ST.

THOMAS AQUINAS:
THE ANGELIC DOCTOR
Joe Palaski
The Life of St. Thomas
Aquinas
Lived 1225 1274 AD
Born in the castle of Roccasecca in the Kingdom of Sicily
When Thomas was a child, his little sister was killed one
night by a bolt of lightning
This experience caused Thomas to be extremely nervous
during thunderstorms, and while a storm raged he often
took refuge in a church.
As the youngest son in his family, he was expected to enter
a monastery
At the age of five, his parents sent him to study in a nearby
Benedictine monastery called Monte Cassino
The Life of St. Thomas
Aquinas
He was influenced to join the Dominican order, but his
family did not approve of this decision (mendicant)
As a result, two of his brothers captured him and he
was held captive by his family for a year
During this time, his brothers hired a prostitute to
tempt him but he drove her out with a fire iron
He eventually escaped his captivity and continued his
education all over Italy (Naples, Cologne, Rome) and in
Paris, France
Contributions to the Church
During his life, he wrote countless numbers of
religious writings
Wrote about numerous religious topics
The Mass, the Eucharist, Church ethics, etc.
Most famous for Summa Theoligica
Started in 1265 but was left unfinished
I believe he became a saint for all of his writings and
their impact on the Church
St. Thomas Aquinas and the
Eucharist
St. Thomas Aquinas advocated for Eucharistic
devotion
He explained transubstantiation
In 1264, a new feast of Corpus Christi was added
to the Church calendar
He wrote the liturgy for this Mass
Wrote the Tantum Ergo
Applications to Today
Patron saint of:
Schools
Colleges
Students
We can be more like St. Thomas Aquinas by
looking for the deeper meaning of Bible passages
and other teachings of the Church