St. Thomas Of Villanova College
Villanova College is York Region's only independent Catholic school. It offers STEM and AP programs as well as arts, athletic, social outreach and leadership experiences.
Patron Saint
The college is named in honour of St. Thomas of Villanova, a sixteenth-century Spanish Augustinian. Thomas was born in the province of Ciudad Real in 1488, and was raised in Villanueva de los Infantes, a nearby town; hence his name, Thomas of Villanova. In the year 1544, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V appointed Thomas as Archbishop of Valencia. Thomas succeeded in the spiritual renewal of his diocese, and gained the title "Father of the Poor". He gave two-thirds of the income of his diocese to care for the poor in various ways. Each day up to 5 poor people came to his door to be fed and to receive money.
Other English speaking Augustinian Colleges named for this saint are Villanova College, located in Brisbane, Australia, and Villanova Preparatory School in California, United States. He is also the patron saint for Villanova University, a Catholic university located in Villanova, Pennsylvania.
Notable alumni
- Alex Pietrangelo, NHL defenceman for the Las Vegas Golden Knights & former captain of the St. Louis Blues
- Ryan Murphy (ice hockey, born 1993), AHL defenceman for the Henderson Silver Knights
See also
References
- ^ "Providing Education in Augustinian Schools: Stewardship Update". Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel of the Augustinian Order. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
- ^ "Villanova College". www.villanovacollege.org. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
- ^ Taylor, Thomas. "St. Thomas of Villanova". Midwest Augustinians. Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel. Retrieved 9 February 2015.