About Today

November 15

Saint Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor

Optional Memorial

Optional Memorial, 1969 Calendar, celebration November 15.
Double, 1955 Calendar, celebration November 15.

The Church celebrates St. Albertus Magnus today, better known as St. Albert the Great, theologian, scientist and philosopher. He was born in Germany, 1193/1206 and studied at the University of Padua in a city famous for its culture of the liberal arts.

St. Albert joined Dominican Order in 1223 after he heard Blessed Jordan of Saxony preaching. After the completion of his studies, he taught theology at Regensburg, Freiburg, Strasbourg and Hildesheim and was lecturer at Cologne. In this period, St. Thomas Aquinas became his student. St. Albert saw the greatness to be in young Thomas Aquinas.

In 1245, St. Albert received his doctorate in Paris and returning to the new Studium Generale of Cologne, he was appointed Regent and Thomas second professor and Master of Students. A few years later St. Albert became Provincial of the Dominican Order in Germany and completed his duties with great efficiency. He preached on the Gospel of St. John and defended the Dominican Order against the attacks of William of St. Amour.

Pope Alexander IV made Albert bishop in 1260 but he resigned after three years to return to the Studium Generale at Cologne. He wrote a memoir to help St. Thomas Aquinas in combating Siger of Brabant and his teachings.

In 1274, St. Thomas Aquinas died and this was a heavy blow to Albert. He later said that with St. Thomas gone “The Light of the Church” was gone.

Around the year 1278, Albert’s health was deteriorating and he died on November 15, 1280, in Cologne, Germany. His relics are at the Cologne Cathedral.

He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church and canonized in 1931 by Pope Pius XI.

St Albert the Great truly deserved the surname Doctor Universalis for he was proficient in every branch of learning cultivated in his day. His knowledge of physical science was considerable and remarkably accurate. His writings collected in 1899 went to thirty-eight volumes.

St Albert the Great is, naturally, the patron saint of scientists.

Quotations:

“It is by the path of love, which is charity, that God draws near to man, and man to God. But where charity is not found, God cannot dwell. If, then, we possess charity, we possess God, for “God is Charity” (1 John 4:8)

“My soul, if you wish to be intimate with Mary, let yourself be carried between her arms and nourished with her blood . . . . Let this ineffable, chaste thought accompany you to the Banquet of God and you will find in the Blood of the Son the nourishment of the Mother” (St Albert the Great)

Prayer:

O God, Who didst make blessed Albert, Thy Bishop and Doctor, great by his bringing human wisdom into captivity to divine faith: grant us, we beseech Thee, so to follow the guidance of his teaching that we may enjoy perfect light in heaven. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal
Image source: “Albertus Magnus” Painting by Joos van Gent (public domain).