Getting To Know The Saints The Doctors of The Church

*Use this numbered list to find the corresponding Saint intro & video below*

The following is a list of all the Doctors of the Church in the order of when they were designated. The (4) and ONLY women designated as Doctors of the Church are #'s 31,32,33 & 35.

Saint Ambrose (c. 340-397), bishop of Milan, Italy, a major opponent of Arianism, wrote and preached extensively [named a Doctor of the church, 1298].
Saint Augustine of Hippo (c. 354-430), North African bishop, author of Confessions, City of God, and numerous treatises, countered heretical movements, one of the most influential theologians of the Western church, called “Doctor of Grace” [1298].
Saint Jerome (c. 343-420), translated Old Testament from Hebrew into Latin and revised Latin translation of New Testament to produce Vulgate version of Bible, called “Father of Biblical Science” [1298].
Saint Gregory the Great (c. 540-604), pope, strengthened papacy and worked for clerical and monastic reform [1298].
Saint Athanasius (c. 297-373), bishop of Alexandria, dominant opponent of Arians, called “Father of Orthodoxy” & Patron saint of Theologians. [1298]
Saint John Chrysostom (“Golden-Mouthed”) (c. 347-407), archbishop of Constantinople, homilist, writer of scripture commentaries and letters, patron of preachers [1568].
Saint Basil the Great (c. 329-379), bishop of Caesarea in Asia Minor, refuted Arian errors, wrote treatises, homilies, and monastic rules, called “Father of Monasticism of the East” [1568].
Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (c. 330-390), bishop of Constantinople, opponent of Arianism, wrote major theological treatises as well as letters and poetry, called the “Christian Demosthenes” and, in the East, “The Theologian” [1568].
Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), Italian Dominican, wrote systematically on philosophy, theology, and Catholic doctrine, patron of Catholic schools and education, one of the most influential theologians in the West [1568].
Saint Bonaventure (c. 1217-1274), Franciscan, bishop of Albano, Italy, cardinal [1588].
Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109), archbishop, called “Father of Scholasticism” [1720].
Saint Isidore of Seville (c. 560-636), Spanish bishop, encylopedist, and preeminent scholar of his day [1722].
Saint Peter Chrysologus (c. 400-450), archbishop of Ravenna, Italy, homilist and writer, counteracted Monophysite heresy [1729].
Saint Leo I, the Great (c. 400-461), pope, wrote christological and other works against the heresies of his day [1754].
Saint Peter Damian (1007-1072), Italian Benedictine and cardinal, ecclesiastical and clerical reformer [1828].
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090-1153), French Cistercian abbot and monastic reformer, called “Mellifluous Doctor” [1830].
Saint Hilary of Poitiers (c. 315-368), one of first Latin doctrinal writers, opposed Arianism [1851].
Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787), founder of Redemptorists, preeminent moral theologian and apologist, patron of confessors and moralists[1871].
Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622), bishop of Geneva, spiritual writer, patron of Catholic writers and press [1877].
Saint Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376-444), bishop, authored doctrinal treatises against Nestorian heresy [1882].
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 315-386), bishop, catechist, vigorous opponent of Arianism [1882].
Saint John Damascene (c. 675-749), Syrian monk, doctrinal writer, called “Golden Speaker” [1890].
Saint Bede the Venerable (c. 673-735), English Benedictine, called “Father of English History” [1899].
Saint Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306-373), counteracted Gnosticism and Arianism with his poems, hymns, and other writings [1920].
Saint Peter Canisius (1521-1597), Dutch Jesuit, catechist, important figure in Counter-Reformation in Germany [1925].
Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591), founder of Discalced Carmelites, called “Doctor of Mystical Theology” [1926].
Saint Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621), Italian Jesuit, archbishop of Capua, wrote Reformation-era doctrinal defenses, catechisms, and works on ecclesiology and church-state relations [1931].
Saint Albert the Great (c. 1200-1280), German Dominican, bishop of Regensburg, teacher of Saint Thomas Aquinas, patron of scientists, called “Universal Doctor” and “Expert Doctor” [1932].
Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) First theologian of Franciscans, preacher, called “Evangelical Doctor” [1946].
Saint Lawrence of Brindisi (1559-1619) Italian Capuchin Franciscan, influential post-Reformation preacher [1959].
+ Saint Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) Spanish Carmelite, initiated discalced Carmelite movement, prolific spiritual and mystical writer, first woman Doctor of the church [1970].
+ Saint Catherine of Siena (c. 1347-1380) Italian Third Order Dominican, mystical author, also active in support of Crusades and in papal politics [1970]. Doctor of the Church.
+ Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897) French Carmelite, wrote spiritual autobiography describing her “little way” of spiritual perfection [1997].
Saint John of Ávila (1499 or 1500-1569) Spanish priest, preacher, and mystic, was influential in spreading the faith in Andalusia and reforming the church in Spain [2012]
+ Saint Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) German Benedictine abbess and mystic, recorded her visions in writing, also wrote lyric poems, letters of advice and prophecy, and treatises on medicine and physiology [2012]
Saint Gregory of Narek (c. 950-1005) Armenian monk and poet, also recognized as a saint in the Armenian Apostolic Church [2015]
Saint Irenaeus (c. 125-202) Greek bishop, originally from Smyrna, known for defending Christian teaching against gnostic sects, for introducing the three pillars of orthodoxy, and being the first to declare the four canonical gospels essential [2022]
Saint John Henry Newman (1801-1890) English theologian and cardinal of the church, an Anglican priest before his conversion to Catholicism, known for his philosophical writings, sermons, and poetry as well as for his theology and apologetics [2025].

Source: catholic-saints-and-feasts.com

1. Saint Ambrose (c. 340-397) Bishop of Milan, Italy, a major opponent of Arianism, wrote and preached extensively [named a Doctor of the church, 1298].

Saint Ambrose’s greatest legacy may be the baptism of Saint Augustine, a moment that crowned years of grace and secured the future of Christian theology. Yet Ambrose could guide Augustine only because he himself was a towering figure—brilliantly formed, morally courageous, and providentially prepared for leadership.

Born into Roman nobility and classically educated, Ambrose rose quickly through imperial service and became governor of northern Italy. Though still unbaptized, he was a committed Christian living in Milan when, amid fierce conflict over Arianism, the people unexpectedly acclaimed him bishop in 374. After initial resistance, Ambrose accepted, was baptized, ordained, and consecrated—beginning a decisive episcopate.

As Bishop of Milan, Ambrose combined ascetic holiness with political authority. He boldly confronted emperors, calling one to public repentance after the massacre of Thessalonica and persuading another to abandon support for pagan worship. A gifted preacher and teacher, he defended orthodox faith against Arianism, wrote influential works on theology, Scripture, sacraments, and Christian life, and modeled the ideal of the learned, pastoral bishop.

Ambrose mentored Augustine, shaped Western liturgy, encouraged antiphonal chant, and offered timeless pastoral wisdom—“When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” After twenty-two years as bishop, he died in Milan, where he is still honored as a saint whose courage, intellect, and holiness helped guide the Church from the twilight of Rome into the Christian age.

2. Saint Augustine of Hippo (c. 354-430), North African bishop, author of Confessions, City of God, and numerous treatises, countered heretical movements, one of the most influential theologians of the Western church, called “Doctor of Grace” [1298].

The crown jewel of Augustine’s writings is his Confessions, a spiritual autobiography written as a prayer. It traces the work of divine grace in his life and invites readers to encounter God through his intimate reflections. Its famous opening line captures both the book and Augustine’s journey: “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.”

Augustine presents himself as a living example of how grace transforms the human heart. If Christ’s love has truly changed you, he says, then you can “love and do whatever you want”—because grace reshapes our desires and enables us to love God and neighbor.

3. Saint Jerome(c. 343-420), translated Old Testament from Hebrew into Latin and revised Latin translation of New Testament to produce Vulgate version of Bible, called “Father of Biblical Science” [1298].

He was born in 347 in Strido (modern-day Croatia) and educated in Rome, where he was baptized in 366. He excelled in classical studies, built a personal library, and enjoyed Roman society before beginning theological studies in Gaul and Aquileia. Around 373, he traveled east, lived as a hermit in the desert of Chalcia, and committed himself to Scripture and Christian writings after a spiritual turning point.

After returning to Rome, Jerome became secretary to Pope Damasus, who commissioned him to translate the Bible into Latin—work that would become the Vulgate. Known for his brilliance and harsh critiques, Jerome made enemies and was eventually exiled following Damasus’s death. He settled in Bethlehem, founded monastic communities, and began his most productive literary period, writing commentaries, letters, and historical works while continuing his translation of the Bible.

Jerome spent the last 36 years of his life in Bethlehem, often embroiled in theological disputes, including with St. Augustine. Despite his fiery temperament, his scholarship shaped Christian thought for centuries. He died in 419 and is buried near the Church of the Nativity. Declared a Doctor of the Church in 1989, he is honored on September 30 and is the patron saint of librarians, archeologists and biblical scholars.

4. Saint Gregory the Great (c. 540-604), pope, strengthened papacy and worked for clerical and monastic reform [1298].

He was born around 540 A.D. into Roman nobility, the son of a prefect and nephew of saints. Despite holding Rome’s highest civil office by age 30, Gregory left his political career to embrace monastic life, converting his family’s villa into a monastery. His turn to prayer, poverty, and silence reflected his deep spiritual conviction, even as Rome faced plague, famine, and invasions.

Though he sought a quiet life, Gregory’s administrative skill and faith led him back into public service. After serving as papal ambassador to Constantinople, he returned to a devastated Rome and was elected pope in 590. He tackled the crises with prayer and practical action—organizing pilgrimages, feeding the poor, and redistributing Church resources. His compassion extended especially to the proud poor, whom he aided discreetly, seeing himself as “steward to the property of the poor.”

Gregory’s vision extended beyond Rome. Moved by a desire to evangelize, he sent monks—led by St. Augustine of Canterbury—to convert the Anglo-Saxons. As pope, he preached widely, reformed the liturgy, promoted sacred music, and called Church leaders to humble service. Known for his charity, leadership, and holiness, he died in 604 and was acclaimed “Gregory the Great,” leaving a legacy that shaped the Church for centuries.

5. Saint Athanasius (c. 297-373), bishop of Alexandria, dominant opponent of Arians, called “Father of Orthodoxy” & Patron saint of Theologians. [1298]

On the First Sunday of Advent 2011, a new English translation of the Mass was introduced, bringing significant changes, especially to the Nicene Creed. One of the most striking was replacing “one in being with the Father” with “consubstantial with the Father.” Though unfamiliar and initially unsettling to many, the word consubstantial has deep theological roots and reflects a core truth of Christian belief—one strongly defended by Saint Athanasius.

Athanasius, a central figure of the fourth-century Church, was a tireless defender of orthodox Christianity. As Bishop of Alexandria, he endured repeated exiles for upholding the teaching that Christ is fully divine. At the Council of Nicaea, he championed the term homoousion—later rendered in Latin as consubstantialis—to affirm that Christ shares the same divine nature as the Father.

To call Christ “consubstantial with the Father” means that, while distinct in person, Christ is completely united with the Father in divine substance. He did not become God over time; He was always fully God and fully human. This understanding was essential for defining the Trinity and laid the groundwork for later Christological teachings.

Athanasius’ work ensured that the Incarnation was understood not merely as the birth of a great man, but as the coming of God Himself into human history. His enduring legacy shapes Christian theology to this day, and the Church remains deeply indebted to him for defending the true nature of Christ and the Trinity.

6. Saint John Chrysostom (“Golden-Mouthed”) (c. 347-407), archbishop of Constantinople, homilist, writer of scripture commentaries and letters, patron of preachers [1568].

Saint John Chrysostom was a pivotal figure in the theological struggles of the fourth and fifth centuries, helping to shape the Church’s deposit of faith alongside giants such as Ambrose, Athanasius, Basil, and Hilary. Born in Antioch—a center of intense theological conflict and Arian controversy—John was deeply formed by Scripture and tradition during a turbulent era between the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople.

After receiving a superb classical education and being baptized as a young adult, John briefly pursued the austere life of a hermit before discerning that permanent isolation was not his vocation. Ordained a priest in 386, he was entrusted with the care of the poor in Antioch, where his extraordinary preaching gifts emerged. His eloquence later earned him the title Chrysostom, meaning “golden mouth.” His sermons and writings reveal a profound grasp of the Trinity and the Gospels and continue to influence the Church, including frequent citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

In 398, John became Archbishop of Constantinople. His uncompromising reforms and moral preaching—condemning luxury, clerical corruption, and moral laxity—provoked powerful enemies. Falsely accused, he was exiled, briefly recalled, and then exiled again. During his banishment, he wrote extensively, but promised support from Church leaders never materialized.

John died in exile in 407, worn down by hardship and deprivation. His legacy, however, was soon vindicated: his reputation was restored, his remains returned to Constantinople, and he was later named a Father of the Church and a Doctor of the Church. Saint John Chrysostom suffered greatly for his zeal and fidelity, standing firm against both political and ecclesial pressure. His life remains a witness to courageous truth-telling and the cost of faithful discipleship.

7. Saint Basil the Great (c. 329-379), bishop of Caesarea in Asia Minor, refuted Arian errors, wrote treatises, homilies, and monastic rules, called “Father of Monasticism of the East” [1568].

**AND**

8. Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (c. 330-390), bishop of Constantinople, opponent of Arianism, wrote major theological treatises as well as letters and poetry, called the “Christian Demosthenes” and, in the East, “The Theologian” [1568].

*** "THE POWER OF A SPIRITUAL FRIENDSHIP" - (Bonus Homily by Fr David Rider January 2, 2019: https://www.fatherdavidrider.com/2019 ) - About St Basil & St Gregory) ***

Saint Basil the Great is almost always mentioned with Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, his closest friend and fellow theologian, as they were part of the influential Cappadocian Fathers

After centuries of persecution, the legalization of Christianity under Constantine allowed the Church to grow, teach openly, and gather in great councils to clarify her beliefs. Among the towering figures of this fourth-century flowering were Saints Basil and Gregory, whose theological brilliance helped shape the heart of Christian doctrine.

These two saints made their greatest and lasting contribution by clearly defining the mystery of the Trinity: that Christ is fully God and fully man, that He is consubstantial with the Father, and that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. These precise words, now spoken easily in the Creed, were the result of deep prayer, intense debate, and profound insight.

What may seem abstract was essential. Thanks to Basil and Gregory, the Church could proclaim who God truly is—and therefore who Christ truly is. Without their work, Christianity would lose its meaning, and even Christmas itself would be emptied of its joy. Their theology made faith intelligible, worship possible, and Christian culture able to flourish.

9. Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), Italian Dominican, wrote systematically on philosophy, theology, and Catholic doctrine, patron of Catholic schools and education, one of the most influential theologians in the West [1568].

Saint Thomas Aquinas towers over Christian thought, and his theological method—Thomism—has shaped Catholic theology since the thirteenth century. He recognized that human reason, limited by sin and finitude, can never fully grasp God, who is utterly transcendent and beyond the senses.

Aquinas clarified that God is not the highest being among others, but being itself. Unlike created things, which once did not exist, God’s very nature is to exist. He is not one object within the universe but the source that makes all existence possible—like water to the ocean rather than the largest creature in it. This insight shows why science, though powerful, has limits: it can explain how things work, but not why they exist or what they mean.

Thomism presents God as the non-contingent foundation of reality, a vision that harmonizes faith with reason, nature, beauty, and charity, while leaving room for God’s fuller self-revelation in Jesus Christ. Despite his immense intellect, Aquinas lived with humility and deep piety. After a mystical vision of Christ, he ceased writing and died in 1274 on his way to a Church council, leaving behind an enduring legacy as the Church’s greatest theologian.

10. Saint Bonaventure (c. 1217-1274), Franciscan, bishop of Albano, Italy, cardinal [1588].

Saint Bonaventure gave intellectual depth and credibility to the Franciscan movement, much as Saint Thomas Aquinas did for the Dominicans. A towering scholar and contemporary of Aquinas, Bonaventure combined profound learning with humility, poverty, and deep holiness. He earned his doctorate in Paris, became a leading theologian, and at just thirty-six was elected Minister General of the Franciscan Order.

Though his leadership duties limited his scholarly output, Bonaventure produced a complete and deeply spiritual theological vision, more Augustinian than Aristotelian, focused on leading the soul toward loving union with God. His writings influenced the Council of Trent and remain central to Catholic theology.

As head of the Franciscans, Bonaventure skillfully guided the order through intense internal conflicts over poverty, education, and way of life. Through patience, wisdom, and charity, he preserved the unity of the Franciscans, earning the title of their “Second Founder.”

Made a cardinal despite his reluctance, Bonaventure died serving the Church at the Council of Lyon in 1274. Canonized and later named a Doctor of the Church, his life stands as a rare synthesis of intellect, leadership, and sanctity.

Getting To Know The Saints The Doctors of The Church

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