Lake Catholic High School dedicated its new student space, the St. Thomas Aquinas Learning Center, on Jan. 28, during Catholic Schools Week.
Principal Tom McKrill and President John Morabito said a few words before Father Joshua Cochrac, administrator of St. Justin Martyr Parish in Eastlake, blessed the space and all who use it.
The new learning center was named in honor of St. Thomas Aquinas, who was commissioned as Lake Catholic’s patron saint on Nov. 1, 2006. His feast day is celebrated on Jan. 28.
St. Thomas was born to noble Italian lineage in 1227. He died in 1274.
In his early years, he was shy and was nicknamed the "Dumb Ox” by his teachers and peers because of his size and reserved nature. He loved academic study and wasn’t affected by any discouragements or setbacks, moving forward with determination and dedication. His teacher, St. Albert the Great, predicted that one day Thomas' thoughts and writings would be heard around the world – and he was right.
St. Thomas joined the religious order of St. Dominic, devoting himself to study and prayer. As a Dominican, he lived a life committed to Christ and the Church, especially the Eucharist. He was known to experience many revelations and mystical visions.
Throughout his life, St. Thomas also wrote prayers, hymns and theological treatises on nearly every area of Christian belief, including the Christian virtues. His most well-known discourse is Summa Theologica. He was revolutionary for his time by using the ancient writings of Aristotle and the philosophies of St. Augustine as structural foundations of his work. His main objective was always to understand Christian truth while being able to explain it to others.
St. Thomas died at age 49, leaving behind a legacy of scholarly writing and personal holiness.
Canonized in 1323, St. Thomas is recognized as one of the greatest theologians of all time. He is one of few scholars accredited with the honor and title Doctor of the Church. His writings are foundational in all Catholic thought and doctrine and are included in all advanced study of the Catholic faith. St. Thomas Aquinas is widely known for academic excellence, but he was also a passionately prayerful person.
He is known as the patron saint of scholars, Catholic schools, colleges and universities.