Thomas of Villanova
Thomas von Villanova OSA (* 1488 in Villanueva de los Infantes , Province of Ciudad Real , † September 8, 1555 in Valencia ) was a Spanish monk of the Augustinian order , archbishop and saint . His feast days are September 8th (the day of his death) and October 10th in Spain and in the order of the Augustinian Hermits.
Life
Thomas von Villanova was born as Tomás García y Martínez . He was the son of Aloazo Tomas Garcia and Lucia Martínez Castellanos, from which his original name is derived. The father was a miller who was especially committed to the poor and gave them alms and meals, and on feast days also wood and wine; he lent money and seeds to poor farmers . After the father's death, the mother continued this tradition and provided needy girls in the neighborhood with clothes and money.
The example of his parents shaped his ethical development; at the age of 16 he began studying humanities and theology at the University of Alcalá de Henares . After completing his studies, he worked as a professor of logic and philosophy from 1512 before he decided in 1516 to enter the order of the Augustinian hermits in Salamanca .
In 1518 Thomas von Villanova was ordained a priest and a year later became prior of his monastery. He quickly became known for his sermons in the Church of Salamanca. With his sermon on the love of God he caught the attention of Charles V , who offered him the office of Archbishop of Granada , which Thomas von Villanova did not accept.
In the years between 1527 and 1529 and from 1534 to 1537 he was a religious provincial and promoted missionary work in Mexico. In 1544 he was nominated Archbishop of Valencia and wanted to decline again until his superior ordered him to accept. His biting attacks on his fellow bishops earned him a reputation for being a reformer. In some of his sermons he attacked the cruelty of bullfighting . He also had a great devotion to the Virgin Mary , whose heart he compared to the burning bush of Moses , which is never consumed. He lived very modestly as archbishop and his charitable efforts were tireless, especially for orphans, poor women without dowries, and the sick. With his expressive sermons and extraordinary charity, he worked in accordance with the resolutions of the Council of Trent , which earned him the nicknames "Apostle of Spain" and "Almsgiver".
Thomas von Villanova fell ill in 1551 and died of angina pectoris four years later at the age of 67 . He was buried in the Cathedral of Valencia .
Canonization and representation
The canonization of Thomas von Villanova took place on November 1, 1658 by Pope Alexander VII. He is usually depicted in monk or bishop robes as a healer or as a distributor of alms.
Fonts
Thomas von Villanova is the author of various writings that were published in 1881 in six volumes as " Opera omnia " in Manila . This includes the " self-talk between God and the soul ". Francisco de Quevedo wrote in 1620 the biography of the Archbishop under the title “ Epitome a la historia de la vida exemplar y gloriosa muerte del bienaventurado F. Thomas de Villanueva ”.
Patron saint
Thomas von Villanova is the namesake and patron saint of Villanova University , the Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva in Havana , St. Thomas University and Villanova College , a Catholic school for boys in Brisbane . Some churches in the Philippines (for example, the for. UNESCO - World Heritage Site belonging to Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva in the municipality Miagao ) are him ordained . Above all, however, the Collegiata di San Tommaso di Villanova in Castel Gandolfo , the parish church of the city, is dedicated to him, the construction of which began immediately after the canonization of Gianlorenzo Bernini and was completed in 1661 by order of Alexander VII .
Web links
- Thomas von Villanova from the Midwest Augustiner website, accessed on December 17, 2014
- Thomas von Villanova from the University of Villanova website. Retrieved December 17, 2014
Individual evidence
- ↑ Thomas von Villanova in the Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints, accessed on December 17, 2014
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Thomas of Villanova |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Tomás García y Martínez |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Monk and archbishop |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1488 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Villanueva de los Infantes , Province of Ciudad Real |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 8, 1555 |
| Place of death | Valencia |