BL. THOMAS A KEMPIS, PRIEST AND RELIGIOUS - 25 JULY

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN JULY

Saints celebrated on the 25th of July

WELCOME!

BLESSED THOMAS À KEMPIS, PRIEST AND RELIGIOUS

Blessed Thomas Kempensis (commemorated July 25 and August 13), a priest of the Order of Canons Regular [Augustinians], was born in 1380 in the town of Kempen or Kampen, from which he takes his name [Thomas à Kempis]. His father, called Johann Hämmerken (Hämmerlein, Malleolus, [little hammer]), a poor craftsman, let him go to school in Deventer (Ober-Yssel) because of his talents. 

Thomas made good progress and in 1399 entered the canonical monastery on Mount St Agnes near Swoll [Zwolle] as a novice. He was constantly busy reading, writing, singing, praying and working. It is said that his favourite saying was: "Overal heb ik ruste gesoekt, maer nergends gevonden, behalven in een Hoexken met een Boexken." (I looked for peace everywhere, but found nowhere but in a little corner with a little book). 

We will not get involved in the controversial question of whether he wrote the little book “On the Imitation of Christ”. Enough that his contemporaries and those who lived later considered him capable of doing so. He died on July 25, 1471. 

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 5, Augsburg, 1882, p. 538)

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Blessed Thomas may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org