St Thomas Aquinas.
1225-1274 ~ Thomas was born into a wealthy Italian family in Rocca Secca near Aquino in Italy. His father, the Count of Aquino was related to the emperor. At five years old, Thomas was sent to a Benedictine monastery in Monte Cassino to be educated. When he finished his schooling, he attended the university at Naples for the next five years. It was at university that he met some members of the Dominicans. He was very impressed and decided to join their order, but his family were strongly against it. They tried to dissuade him, but he was adamant. His brothers went as far as kidnapping him, keeping him locked up in the family’s chateau for over a year. This did not change his mind and he joined the order as soon as he was released. He did further religious studying in Paris and Italy and then spent his time between teaching, writing and more studying. He produced some of the best theological works of all time, which have been translated into many languages. He worked so hard and enthusiastically until he was in the state of exhaustion and had a stroke at the age of fifty and died soon after. He is the patron saint of students and booksellers, philosophers and theologians.