Feast Day: 28th January

Patron Saint: universities, publishers and scholars

Quote: “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”

St Thomas Aquinas was an Italian, Roman Catholic priest, philosopher and theologian.He was also canonised as the patron saint of universities and scholars in 1323 and named ‘doctor of the church' in 1567. He’s often referred to as an ‘Angelic’ doctor, not only because he contributed lots of time and thought to our understanding of the holy angels, but also because of his own personal purity and holiness.

St. Thomas was born sometime between 1224 and 1226 in Roccasecca, Italy, near Naples. Thomas’ family was fairly well-to-do, owning a castle that had been in the Aquino family for over a century. One of nine children, Thomas was the youngest of four boys, and, given the customs of the time, his parents considered him destined for a religious vocation.

In his early years, from approximately 5 to 15 years of age, Thomas lived and served at the nearby Benedictine abbey of Monte Cassino. It is here that Thomas received his early education. 

Educated in Naples and Paris, Aquinas studied under people such as Albert the Great, and was influenced considerably by Aristotle and Averroes, when it came to exploring his own ideologies of philosophy and writing many books. After teaching in Paris for three years, the Dominicans moved Thomas back to Italy, where he taught in Naples (from 1259-1261), Orvietto (1261-1265), and Rome (1265-1268).The biography of Aquinas says he did a small bit of modest travel, but was dedicated to education and expanding his knowledge in his specific specialties.

Early in 1274,St Thomas was due to attend the Second Council of Lyons and, though far from well, he undertook the journey. On the way he stopped at the castle of a niece and there became seriously ill. He wished to end his days in a monastery and not being able to reach a house of the Dominicans he was taken to the Cistercians. He died at the monastery of Fossanova, one mile from Sonnino, on March 7, 1274.

Aquinas had made a remarkable impression on all who knew him. 

In 1319, the Roman Catholic Church began investigations towards canonization; on July 18, 1323, he was pronounced a saint by Pope John XXII

There are a number of symbols associated with St Thomas. These include a sun or a star, an ox, or a dove speaking into his ear. The dove speaking in his ear particularly represents the divine guidance he received while writing. He devoted his life to university, teaching,writing and learning and influenced Roman Catholic doctrine with his philosophies.

Written by Amelia Lloyd