Saintly Scientist

Today's saint was a great scientist but more important a great teacher of science.  He was known to be the teacher of everything there is to know.

Albert the Great

Feast day: November 15
Born before 1200
Death: 1280
Lauingen (now in Bavaria)
Patron of Scientists
Born of middle class family

Albert was educated at the university in Padua and then had an "encounter" with the Blessed Mother in which he was inspired to take vows under the Dominican order.  He became an instructor in theology soon after and began writing about the theological errors of the day.  He would eventually find himself teaching at the University of Paris and instructing Thomas Aquinas among his other students.  In fact, Albert is often depicted in discussion with Thomas Aquinas.

Albert spent much of his time studying the teachings of Aristotle.  He then furthered his understanding of the Muslim teachings.  In 1254 Albert was made provincial of the Dominican Order.  He publicly defended the Dominicans against attacks by the secular and regular faculty of the University of Paris and answered what he perceived as errors of the Islamic philosopher Averroes.  In 1259, Albert (along with Thomas Aquinas) attended a meeting of the Dominicans to establish areas of study.  They would introduce the study of philosophy as an innovation for those not sufficiently trained to study theology.

In 1260, Albert was named the bishop of Regensburg.  He would only spend three years in this position, but would travel by foot to various sections of the diocese to ensure he remained faithful to the Dominican order rule.  The pope would then send him into the German provinces to preach the need for an 8th Crusade (a crusade launched by Louis IX of France against the city of Tunis in 1270).  This led to his position as mediator between the various groups involved in the crusades.

In 1278, Albert became ill and was no longer able to travel.  He would die in a Dominican convent in Cologne in 1280.

Albert's writings collected in 1899 went to thirty-eight volumes. These displayed his prolific habits and encyclopedic knowledge of topics such as logic, theology, botany, geography, astronomy, astrology, mineralogy, alchemy, zoology, physiology, phrenology, justice, law, friendship, and love.

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

“Above all one should accept everything, in general and individually, in oneself or in others, agreeable or disagreeable, with a prompt and confident spirit, as coming from the hand of his infallible Providence or the order he has arranged.”
― Albert the Great, On Cleaving to God

Maybe we should be reading Albert the Great writings on Muslims and then look over to his writings on friendship and love as well.

St. Albert the Great, pray for us!