The Student’s Patron
“Wonder is the desire for knowledge.”
As Thomasians, and even as students or academics, we may have heard about the namesake of this old university, St. Thomas Aquinas. As the patron saint of students, academics, and universities, many Catholic faithful have called upon him for intercession and prayers — whether it be for exams, academic endeavors, or even just to pray for surviving the daily life of a student. How did the Angelic Doctor even become the patron saint of students and academics?
Born in Roccasecca in what is now Italy in 1225, he lived a life as a minor son of nobility. He first studied as a child in Monte Cassino, but then transferred to Naples due to a spillover of military conflict. As he grew older, he took interest in the Dominicans, much to the consternation of his parents. After much difficulties in trying to reach Paris for further studies, he finally got to learn there for three fruitful years. There, he met his also famous mentor, St. Albertus Magnus. With him, St. Thomas Aquinas was further engrossed in the teachings of the classic philosophers, particularly Aristotle, to which he was exposed to even years ago during his youth. Afterwards, when his mentor was transferred to Cologne, he followed him there. Thereon, our patron saint traveled, taught, learned, and wrote for the rest of his life. His peers used to think he was as slow as an ox due to his silence, but his mentor famously remarked, “We call this man a dumb ox, but his bellowing in doctrine will one day resound throughout the world.” Indeed, his works have had a profound effect not just in his era, but the entirety of Christendom, as well as having influence in the academe even up to this day. He did something so significant for his era in that he rationalized and melded the principles and philosophies from centuries ago with contemporary Christian thought. This was significant as there was not much use for the older philosophies back then as it was not heard of nor was the idea of entertaining beliefs by pagans appealing. This did not just have an effect on theology, but his body of thought, Thomism, had influenced Western philosophy so deeply even to how we approach modern sciences.
As a person whose life was dedicated to knowledge itself for the sake of knowing God, there was no better saint to call the patron of students, academics, and universities. St. Thomas Aquinas believed that knowing the Creator would be the cause of all things, leading to knowing His creations. He contrasted it to an artificer knowing what his art does. To end, this is a prayer from our patron saint:
Grant me, O Lord my God,
a mind to know you,
a heart to seek you,
wisdom to find you,
conduct pleasing to you,
faithful perseverance in waiting for you,
and a hope of finally embracing you.
Amen.
