Published:
- by Mount Saint Mary College
Mount Saint Mary College’s St. Thomas Aquinas Fest event took place on January 28. At the kickoff, left to right: Sr. Lucy Povilonis, OP, a Dominican Sister and Religious Coordinator of Bishop Dunn Memorial School on the Mount campus; and Charles Zola, as

Mount Saint Mary College’s St. Thomas Aquinas Fest event took place on January 28. At the kickoff, left to right: Sr. Lucy Povilonis, OP, a Dominican Sister and Religious Coordinator of Bishop Dunn Memorial School on the Mount campus; and Charles Zola, assistant vice president for Mission, associate professor of Philosophy, and director of the Catholic and Dominican Institute.

 

Mount Saint Mary College celebrated the 800th anniversary of the birth of St. Thomas Aquinas – influential philosopher, Dominican priest, and patron saint of Catholic schools – with St. Thomas Fest on Tuesday, January 28.

The event was spearheaded by Charles Zola, assistant vice president for Mission, associate professor of Philosophy, and director of the Mount’s Catholic and Dominican Institute (CDI).

Zola kicked off the festivities with a prayer and blessing offered by Sr. Lucy Povilonis, OP, a Dominican Sister and Religious Coordinator of Bishop Dunn Memorial School on the Mount campus. A dessert reception followed before Zola’s free, public lecture titled “Why Aquinas is Still Relevant after 800 Years.” 

St. Thomas Aquinas OP made innumerable contributions to theology and philosophy over the course of his five decades on this Earth, most famously creating a school of thought that encompasses both theology and philosophy, now known as Thomism.

“What Thomas offers us is a way to see more, or to broaden our vision,” said Zola.

Zola explained that one of the simplest, yet most profound aspects of Aquinas’s philosophy is the notion that truth can be found in many ideas and texts, even those one does not expressly agree with. For example, Aquinas embraced Greek philosophers like Aristotle, fusing their ideas with the principles of Christianity. 

The talk was the first of several to be held this semester in honor of the intellectual tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas. Subsequent talks in the series will be offered by three members of the Mount’s Division of Humanities: John Hofbauer, associate professor of Philosophy, Robert Miller, associate professor of Religious Studies, and Sarah Maple, assistant professor of Religious Studies. 

CDI promotes the Mount’s heritage of St. Dominic, advances the Dominican charism of study and service, provides a forum for discussion of contemporary ethical issues, and enhances Catholic and Jewish dialogue.

 

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