St. Albert the Great
Dominican Bishop, Scientist, and Doctor of the Church
Feast Day: November 15
Biography
St. Albert the Great (c. 1200–1280) was born in Lauingen, in Swabia, in present-day Germany, to a family of knights. While studying at Padua he joined the young Order of Preachers around 1223. He taught in several Dominican houses in Germany and then at the University of Paris, where he became a master of theology. Among his students was St. Thomas Aquinas, whose genius Albert recognized, and in 1248 he took Thomas with him to Cologne to help found a new house of studies. Albert wrote on an astonishing range of subjects: Scripture, theology, and philosophy, but also botany, zoology, astronomy, chemistry, and geography, observing nature carefully and showing that faith and reason are not in conflict. He did much to make the thought of Aristotle available to Christian scholars. He served as Dominican provincial of Germany and, from 1260 to 1262, as bishop of Regensburg, resigning to return to teaching and preaching. He attended the Second Council of Lyon in 1274, and after Thomas's death he defended his student's teaching. He died in Cologne on November 15, 1280. He was beatified in 1622. Pope Pius XI canonized him and declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1931, and in 1941 Pope Pius XII named him patron of those who study the natural sciences.
Patronages
Symbols
Prayer
St. Albert the Great, you studied the wonders of creation and saw in them the wisdom of the Creator. Pray for scientists, teachers, and students, that their search for truth may lead them to God. Help me to use my mind in service of the faith and to encourage others in their gifts, as you encouraged St. Thomas. Amen.
Asking for Intercession
Catholics ask saints to pray with us and for us, as we ask friends on earth. St. Albert the Great, who lives in God's presence, intercedes before His throne. Speak from your heart: “St. Albert the Great, please pray for me…” You may also pray the prayer above or include this intention in your Rosary.