St Thomas Aquinas is the patron saint for Catholic schools, universities, and students. He was a holy priest and a doctor of the Church, and one of the greatest ever theologians.
St Thomas was born in Naples, Italy to noble parents. When he was five, his parents put him under the care of the Benedictines of Monte Casino, where he surprised his teachers with how well he progressed academically, and also in the practice of virtue. When he was seventeen, he chose to enter the Dominican order, in spite of the objections of his family. Because of their opposition, St Thomas' family tried very hard to discourage him, even resorting to enlisting the help of an impure woman in order to tempt him. But St Thomas persevered and kept true to his vocation. This is why, among the 33 Doctors of the Church, he is referred to as the "Angelic Doctor." St Thomas studied at Cologne, Germany under the instruction of St Albert, the Great. At 22, he started to teach, and publish his writings. As a priest at 26, he was sent to Paris, and at 31, he was awarded his doctorate. He continued to write and preach - with impressive results. He wrote one of his greatest works, the Summa Theologica - though left unfinished, just before he died in 1274. He was canonized 49 years later by Pope Pius V.
In the traditional calendar, his feastday is celebrated in March 7.
