Our Saint

The patron of the Church of Saint Thomas Aquinas is known as The Angelic Doctor but was born in 1225 as Thomas of Aquino at Castle of Roccasecca located 60 miles southeast of Rome. He is considered by many Catholics to be the Church's greatest theologian and the father of a school of philosophy that was the approach of the Catholic Church for many years.

A Brief History

His uncle was abbot of the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino. It would have been expected of him—as the younger son of nobility in the 13th century—to follow his uncle into the monastery. So at the age of five, Aquinas began his education at the monastery. He excelled in his studies and was sent to the University of Naples at the age of ten. While there Aquinas came under the influence of the Dominicans, an order following a life style of few material possessions. Aquinas's change did not please his family. While traveling to Rome, his brothers seized him and took him to his parents where he was held captive two years. He held firm to his new convictions and not until Pope Innocent IV intervened, did his family give up.