Meet a few of our Milestones
St. Thomas Aquinas: The Smart Guy
- One of the greatest theologians in the Church, he is known as the Angelic Doctor.
- Of noble descent, he chose to become a Dominican rather than a Benedictine Abbot, against his family’s wishes.
- His family abducted him in an attempt to make him change his mind, but failed.
- He stopped writing and wanted to burn his works after receiving a vision while celebrating Mass, for they seemed to him like straw compared with what he had see.
St. Catherine of Siena: A very active mystic
- Known as the Seraphic Virgin, her love for the poor matched that of St. Francis of Assisi, the Seraphic Saint.
- This mystic of the Mystical Body of Christ was declared one of the 33 doctors of the Church in 1970.
- At six, she had her first ecstasy. Often seen rapt in prayer, she yearned to receive the Dominican habit.
- She pleaded for the Pope’s return to Rome.
- One with Christ, she received the stigmata, experienced an exchanged of hearts, receiving Christ’s, and lived for days on the Eucharist alone.
St. Albert the Great: The Genius
- He wrote on botany, mineralogy, astronomy, physics, chemistry, cosmography and, of course, philosophy and theology, in 38 volumes. He is thus known as the Universal Doctor and the Patron of Scientists.
- He was a professor and defender of St. Thomas
- He was so devoted to Our Lady that a biographer called him “the secretary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
- He became Bishop of Ratisbon.
Meister Eckhart: The Spiritual Master
- A mystic
- Some of his pearls of wisdom:
- “All that God asks you most pressingly is to go out of your self and let God be God in you”
- “We should not think that holiness is based on what we do but rather on what we are; for it is not our works which sanctify us, but we who sanctify our works.”
St. Martin de Porres: Dominican simplicity
- Accepted as a servant, he gave himself to the lowliest duties in the Dominican house before becoming a cooperator brother.
- He befriended a doctor who taught him the art of healing and became a famous healer.
- He passed through locked doors, appeared at the bedside of sufferers, soothed the sick and healed many.
- Endowed with the gift of bi-location, he was seen in places like Mexico, and even Japan, but never left Lima.
Fr. Bartolomeo de las Casas: The Fighter
- Like most, he used the forced labour of the Indies to prosper as a planter.
- Later he saw the mistreatment of Indians and denounced their exploitation in his “Short Account of the Destruction of the Americas”.
- He pleaded the cause of the natives to the Spanish King.
- He became a bishop and kept fighting for the defence of the natives.
Fra Angelico: The Painter Saint
- He is the Patron Saint of Artists.
- He preached with the brush and expressed the truth through art.
- His motto was, “To paint Christ, one must live Christ.”
- The Annunciation was his favourite subject, and he painted dozens of them.
St. Rose of Lima
- Rose was the first to be canonized (in 1671 by Pope Clement) in the Americas
- Patron of the Americas and the Philippines
- She took a vow of perpetual virginity and emulated St. Catherine of Siena. When she was 20, she received the habit of Saint Dominic as a Tertiary
- She was adept at needlework and gardening to earn her keep and was active in social work
- She practised severe penances in expiation for offences against God, the idolatry of her country, the conversion of sinners and for the souls in Purgatory
- The Lord revealed Himself to her often and when Rose died, many miracles were attributed to her intercession.
St. Francisco de Capillas: The First Martyr of China
- While still a deacon, he volunteered for the Philippines missions and was later sent to Fujian.
- He was captured and imprisoned by the Tartars and so impressed his captors with his courage that they became curious about his teachings.
- While in prison, he converted his jailer and fellow prisoners.
- He was tortured for days and beheaded in 1640.
Fr. Yves Congar: A theologian
- One of the leading theologians of Vatican II
- He was an expert on the Church and ecumenism
- He was created a Cardinal by John Paul II in 1994
