Getting To Know The Saints The Doctors of The Church

  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]. 

A mighty bishop guides Augustine, admonishes an emperor, and leads his people  If the noble Saint Ambrose had brought Saint Augustine into the Church and done nothing else besides, he would have done enough. Augustine’s conversion was a slow boil. He was ripe for baptism when providence placed him and his mother, Monica, in Ambrose’s orbit. In baptising Augustine, Ambrose harvested what the Holy Spirit had long cultivated. But Ambrose could be a mentor only because he had previously lived his own Christian drama, and because he was supremely prepared for leadership.

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.