In Africa, it was the salutation used by the Catholics to distinguish themselves from the Donatists who said: Deo laudes (St. Augustine, In Ps.
Therefore, in Africa Deo Gratias occurs as a Catholic name, e.g. St.
Deogratias sold all the gold, silver, vessels, works of art, vestments and ornaments of the church to buy the slaves back from the vandals and filled two of the largest churches in the city, the Basilica Fausti and the Basilica Novarum, with bedding to provide accommodation and also started a mess to provide daily food to them.
[citation needed] After him the seat was empty for many years until Saint Eugenius of Carthage because the Vandals did not allow another bishop for 23 years.
[6][7][8] He was buried secretly to avoid chaos as people had gathered in numbers at his funeral to get a relic of the saint.