TOMMASO DA VILLANOVA, SANTO

Having entered the Augustinian Hermits in 1515, and ordained priest in 1520, he was prior of various convents and provincial of Andalusia and Castile. A powerful preacher at the court of Charles V, he refused the see of Granada (1542), but by virtue of obedience he had to accept the archbishopric of Valencia in 1544. In the exercise of his pastoral duties, he considered himself the servant of his spiritual children. Continuing the singular charity toward the poor which he had practiced from childhood, he used the revenues of the episcopal table for works of charity on behalf of the needy, the sick, and for the ransom of captives, and founded three colleges for poor students and abandoned girls. As a sign of humility and penance, he wished to continue wearing the religious habit and observing the rules of his Order. His writings are also important, especially the ascetical treatise *Sermón del amor de Dios*. His example and doctrine made him one of the most important figures of the Spanish Catholic Reformation. He was beatified by Paul V (1618) and canonized by Alexander VIII on 1 Nov. 1658. Feast: 22 Sept.