A Glimpse into the Life of our Model

 

Thomas Aquinas was born circa 1225 in Roccasecca, Italy. He is one of the great teachers of the medieval Catholic church, honoured with the title of Doctor. In 1239 he was sent to Naples to complete his studies. It was there that he was first attracted to Aristotle's philosophy. He went to Paris and then to Cologne where he completed his studies with Albert the Great. He held two professorships at Paris, lived at the court of Pope Urban IV, and directed the Dominican schools at Rome and Viterbo.

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His greatest contribution is his writings; a prolific writer, he ranked among the most influential thinkers and his authoritative teachings have not diminished with time. His treatises touched upon the questions and struggles of medieval intellectuals and everyday people alike. This is precisely what marked him as unrivalled in his philosophical influence; it also explains why his writings continue to serve as building blocks for contemporary thought.

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Thomas Aquinas is the patron saint of universities, schools and students. We can look to Thomas Aquinas as a towering example of broadness, universality and inclusiveness. We should be determined anew to exercise the divine gift of reason in us, our power to know, learn and understand.