LOOK: St. Albert the Great, Patron of Science
Students, faculty, and support staff are familiar with the wooden image of St. Albert the Great outside the Dean's office on the third floor of the UST Main Building. Do you know that there is another image of St. Albert in the same building?
From 1952 to 1953, fifteen (15) tall statues measuring 3.05 m by the Italian sculptor Francesco Monti, who taught in the University’s School of Fine Arts, were installed on the pedestals at the roof deck.
On the right side of the façade of the main building are the images of Aristotle (left), St. Albert the Great (center) and Plato (right). Aristotle and Plato were philosophers in ancient Greece who critically studied matters of ethics, science, politics, and more. While St. Albert defended the complementarity of faith and science, which was regarded as unpopular and rather odd in the late 13th century.
The presence of the College of Science in the Pontifical University of Santo Tomás underscores the legacy of St. Albert the Great, the mentor and friend of the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas.
UST TRIVIA: How many were the first students of UST (formerly, Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario and the Colegio de Santo Tomas de Aquino) in the 17th century?
The existing record about the pioneer students gives this information: “twelve scholars (becarios) who are the sons of the most noble Spanish citizens and distinguished captains of this city enrolled with full scholarships (becas) from the Dominicans and were allowed to reside in the colegio for free In addition to these twelve, other Spanish-born students enrolled with partial scholarships, ie they had to pay a hundred pesos for their board and lodging. These latter students must have also been of Spanish descent.”
The personal data of the first twelve scholars are unknown.
Source: Extracts in manifesto, Archivo de la Universidad de Santo Tomás, libros 69, fol.85v; and in Alberto Santa Maria, OP, Estudios Historicos, pp. 54-55.
The Dominican Convent of San Marco in Florence, Italy became the home of many celebrated Dominicans in the fifteenth century, including the artist Fra Angelico (1395-1455), the Archbishop of Florence St. Antoninus of Florence (1389-1459), the artist Fra Bartolomeo (1472-1517), and Fra Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498). The cells of the friars' dormitories were decorated by Fra Angelico in collaboration with others. The frescoes (a painting done rapidly in watercolor on wet plaster on a wall or ceiling, so that the colors penetrate the plaster and become fixed as it dries) served not merely as means of instruction, still less as adornment, but as aids to contemplation and meditation. The brothers inhabiting the cells would have constantly before them a vivid yet chaste reminder of one of the events in the life of Our Lord Christ.
In Cell number 37 of the convent, the Savior is seen crucified between the two thieves. The Virgin Mary and St. John the Beloved stand to the side. St. John rests his head heavy with sadness in his hand right hand while he brings his left hand up to his cheek. St. Dominic spreads his arms contemplating the Savior and behind him St. Thomas Aquinas is seen kneeling, contemplating the Word of God before the crucifix.
The brother assigned in cell no. 37 must had been reminded every moment of the love of God. We must always contemplate and never forget the Love of God.
The Lord remembers even the thief so much so that He said: "Hodie mecum eris in paradiso" (Today, you shall be with me in Paradise) (Lk 23:43). Heaven is assured to those who are repentant, to those who love.
