Have you ever wondered, what is a Doctor of the Church? Well, wonder no more. I’ll explain, in broad strokes what that means.

How does one become a Doctor of the Church?

First, you must be a saint. A saint is someone who has great holiness. A Doctor of the Church has holiness that is outstanding. During their lifetimes, they truly exemplified what it means to follow Christ. They also left behind a body of work for us today. Writing, letters, books, sermons, which had great depth on a particular doctrine or teaching of the Chruch. This helps us, even today, grow in our own understanding. Their work has withstood the test of time.

How many Doctors are there?

36; 32 men and 4 women. The Church has been selecting DOctors from saints since 1298. The latest, St. Gregory of Narek, was made a Doctor in 2015 by Pope Francis.

The four women Doctors are Catherine of Siena, Theresa of Avila, Terese of Lisieux, and Hildgard of Bingen.

While all the saints are notable, a few are more well known than others: St. Anthony of Padua, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Thomas Aquinas.

For a complete list, look here.

I mentioned in my podcast that I am starting a study group on St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans. I’d love to see you there and signing up is as easy as entering an email. 

Our NotLukewarm Challenge this week is to write in honor of all the great writing left to us from the Doctors. Read a bit of scripture or just sit and pray by writing your prayers. Take 5 or 10 minutes. That’s all!

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