St. Anselm of Canterbury
1033-1109
📅 Feast Day: Apr 21
📖 Life Timeline
1033
Born in September 1033 AD, Normandy
1060
red the Benedictine monastery at Bec, Normandy in 1060 under Abbot Herluin
1109
Died — April 21, 1109 AD, Canterbury, England
1093
Canonized — 1093 by Pope Urban II
✝ Biography
Born c.1033-1034 at Aosta in the Alps to a noble Italian family. Entered the Benedictine monastery at Bec, Normandy in 1060 under Abbot Herluin. Became a teacher and then abbot of Bec in 1078. His students included Lanfranc and Thomas Becket. Known as the last of the Fathers and first of the Scholastics. Wrote 'Proslogion' containing the Ontological Argument for God's existence: 'That than which nothing greater can be conceived.' Also wrote 'Monologion,' 'Cur Deus Homo' (Why God Became Man), and 'De Grammatica.' Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1093 by William II. Conflicted with the king over church rights and exiled twice. Died Apr 21, 1109 at Christ Church, Canterbury. Canonized in 1400. Doctor of the Church (1720). Known as the 'Magnus Doctor' and 'Last of the Fathers.'
🛡 Patronage
Patron of: Philosophers, theologians, scholars, and those studying logic. Doctor of the Church.
💬 Words of the Saint
Lord, I do not wish to understand in order to believe; I believe in order to understand.
📜 Key Facts
Born
1033, Aosta, Alps
Died
April 21, 1109 AD, Canterbury, England
Feast Day
Apr 21
Canonized
1093 by Pope Urban II
🕊 Legacy
Anselm's ontological argument is the most debated proof for God in philosophy. His 'Monologion' and 'Proslogion' shaped medieval theology. He bridged the patristic and scholastic eras.
📜 Personal Writings
Read excerpts from the saint's own words — their personal letters, spiritual writings, and teachings.
📖 Proslogion
On the Existence of God
O Lord, that which we believe, that which we seek, that which we desire to learn, is Thyself; and he who truly loves Thee loves this very saying. For it is not as though we sought from Thee some temporal good, by which, when it has been obtained, we should be made happy.
— St. Anselm of Canterbury
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