
St. Thomas of Villanueva
Facts
Birth: 1488
Death: 1555
Author and Publisher - Catholic Online
Printable Catholic Saints PDFs
Shop St. Thomas of Villanueva

Augustinian bishop. Born at Fuentellana, Castile, Spain, he was the son of a miller. He studied at the University of Alcala, earned a licentiate in theology, and became a professor there at the age of twenty-six. He declined the chair of philosophy at the university of Salamanca and instead entered the Order of St Augustine at Salamanca in 1516. Ordained in 1520, he served as prior of several houses in Salamanca, Burgos, and Valladolid, as provincial ofAndal usia and Castile, and then court chaplain to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (r. 1519-1556). During his time as provincial of Castile, he dispatched the first Augustinian missionaries to the New World. They subsequently helped evangelize the area of modern Mexico. He was offered but declined the see of Granada, but accepted appointment as archbishop of Valencia in 1544. As the see had been vacant for nearly a century, Thomas devoted much effort to restoring the spiritual and material life of the archdiocese. He was also deeply committed to the needs of the poor. He held the post of grand almoner of the poor, founded colleges for the children of new converts and the poor, organized priests for service among the Moors, and was renowned for his personal saintliness and austerities. While he did not attend the sessions of the Council of Trent, he was an ardent promoter of the Tridentine reforms throughout Spain.
FREE Catholic Classes Pick a class, you can learn anything
More Saints
- Trending Saints:
- St. Junipero Serra
- St. Christopher
- St. Anthony of Padua
- St. Helena
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
-
Saint of the Day for Friday, July 1st, 2022
-
St. Junipero Serra
-
Mysteries of the Rosary
-
Prayer of the Day for Friday, July 1
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
Unfailing Prayer to St. Anthony
-
Bible
-
Prayers
-
Popular Prayers
-
Catholic Prayers
Montana Ranch and Cattle: Sustainable ranching is what we do
-
Is there anything we can do to get you to support FREE Catholic education?
-
Pope Francis' World Meeting of Families' Message
-
On the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary: Mary and the Early Fathers
-
Roe Died Today. The Culture of Life Rises, and the Real Work Begins
Daily Catholic
Daily Readings for Friday, July 01, 2022
St. Junipero Serra: Saint of the Day for Friday, July 01, 2022
Prayer of the Chalice: Prayer of the Day for Friday, July 01, 2022
- Daily Readings for Thursday, June 30, 2022
- First Martyrs of the See of Rome: Saint of the Day for Thursday, June 30, 2022
- Good Night My Guardian Angel: Prayer of the Day for Thursday, June 30, 2022

Copyright 2021 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2021 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.