St. Thomas Aquinas Celebration

On Thursday, February 5th, Aquinas College belatedly observed the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, the College’s patron. The celebration was originally scheduled for January 28th, the actual feast day of St. Thomas. The weather had other ideas, however, and a College-wide celebration would have to wait until the following week. The phrase traditionally attributed to him—Non nisi Te, Domine (“Nothing but You, Lord”)—aptly characterized the day. According to tradition, this was St. Thomas’s response when, in prayer before the Crucifix, Christ asked what reward he desired for his labors.

The College’s celebration thus reflected St. Thomas Aquinas’ deep and abiding love of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. A Holy Hour of Adoration was observed in St. Jude Chapel, which included time for personal prayer, a brief homily from Father Mark Chrismer, and hymns of adoration. The Holy Hour concluded with solemn Benediction.

Following the Holy Hour, the Aquinas community of faculty, staff, students, and friends of the College gathered in Breen Hall for a generous feast. The students included most of the young Sister students as well as several seminarians of the Diocese of Nashville who are studying at Aquinas College in their propaedeutic year of formation. Additionally, the College recognized Dr. Ryan Hanning as he was formally presented the Mandatum, a mandate required of academic theologians to faithfully observe the Church’s magisterial teachings, which was granted by Bishop J. Mark Spalding earlier in the year. Dr. Hanning was joined by his wife Rebecca and several of their children for the event.