St. Augustine died in the year 430 in Hippo Regius, in what is now Algeria. Yet his remains rest today in Pavia, in northern Italy, more than 600 hundred miles from the northern coasts of Africa. But how did they get there?
At some point between the 6th and 8th centuries, amid Vandal and Islamic invasions across North Africa, the relics of St. Augustine were taken to Sardinia to prevent them from being stolen. But they would not remain there for long.
FR. ENRIQUE MARTÍN
Augustinian Friar
There in Sardinia, these remains stayed for some years, until King Liutprand, who was King of the Lombards, decided around 722 to 725 to purchase the relics. Why did he buy them? There were several reasons. One was that the Arabs, the Saracens, were reaching Sardinia. Another important reason was that, in antiquity, for a city to be considered important, it needed to possess the relics of a major saint.
The bishop of Pavia of that period, who was also the nephew of the king, persuaded Liutprand to house the relics in the Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro, in Pavia. On June 20, it is this same church that Pope Leo XIV will visit for one of the most symbolic moments of his papacy.
FR. ENRIQUE MARTÍN
Augustinian Friar
Pope Leo XIV’s connection with Saint Augustine will be reflected in that encounter, because in the end it is a meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Saint Augustine, the remains of Saint Augustine. I think it will be a very beautiful meeting, one of prayer and also of experiencing how a son of Saint Augustine, in some way, draws support from the spirituality and example of such a great saint as Augustine.
The visit will only last a few hours. While there, the pope will meet with the sick, venerate the relics of Saint Augustine, greet the faithful of Pavia, and make a final stop in Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, where the heart of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini—also known as Mother Cabrini—is enshrined. He will also venerate her heart before making the return journey to Rome.
