St. Thomas Aquinas

St. Thomas Aquinas was born into a family of the Lord of Aquino, who sent him to study at the prestigious abbey of Monte Cassino, which belonged to Benedictines. But Thomas soon left the abbey and joined in the newly established Domonician University of Naples. His father, indignant at such behaviour, asked him back home, but a year later he gave in and allowed Thomas to enter Order's Napoletan abbey. In 1245 the Dominicans sent Thomas to the abbey St. James in Paris. His master there was Albert of Swabia, known as Albert the Great, famous theologian of his time. Thomas studied from him theology and philosophy. In 1256-1260 he occupied the professorial position in Paris university, then between 1265 and 1267 was professor of theology in Rome. Thomas ended his life in the Cistercian abbey of Fossa Nuova, Pope Urban V had his remains removed to Toulouse in 1369. Thomas was canonized in 1323 and made Doctor of Church in 1567. His love for wisdom and chastity made him one of the favourite characters of artists.

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