St. Thomas Aquinas
1225-1274
📅 Feast Day: Jan 28
📖 Life Timeline
1225
Born at Roccasecca, Italy
1243
Enters Dominicans; imprisoned by family
1256
Teaches at University of Paris
1265-1274
Writes Summa Theologica
1273
Mystical experience; stops writing
1274
Dies en route to Council of Lyon
✝ Biography
Born c.1225 at Roccasecca, near Aquino, Naples, to the noble Family of Aquino. Despite his family's wishes for him to become abbot of Montecassino, he joined the Dominicans at age 18 (1244). His brothers imprisoned him for a year to dissuade him, but he escaped to the Dominicans. Studied under St Albert the Great at Paris and Cologne, where Albert recognized his genius, calling him 'the Thunder of the Church' and prophesied: 'This boy will thunder forth such doctrines that his name will be known throughout the world.' Taught at Paris, Orvieto, Viterbo, and Rome. Wrote the 'Summa Theologica'—the greatest work of Catholic theology—systematizing all Christian doctrine using Aristotelian philosophy. Also wrote 'Summa Contra Gentiles,' commentaries on Aristotle and Scripture, and treatises on prayer, justice, and government. Defended the Eucharist and wrote the 'Pange Lingua' and 'Tantum Ergo' hymns for Corpus Christi. Died March 7, 1274 at Fossanova Abbey while en route to the Council of Lyon. Canonized in 1323. Doctor of the Church, the Angelic Doctor. Patron of Catholic schools and universities.
🛡 Patronage
Patron of: Catholic schools, universities, students, theologians, and philosophers. Prince of Scholastics.
💬 Words of the Saint
The whole of divine and human learning consists of the theoretical and the practical.
📜 Key Facts
Born
January 28, 1225, Roccasecca
Died
March 7, 1274, Fossanova
Feast Day
Jan 28
Canonized
1323 by Pope John XXII
🕊 Legacy
The 'Summa Theologica' is the foundation of Catholic intellectual tradition. His Five Ways remain central to natural theology. Every Catholic seminary teaches his works.
📜 Personal Writings
Read excerpts from the saint's own words — their personal letters, spiritual writings, and teachings.
📖 Summa Theologica
On the Existence of God
God is the first cause of all things, and therefore must exist necessarily. For that which is possible to be and not to be, comes to pass and ceases to be; but nothing of this sort can be the first principle of anything, since that which is possible not to be at some time is not.
— St. Thomas Aquinas
📖 Summa Theologica
On the Beatific Vision
It is possible for man to be happy in this life, but not perfectly. For perfect happiness must consist in the attainment of the ultimate end; but the ultimate end of man is to know God. Now it is not possible for man to know God perfectly in this life.
— St. Thomas Aquinas
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