatist writings. His feast day is June 4.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Optatus of Milevis
| Saint Optatus of Milevis | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | June 04 |
| Profession | Bishop of Milevis; theologian; Church Father; anti-Donatist writer |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; North African Church; Diocese of Milevis; patristic theology; anti-Donatist tradition; predecessor and source for Augustine |
| Patronage | Theologians; bishops; those who defend the unity of the Church; North African Christianity |
| Attributes | Bishop's vestments; book or scroll (his theological treatise); North African landscape; Milevis setting |
| Birthplace | North Africa (traditional) |
| Death Place | Milevis, Numidia (modern Mila, Algeria) |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; he died c. 385 AD in Milevis; the date and manner of his death are not specifically recorded; he had devoted his episcopacy to theological controversy against the Donatist schism and died in the peace of the Church |
| Primary Shrine | No known surviving shrine; ancient cult in North Africa; venerated in the Roman Martyrology; feast June 4 |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Rite); June 4 |
| Historic Class | Not in universal 1962 calendar; observed in the Carthaginian/African tradition |
Biography
Optatus was born c. 320 AD in North Africa and became Bishop of Milevis (modern Mila, Algeria) in Numidia. His episcopate coincided with the height of the Donatist controversy — a schism that had divided North African Christianity since 311 AD over whether bishops who had surrendered the Scriptures during persecution could validly administer sacraments.
Around 365 AD he wrote De Schismate Donatistarum ("On the Donatist Schism") in six books, directed against Parmenian, the Donatist bishop of Carthage. He added a seventh book in a revised edition c. 385 AD. The work was the first comprehensive Catholic refutation of Donatism.
He included an appendix of original documents — imperial rescripts and conciliar minutes — that remains a valuable primary source for historians.
Saint Augustine of Hippo explicitly praised Optatus's work and built on it extensively in his own anti-Donatist writings. Augustine called him "Optatus of blessed memory."
Optatus died c. 385 AD at Milevis.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: North Africa (traditional)
Death location: Milevis, Numidia (modern Mila, Algeria)
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Feast day
June 4
Veneration
Saint Optatus of Milevis is a 4th-century North African bishop and Church Father who wrote the first major Catholic refutation of Donatism. His work influenced Saint Augustine of Hippo and is a primary source for the history of the Donatist controversy. His feast is June 4.
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