Lana Oconnell
There are several saints who are considered patron saints of students and universities. St. Thomas Aquinas is one of the most well-known patron saints of students, and is also the patron saint of universities. St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Gemma Galgani, St. Benedict, St. John Bosco, St. Joseph of Cupertino, St. Gregory, and St. Albert the Great are also considered patron saints of students. St. Expeditus is the patron saint of procrastinators and St. Vitus is the patron saint for students who tend to oversleep.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Patron Saint of Students and Universities | St. Thomas Aquinas |
| Patron Saint of Friendship | St. John the Apostle |
| Patron Saint of Friendship and Young Students | St. Aloysius Gonzaga |
| Patron Saint of Friendship, Young Students and Technology | St. Isidore of Seville |
| Patron Saint of Friendship, Young Students and Science Students | St. Albert the Great |
| Patron Saint of Friendship, Young Students and Writing Students | St. Frances de Sales |
| Patron Saint of Friendship, Young Students and Test Takers | St. Joseph of Cupertino |
| Patron Saint of Friendship, Young Students and Healthy Computer Usage | Blessed Carlo Acutis |
| Patron Saint of Friendship, Young Students and Hard Work | St. Gemma Galgani |
| Patron Saint of Friendship, Young Students and Homesickness | St. Thérèse of Lisieux |
| Patron Saint of Friendship, Young Students and Learning Disabilities | St. John Bosco |
| Patron Saint of Friendship, Young Students and Philosophers | St. Catherine of Alexandria |
| Patron Saint of Friendship, Young Students and Procrastinators | St. Expeditus |
| Patron Saint of Friendship, Young Students and the Hopeless | St. Jude |
| Patron Saint of Friendship, Young Students and Oversleeping | St. Vitus |
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What You'll Learn
St. Thomas Aquinas
Aquinas began his education at the Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino before studying at Naples University. He then spent three years in Paris, studying philosophy, before being sent to Cologne in 1248 to study under Albert the Great, a leading figure in melding Christian theology with Greek and Arabic philosophy. Aquinas flourished under Albert's influence, and in 1252, Albert nominated him to pursue an advanced degree in theology at the University of Paris, despite Aquinas being two years younger than the minimum age. Aquinas went on to teach theology at the University of Paris, alongside his friend Bonaventure of Bagnoregio.
In 1259, Aquinas completed his first regency at the studium generale in Paris and returned to Naples, where he was appointed general preacher by the provincial chapter in 1260. Aquinas's second regency was more difficult due to disputes with some important Franciscans. In 1270, the Bishop of Paris issued an edict condemning several Aristotelian and Averroistic propositions as heretical, which disturbed Aquinas, who was angered by the teaching of Averroistic interpretations of Aristotle to Parisian students.
Aquinas is revered by the Catholic Church as a saint and regarded as the model teacher for those studying for the priesthood. His works were long used as a core part of the curriculum for those seeking ordination as priests or deacons. Aquinas was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1567 by Pope Pius V, and his Summa Theologiae was placed on the altar alongside the Bible and the Decretals at the Council of Trent. In 1879, Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Aeterni Patris stated that Aquinas's theology was a definitive exposition of Catholic doctrine. The following year, Aquinas was declared the patron saint of all Catholic educational establishments.
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St. John Bosco
Bosco's early life was marked by poverty, and he worked as a shepherd in his youth. He received his first education from Don Calosso, who was impressed by Bosco's memory and understanding. Despite his brother Antonio's objections to his ambition to study, Bosco entered the seminary in 1835 and was ordained a priest in 1841.
As a priest, Bosco dedicated himself to working with the children of the poor in the city of Turin. He visited prisons and was moved by the conditions he witnessed, particularly the large number of boys between the ages of 12 and 18 who were incarcerated. He took to the streets to meet young men and boys where they worked and played, using his talents as a performer—including juggling, magic, and acrobatics—to capture their attention and share his message.
Bosco also worked tirelessly to find employment and lodgings for those in need. He faced opposition from some nationalist politicians and clergy, who saw his growing influence among young men as a threat to the state. Despite this, he persevered in his mission to help abandoned boys, which led to the founding of the Salesian Congregation.
Today, St. John Bosco is remembered as the "Father and Teacher of Youth". His legacy includes St. John Bosco High School in Los Angeles, a Salesian school that carries on his tradition of educating with reason, religion, and loving kindness.
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St. Joseph of Cupertino
Despite his lack of education, St. Joseph was determined to pursue a religious life. He first applied to the Conventual Franciscan friars but was rejected. He then found acceptance with the Capuchin friars in Martino, near Taranto, in 1620, but he was dismissed due to his continued ecstasies interfering with his duties. Undeterred, St. Joseph returned to the Conventual friars near Cupertino and pleaded to serve in their stables. His devotion and simple life impressed the friars, and he was admitted to their Order in 1625, beginning his journey towards becoming a Catholic priest.
> O Great St. Joseph of Cupertino who while on earth did obtain from God the grace to be asked at your examination only the questions you knew, obtain for me a like favour in the examinations for which I am now preparing. In return, I promise to make you known and cause you to be invoked. I will also imitate your life of prayer and devotion Through Jesus Christ our Lord. St. Joseph of Cupertino, Pray for us. Amen.
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St. Gemma Galgani
St. Gemma Umberta Maria Galgani, also known as the "'Flower of Lucca" or "Passion Flower", is the patron saint of students, as well as pharmacists, and those suffering from migraines, tuberculosis, and the death of parents. She is also a saint against temptations. Born on March 12, 1878, in Camigliano, Italy, she was the fifth of eight children. Her father, Enrico Galgani, was a prosperous pharmacist. When Gemma was two and a half, her mother Aurelia contracted tuberculosis, from which she died five years later. The family then moved to Lucca to increase educational opportunities for their children.
At school, Gemma was loved by her teachers and peers. She was quiet and reserved but always had a smile for everyone. She had to quit school due to chronic ill health. She had a particular devotion to the Sacred Heart and attributed her recovery from spinal meningitis at age 16 to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She also experienced several mystical phenomena, including stigmata, which appeared on June 8, 1899, and remained until Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. She often saw her guardian angel and sent it on errands to deliver messages to her confessor in Rome. She was frequently found in a state of ecstasy and was believed to have levitated on one occasion.
Gemma was orphaned shortly after turning 19 and was responsible for raising her younger siblings with her aunt Carolina. She was diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1903 and died from the disease on April 11, 1903, Holy Saturday. Her relics are housed at the Sanctuary of Santa Gemma in Lucca, Italy, and her heart was enshrined in the Santuario de Santa Gema in Madrid, Spain, in 1985. She was beatified on May 14, 1933, and canonized as a saint in the Catholic Church on May 2, 1940, only 37 years after her death.
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St. Benedict
During this time, St. Benedict received his calling to enter the religious life. He established twelve monasteries in Subiaco, where monks could live and practice the Christian faith. St. Benedict's main achievement was the creation of the Rule of Saint Benedict, a set of rules for monks to follow, emphasizing obedience, humility, and spiritual and administrative wisdom. This rule reflects his understanding of and skill with the rhetorical rules of his time, which he used in the service of the Gospel.
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Frequently asked questions
St. Thomas Aquinas is the patron saint of students. Other patron saints of students include St. John Bosco, St. Joseph of Cupertino, St. Gemma Galgani, St. Benedict, St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Expeditus, St. Albert the Great, and St. John the Apostle.
St. Thomas Aquinas is also the patron saint of universities.
St. Thomas Aquinas was a theologian and doctor of the church. He is also called the "angelic doctor" because of his purity of heart and voluminous writings about angels. He is known for his prayer for students:
> Come, Holy Spirit, Divine Creator, the true source of light and fountain of wisdom. Pour forth your brilliance upon my intellect, dissipate the darkness which covers me, that of sin and of ignorance. Grant me a penetrating mind to understand, a retentive memory, method and ease in learning, the lucidity to comprehend, and abundant grace in expressing myself. Guide the beginning of my work, direct its progress, and bring it to successful completion. This I ask through Jesus Christ, true God and true man, living and reigning with You and the Father, forever and ever. Amen.
St. Catherine of Alexandria is the patron saint of philosophers, teachers, students, and librarians. She is also the namesake of a monastery at Mount Sinai that claims to be the oldest in the world.
