A short biography of Thomas of Villanova by John E Rotelle, O.S.A.

Thomas Garcia (1486-1555) was born in the Spanish village of Villanova, Spain. Thomas as a young man was university professor before entering an Augustinian monastery at the age of thirty. Thomas's many gifts -- his profound piety, his powerful, uncompromising oratory, his skills as a mediator and administrator, his sensitivity to the feelings and needs of others -- led to positions of increasing responsibility within Spain's Augustinian community and brought him to the attention of the emperor, Charles V, who asked the pope to appoint Thomas as archbishop of Valencia, Spain, in 1542.

As archbishop, Thomas promoted the holiness of his clergy and the religious in his diocese. He called them to a deeper spirituality so that they could better serve the diocese and the church. By his sermons and writings he instructed his flock in the gospel life. He insisted that the material resources of the Church should be shared with those in greatest need.

Known as the Father of the Poor -- whom he called "my family" -- he personally saw to the distribution of alms, food, and clothing to hundreds of persons daily and maintained a home for orphaned and abandoned children within the archbishop's residence. He regularly attended to the sick, established schools, provided dowries for young girls so that they could marry in dignity, distributed food to the poor. In short, he spent his whole life in uplifting humankind to its primordial calling and dignity as daughter and sons of God.

Because of Saint Thomas' role in education and his service to humanity, the early founders of the Augustinian Province dedicated their second educational institution to him, Saint Thomas of Villanova.

"The Bible tells us that the poor, the downtrodden, the oppressed, the needy, and the hungry and thirsty were the Lord's favorites. Why, then, should they not be our favorites as well?"
- Saint Thomas of Villanova


The entire works of Saint Thomas of Villanova are now available in english for the first time.