St Thomas Aquinas Feast Day Write-up Contest.

28th January is celebrated by Catholics worldwide as the feast of St Thomas Aquinas, the Patron Saint of students. As part of our celebration this year, 2018 we had a series of activities to attract students participation. There was a write-up contest which invited students to write a page long about our Patron Saint, St Thomas Aquinas and what they aspire to learn from him.

We had a lot of entries out of which three (3) have been selected to be published on our page, We acknowledge and appreciate all the efforts exhibited by the participants. Indeed, you are all scholars in the making. 

1st Winner

Elizer Commey

Thomas of Aquina born in the 13th Century in 1225, 7th March near the town of Aquino or Aquinas. He was an Italian Dominican Catholic Priest and Doctor of the church.. He was an immensely influential Philosopher, theologian and jurist in the tradition of scholasticism within which he is also known as the Doctor Angelicus. This isn’t to say that Aquinas was a Protestant. 

At the same time, it is impossible in any Christian tradition to have a conversation attributes, simplicity, or any number of other topics without interacting with Aquinas. Thomas Aquinas was an avid writer. Some contributions of St. Thomas Aquinas include Theology about God:- He developed the idea of what or who God is, and he did it by means of positive ideas, trying to discover his nature.

Also from the Philosophical point of view, Aquinas was characterized by being Aristotelian. He took the physical analysis of objects as a starting point.

Also, the area of education was not only one of his main interests but in addition, he put into practice, what he theorized,

Moral Lessons of St. Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas’ lifelong focus on study was entwined with his identity as a Dominican. In fact, study is understood to be a form of worship. By using our talents to learn more about the world, we in turn learn more about God and our relationship to God.

Thomas was also a creative bent. He wrote Pange Lingua, among other hymns, many of the church still uses today. Of course, writing hymns isn’t for everyone but the tradition of pursuing one’s creative side is important.

2nd Winner

Phiby Klenam Mensah

Saint Thomas Aquinas is an Italian. He is a Dominican Catholic Priest. He is a Doctor of the church and an Influential person and a Philosopher. He was born in 1225 in Roccasea, Italy. He is also known as Thomas Acquin. 

He is also the founder of Thomistic School of Philosophy and Theology. There are so many examples that can be learned from him, He is a man of faith. He is a man of all seasons. He inspires one to follow conscience. Do what makes you happy by promoting the dignity of everyone. 

He also thought that we should not follow the crowd for fellowship sake but rather follow your conscience even if you walk the path alone and if that will lead to your salvation. It is better than following the crowd and ending up in hell.

He also said that you can still learn even out of school. It is noble and very true to wrestle with the truth. You can learn to do extra things on your own such as music. He wrote a lot of hymns which are still sung in the church today. He died in 1274.

3rd Winner
Dadzie Mendiata Effah

The scope of this piece is to explore briefly the background of the scholastic Philosopher and Theologist, St. Thomas Aquinas. Thomas was born in 1225 at Roccasecca, a hilltop castle from which the great Benedictine Abbey of Montecassino midway between Rome and Naples. At the age of 5, He entered Montecassino where he begun his studies. 

When the Monastery became a battle site, Thomas was transferred by his family to the University of Naples. It was here that he came in contact with the “new” Aristotle and with the order of preachers or Dominicans, a recently founded mendicant order. He became a Dominican over the protests of his family and eventually went North to study, perhaps first briuefly at paris then at Cologne with Albert the Great (Albertus Magnus), whose interest in Aristotle strengthened Thomas’ own predilections. Thomas completed his study in the University of Paris, which has been formed out of the Monastic schools on the left bank and the Cathedral school at Notre Dame. 

In two stints as a regent master, Thomas defended the mendicant orders and, of greater historical importance, countered the Averroistic interpretations of Aristotle and the Fransiscan tendency to reject Greek Philosophy. Thomas died at the age of forty-nine on March, 7th 1274 at the Cristerieian Monastery of Fossanouva between Naples and Rome on his way to the second council of Lyons (1274) in Southern France. Thomas was canonized by Pope John XXII in 1323, less than fifty years after death. 

For Aquinas, happiness is our beatific vision and union with God which lingers on for eternity. Aquinas was very influencial in the field of academics such as law, medicine, politics, religion and philosophy. Some of his major works are Summa Theologiae and Summa Contra Gentiles which are mainly sourced from scriptures, writings of church fathers like Albert the Great.

What I can personally learn from St. Thomas Aquinas is his faith and assurance in God.