Doctors of the Church Trivia Quiz

Answer: St. Teresa of Avila

Although St. Teresa seems to have lived a pious youth, she became quite worldly after reading many romantic novels. She was convinced that she was a horrible sinner and was sent to a convent. It was there that Teresa decided to become a nun, not because she loved God, but she thought that was were she belonged.

When she was 41, a priest encouraged her to turn from her worldly ways to prayer. As she prayed, she experienced spiritual delights, including many visions of Jesus. She decided that she was wrong about wanting the world, and knew that many other Carmelites like her were lost. She began St. Joseph's Convent and brought back the austerity to it. Teresa also became the founder of Discalced Carmelites. In 1582, Teresa died and is now invoked as the patroness of those suffering from headaches.

Answer: St. Francis de Sales

Although it was clear to St. Francis that he had a vocation, he was sent by his father to Paris to study. Three times Francis fell from his horse, each time the sword fell out of the scabbard, with the sword and scabbard resting in the shape of a cross. Francis took this as a sign, and soon became a priest.

After converting the Calvinists, he and St. Jane de Chantal founded the Visitation Order.

Answer: St. Augustine of Hippo

St. Augustine was always extremely bright; he is considered one of the most intelligent people of all times! However, despite the prayers and pleadings of his mother, St. Monica, Augustine was drawn to the pagan life which his father led. Augustine became immoral, impure, and prideful. Finally, however, through the hard work of St. Monica and St. Ambrose, Augustine decided that Christianity was the one true religion. But he found it hard to be good. One day he asked God: "How long, O Lord; why not at this hour put an end to my sins?" Augustine heard the singing voice of a child: "Take up and read!" Augustine picked up the Letters of St. Paul and read the first passage. He then began a new life.

After Augustine was baptized, he became a bishop, a Catholic writer, and later the the religious order called the Augustinians was named after him.

Answer: St. Catherine of Siena

St. Catherine was in northern Italy in 1347. Beginning at the age of six, Catherine was a mystic; having visions of Jesus, Mary, the Saints, and Angels. She opposed her parents' idea of marriage and cut off her hair to prove this. Finally her family gave in and Catherine became a Dominican Tertiary.

One night Jesus appeared to Catherine and gave her a ring, which only she could see. Thus she became his mystical bride. Catherine also received the invisible Stigmata and spent the last years of her life tirelessly persuading the pope from to move from his luxurious life in Avignon to Rome, the home of the Apostles. In 1430, 50 years after her death, her body was found to be incorrupt.

Answer: St. Bonaventure

St. Bonaventure was born in 1221. When he was sick as a baby, his mother prayed to St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Francis cried out: "O good fortune!" Thus, he was named Bonaventure.

When Bonaventure was 22, he became a Franciscan. While in Paris he became close friends with St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Louis. Besides writing the "Life of St. Francis", he assisted at the translation of the relics of St. Anthony of Padua. Bonaventure died on July 15, 1274 while assisting at the Second Council of Lyons.

Answer: St. John of the Cross

St. John of the Cross was born in 1542 in Spain. When John became a Carmelite, John found out that many of the monks led luxurious and immoral lives. He asked St. Teresa of Avila to help him reform the order. Although many of the worldly Carmelites felt threatened and beat John, he eventually escaped, he says, with the help of the Blessed Virgin. John spent the rest of his life in poverty; he had seen the danger to the soul worldly pleasure could do.

His feast day is celebrated on December 14.

Answer: St. Anthony of Padua

St. Anthony was born in the year 1195. Although he had a great desire to become a knight during his youth, he had a "conversion" similar to St. Francis of Assisi, and left all to follow Christ. He became an Augustine, but felt this was not his vocation. Upon hearing of the six brave Franciscans martyrs, he, too became a Franciscan.

Anthony was well known for his wonderful gift of preaching. He performed such great miracles that all the heretics were stunned and returned to the Catholic Church. Jesus loved Anthony so much that once He appeared to him as a little Child and let Anthony hold Him.

St. Anthony died at the age of 36. 336 years after his death, his tomb was opened, and although his body was found to be corrupt, his tongue was perfectly preserved! Catholics believe that God kept his tongue so preserved to show how perfectly Anthony preached.

Answer: St. Alphonsus Liguori

At the age of 21, Alphonsus Liguori was one of the leading lawyers in Naples, but her never went to court without having first attended Mass. As he grew older, the more his disliked the world. At the age of 29 he was ordained a priest.

After Alphonsus had founded the Redemptorists, the royal government claimed to disband the Order, claiming that they were carrying out the work of the Jesuits, which had also been disbanded in 1773, only four years earlier. Although Alphonsus defended his order, he was nearly blind and was tricked into singing a paper which gave his approval to revise the Order's Rule.

There was a Redemptorist priest who led a worldly life, but refused to change. Alphonsus summoned him to his room and laid a large crucifix on the threshold. The priest hesitated to step in, but Alphonsus said, "Come along and be sure to trample it underfoot. It would not be the first time you have placed Our Lord beneath your feet." St. Alphonsus died in 1787 and was canonized in 1839.

Answer: St. Thomas Aquinas

St. Thomas Aquinas was always extremely intelligent, even as a child. When he told his parents that he decided to become a Dominican priest, they were outraged. His brothers captured him and put him in prison cell. Then they set a beautiful woman into the cell, hoping he would break his vow of chastity. Thomas, realizing his brothers' plan, grabbed a torch and chased the frightened woman from his room. Thomas prayed fervently for purity and two angels appeared to him and tied a blazing cord around his waist. The pain was excruciating, but Thomas was never again tempted against purity. Finally his parents released him.

When Thomas went to Paris to study, he was known as the "dumb ox" by his fellow students because he was so shy and so big. His teacher, St. Albert the Great replied: "You call him 'dumb ox'. I tell you, this 'dumb ox' will bellow so loud, the whole world we be filled with his bellowing .'

After Thomas published his ""Summa Theologica", defending the True Presence of Christ under the appearance of bread and wine, Thomas went into a Catholic church. He threw his book at the foot of a Crucifix. Jesus came off the Cross and said: 'Thomas, thou hast written well concerning the Sacrament of My Body. What would thou have as a reward?' 'Only You', replied Thomas.

Answer: St. Therese of Lisieux

St. Therese was born in Lisieux, France in 1873. After her mother died when Therese was only four, little Therese became very ill. She was cured when a statue of Our Lady smiled at her.

Therese's greatest desire was to become a Carmelite nun, like her older sisters. When she was only fifteen, she received permission from the Pope and became "Sr. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face." Beginning in 1896, Therese began coughing up blood; she had tuberculosis. Her pain was so great, that she said if she didn't have faith she would have committed suicide. Before she died, she promised, "I will spend my Heaven doing good upon earth. I will let fall a shower of roses." Everywhere in the world, people are receiving mysterious roses, which they believe are from St. Therese.