Saint Thomas Aquinas

"Philosophy is the handmaiden of the Sacred Science (Theology)"

- St. Thomas Aquinas

Thomas was the son of the Count of Aquino, born in the family castle in Lombardy near Naples. Educated by Benedictine monks at Monte Cassino and at the University of Naples, he secretly joined the Dominican friars in 1244. His family kidnapped and imprisoned him for a year to discourage his vocation. This failed. Thomas rejoined his order in 1245.

He studied in Paris from 1245 to 1248 under Saint Albert the Great, and accompanied Albertus to Cologne. Ordained in 1250, he returned to Paris to teach theology. Thomas wrote commentaries on Aristotle and Lombard’s Sentences and some bible-related works. After receiving his doctorate he was recalled to Naples in 1272. There, Thomas was appointed regent of studies while working on the Summa Theologica.

On December 6, 1273, Thomas experienced a Divine revelation. He abandoned the Summa, shortly thereafter, saying it was mere straw compared to the Divine glory he had witnessed. He died four months later.

His works have been seminal to the thinking of the Church.