This blog is comprised of Saint of the Week stories I have been writing for my youth groups in Rocky Mountain House and Sylvan Lake. Each week we act out the life of another saint in what is called a "Spontaneous Melodrama." Choose volunteer actors for each role in the story, then read the story, pausing when necessary to let the actors say their lines. This is a dynamic and fun way to learn the stories of the saints, although sometimes historical precision is sacrificed for flow. Feel free to try this in your group!

Monday, December 3, 2012

St Nicholas


  St Nicholas
Nicholas, turks (2), man, daughters (3), slave trader

(Enter Nicholas, Turks)
Nicholas lived in a place called Myra, in modern day turkey.  His fellow turks used to waddle around, saying “gobble gobble, gobble gobble!” Until Finally Nicholas said “Hey!  No foul language!”

(Enter man, daughters, exit turks)

Nicholas was the Bishop of his region, and many people came to him with their concerns.  One day a man came to Nicholas and said “I am a poor man.  I cannot afford to have my daughters get married.  I cannot even afford the rent on my house!  I owe a slave trader all my money, and if I don’t pay him, he will turn my daughters into slaves! If I don’t give him a bag of gold each day for the next 3 days, he will take my daughters!  He’s coming for the oldest one tomorrow!”
The three girls began crying, and the father kissed each one on the forehead.

Nicholas said “Don’t be afraid.  God will take care of you!”

That night, Nicholas snuck over to the house where the father and daughters were sleeping.  The father snored very loudly.  Nicholas took a bag of gold, and threw it in through the window.  Then he snuck away.
(Exit Nicholas. Enter slave trader)

The next day the slave trader came to the mans house.  “Well old man” he said loudly, “unless there was a miracle, I guess you can’t afford to pay me!  I will take your oldest daughter now!”  Then he laughed maniacally.
But the man said “here is your gold!” handing the slave trader the bag Nicholas had thrown through the window.

The trader was very angry.  He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.  “Where did you get this?” he demanded.  “Never mind, I’ll have your second daughter by tomorrow.”  And he stormed out. 

(Exit slave trader)
The father  and daughters hugged each other, but they were very afraid for the next day!

(Enter Nicholas)

Again that night, Nicholas snuck to the man’s house.  When he heard the man snoring obnoxiously, he threw another bag of gold in the window.  Then he snuck away.

(exit Nicholas, enter Trader)
The next day, the trader came again to the man’s house. “Give me your second daughter, and no more nonsense!”  He yelled.  But again the man presented him with a bag of gold.

The trader was flabbergasted!  He sputtered and spat, pulling out his hair and slapping himself in the face.  Then he pointed a trembling finger at the father and said “you win again.  But you won’t get so lucky next time!  I am coming back tomorrow, for your youngest daughter!” And he stomped away, slamming the imaginary door.

(exit trader)
The 3 girls fell on their knees and began to beg their father.  “Please daddy!  Help us!”

The father said “My children, twice gold has appeared by our window as if by miracle. Let us pray and see if the kind stranger comes again tonight!”  So they all prayed.
That night, they turned out the lights, and hid, to see who was giving them the money.  

(Enter Nicholas)

St Nicholas came sneaking over… but he listened, and he did not hear the sound of snoring!  All he heard was the sound of crickets and a low wind. (Have audience make the sounds.)

So Nicholas climbed onto the roof of the house, and threw the gold down the chimney instead.  It landed in the socks of the youngest girl, who was drying them by the fire!

(Exit Nicholas, Enter Trader)
And so the family celebrated, and when the trader came a third time, they paid him, and had money left over-  so they threw a party!

St Nicholas-  Pray for us!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene

Mary, People (2), Jesus, Pharisee, Martha, Lazarus, guards (2)

Disclaimer:  There were several Mary's and other women in Jesus' life, and no one can be certain that the same Mary Magdalene is the character in all of these bibical stories, but it is commonly believed that she is.  While this account certainly takes some creative liberties, it can be considered more accurate than the one by Dan Brown.

(Enter Mary, people)

Mary always wore her hair down.  Because of this, she was a woman of ill repute.  People would come up to her and say "Tsk, tsk.  Your repute is ill."  Then they would shun her, saying "Talk to the hand!"

(Exit people, enter Jesus, Pharisee)

But one day Mary went to the house of a pharisee where Jesus was eating.  She fell at his feet, crying, and wiping her tears off his feet with her hair, and kissing his feet. The Pharisee was outraged, and said "Get that disgusting creature off of my floor!" Then he hit her with a broom, saying "shoo, shoo you vile rodent!"

But Jesus said "Leave her alone!  You did not honour me when I came here, but she did by washing my feet with her tears!"

(Exit Pharisee, enter Martha, Lazarus)

Mary was so grateful, she said "Please come and eat with me and my family!"

So Jesus went and met with Mary and her sister Martha and her brother Lazarus.  Jesus talked about God's mercy and how he wanted to bless sinners, and Mary sat at his feet and listened.  But the whole time, Martha was working hard to making pizza bagels.  Finally, Martha interrupted and said "Jesus, please tell my lazy sister to get up and help me!"

But Jesus said "Martha, Martha.  You are concerned about so many things!  But Mary has chosen the better part."

Then Jesus left.  While he was gone, Lazarus choked on a pizza bagel and died.  Then Jesus came back.

Mary and Martha cried and hugged each other.  Jesus came and made the hug into a group hug. Mary said "If you had been here, this never would have happened!"

But Jesus said "I am the resurrection and the life!"  then he ordered Lazarus "Lazarus, Get up!"

And Lazarus stood up, and did a little dance!  The audience said "It's a miracle!"

(Enter Pharisee and guards, exit Lazarus and Martha)

 But the pharisee said "This Jesus is getting a little too dangerous-  we will have to have him killed.  I'll get my broom"

But the guards said "Or... we could crucify him!"

So the guards arrested Jesus, and killed him, nailing him to a cross.

Mary saw Jesus die, and she cried, kissing his feet again.

(Enter people)

She saw people take Jesus down from the cross and lay him in a tomb, and she cried.  Then she went home.

(Exit people, Jesus)

3 days later, she came back to visit the tomb, but when she got there, it was empty!  So she cried.

(Enter Jesus)

Jesus appeared to her and said "Mary!"  She was so excited, she ran and hugged him, and would not let go!  Jesus tired to shake her off, but she clung to him like industrial strength velcro!

Jesus said "Mary, go tell everyone that I am alive!"

So Mary ran to tell the audience that Jesus was alive!  Then Jesus rose up mysteriously into the air and went to Heaven. And even after Jesus went up to heaven, she continued to tell people!  She even got in a boat and went all the way to France!

Mary Magdalene was a sinner who recognized that Jesus was the King, so changed her life, and became one of the greatest saints in history!

Saint Mary Magdalene-  Pray for us!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

St Lucy


St Lucy
Lucy, Father, Mother, Agatha, fiancée (male), servant, magistrate, guards (2), cattle (2)

(Enter Lucy, Mother, Father)

When Lucy was a little girl, her father died. Her Father said "Seriously?  I finally get to be in saint of the week and I die in the first sentence?".  Then he collapsed and died in an extremely dramatic fashion.  Then he left the stage.

Her mother was very sad, and very sick.  She would cry and cough, and cough and cry, and do both at the same time, which looked uncomfortable.  Lucy said to her mother “Mommy, let’s pray to St Agatha that she will make you feel better!”

So  Lucy and her mom stayed up all night, praying to St Agatha.  

(Enter St Agatha)

In the morning, St Agatha miraculously appeared to her, and said “Lucy!  You too will become a great saint!  And your mother will be healed!”

Then she said "poof" and disappeared again.

(Exit Agatha)

Lucy’s mom was healed, and she danced for joy, singing “Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!”

The audience said "I hope it wasn't lent!"  Most of them didn't get the joke.

Then Lucy’s mom showed Lucy a large sum of money, and said “Lucy, here is your  dowry.  This is for you when you get married, since we have to pay someone to marry you!”

But Lucy said “But Mom, I don’t want to get married! I want to remain a virgin! Let’s give that money to the poor instead.”

But her mom said “But Lucy, I already chose a husband for you!” 

Just then in walked Lucy’s fiancée.  (enter fiancee) He knelt on one knee before Lucy and said “You are even more beautiful than I ever imagined! Your eyes are so stunning, I could swim in their deep pools!  I am in love! You will make me the happiest man in Rome!”  And he kissed her hand.

(Enter servant)
But one of Lucy’s servants walked in, looked askance, and said “Awkward!  She is promised to another man!”

Her fiancée sprang to his feet, demanding “And where is this other man?  I’ll kill him!”

But Lucy said “I am promised to Jesus himself.”

Her fiancée said “What?  A Christian?  That’s illegal!  I’m telling”.  Then he stuck out his tongue, and flapped his hands at the side of his head saying “You’re in trouble, nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah.”


(Enter Magistrate)

Just then in walked the magistrate, who said “What’s going on in here?”

Her fiancée started whining saying “Magistrate!  Lucy was supposed to be my wife, but she says she wants to stay a virgin for Jesus!  Tell her she’s not allowed!”

The magistrate said “You’re not allowed. Now marry this young man, or I will have you sent to a brothel.”

But Lucy remained peaceful and said “I am promised to Jesus, and will remain pure for him.”
The magistrate said “Fine.  Guards!  Arrest her! Take her to a brothel!”

(Enter Guards)

The guards grabbed her, but found she would not budge!  They pulled and pushed and tried to lift her, but she was stiff as a board and heavy as a mountain!

(Enter Cattle)

So they hitched her to two cattle, which they whipped.  The cattle mooed loudly, but hard as they pulled, Lucy could not be moved.

Her fiancée said “Please Lucy, I am so in love with you!  I love your eyes!”

The magistrate said “Guards, gouge out her eyes and give them to him please.”  So they poked out Lucy’s eyes, and gave them to the fiancee who said "I liked them better in your face."

Miraculously Lucy's eyes grew right back! Finally the magistrate yelled at the guards "Stab her in the throat!"

And they did. 

But even with a dagger in her throat, Lucy continued to rebuke the magistrate, saying “Jesus is real, and you have been very naughty.  Bad boy!  Bad!”

 St Lucy-  Pray for us

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

St Lawrence


St Lawrence.
Lawrence, bulls (2),  strangers (2), Pope Sixtus II, cousin, tornado the horse, Valerian, Guards (2), poor (2), crippled (2)

(Enter Lawrence, standby Bulls, strangers)

St Lawrence was a Spaniard.  Like all good Spaniards, he danced flamenco, enjoyed the running of the bulls, (Where the bulls charged and Lawrence tried to stay out of their way) and was extremely affectionate with strangers, giving them big hugs and kissing them on each cheek. Lawrence said, in his best Spanish accent, "Hey, man.  I don't care for all these stereotypes. Let's just throw tomatoes at each other and take a nap, OK?"

Then he hugged the narrator, kissing the narrator on both cheeks.

(Exit bulls, strangers. Enter Sixtus)

One day Pope Sixtus II said "Hey Lawrence-  how would you like to be a deacon?"

Lawrence said "I'd love to!"  Then he made a move to embrace a kiss Sixtus, but Pope Sixtus said "I'm the Pope-  kiss my ring instead."  Which Lawrence did enthusiastically.  

 Pope Sixtus entrusted much of the Churches wealth to Lawrence, and even gave him the Chalice which Jesus drank from at the last supper!   

(Enter cousin, Tornado the horse)

Lawrence gave the cup to his cousin, saying “bring this to my family in Spain, so it can be kept safe!” 

His cousin leapt onto the back of Tornado the horse. The horse reared backwards, looking epic, while the cousin pulled out a sword and slashed a zed into the air.  Then they galloped away into the sunset.

The audience giggled excitedly and said "Just like Zorro!" The narrator was pleased that they got the joke because it was pretty subtle.

(Exit Cousin, Tornado. Enter Valerian, guards)

Emperor Valerian marched in regally, flanked by two armed guards.  Valerian said “Christianity is illegal!  I will kill all the Christians!  Arrest that man!” and he pointed at Pope Sixtus.  2 roman guards arrested Sixtus, and began dragging him away.
Lawrence ran up to Sixtus, and said “Pope Sixtus!  Where are you going without your deacon?”

The Pope said “I am going to be martyred!  Wanna come?”

Lawrence said “Absolutely!”

The Pope said “Ok, in 3 days you can be a martyr too!”
Lawrence said “hooray!” and clapped his hands.

Valerian ordered the guards, saying “Chop off the head of the Pope, and arrest the deacon.” So they did.

(Exit Sixtus)
Valerian ordered “Lawrence, I understand that you were entrusted with the treasures of the church.  Bring it to me.”

Lawrence said “It’ll take time to gather it up.  Give me three days!”
Valerian said “Done!”

(Enter poor, crippled)

So for three days, Lawrence took the Church property and gave it to the poor and crippled.  Then he got the poor and crippled to follow him, and returned to Valerian. He shouted “Here are the treasures of the Church!”
Valerian got so mad, he turned beat red.  He said to his guards “Fire up the bar-be-cue!  We’re roasting Lawrence tonight!”

So the guards grabbed Lawrence, and placed him on a grill, which they put over a low burning fire.  As Lawrence was slowly burning to death, Lawrence said “Turn me over!  I am done on this side!”
Lawrence is the patron saint of comedians.

St Lawrence-  pray for us!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Padre Pio

Padre Pio, someone, commanders, women (2), husband, father, son, abbot (boy), doctor, scientist, American bombers, People (2- including 'someone')

(Pio and someone on stage)

Pio was a monk who lived in Italy.  He lived his life as the best monk he could, praying and fasting, and saying Mass.  He was often sick, and would cough and wheeze when he breathed. 

One day he heard someone announce  "War!  All of Europe is going to war!  All monks have to join the army!"

(someone leave, commanders enter)

But when Pio went to join the army, the commanders laughed at him, saying "You're too sick!  Go home!"

(Exit Commanders, Enter women, husband, father, son)

With war came much suffering.  Women wept as they said goodbye husbands and fathers and sons.  They clung to their necks, and kissed them. But the men went off to war, many dying in the battlefield.

(Women, husband, father son all leave the stage)

Pio was very upset!  He went to the chapel to pray, and laid down on his face.  He trembled all over.  He said "Jesus!  Please let me suffer a little more, so the rest of Europe can suffer a little less!"

Suddenly Pio felt a searing pain in his hands and feet.  He screamed in pain.  Holes appeared like those which Jesus would have had from dying on the cross!

(Enter Abbot)

His Abbott ran in, and said "It's a miracle!  This is the stigmata!"

Pio said "What's Stigmata?"

The abbot said "Nothing- what's stigmatta with you?"

The audience groaned.

Then the abbot said "Call a doctor!"

(enter Doctor)

 The doctor examined Pio's hands, and said "There's is no scientific explanation for how these holes appeared!"

The audience gasped, and they all turned to each other, whispering "it's a miracle!"

But the abbot said "Let the Pope decide if it's a miracle!" 

(Enter scientist)

But the Pope couldn't make it, so he sent one of his best scientists instead. The scientist said "I cannot explain this... but I do not believe in miracles!"

(Enter people, women, exit scientist, doctor)

As word got out about the stigmata, Padre Pio's reputation for holiness grew. 

The abbot said "And we do mean Holiness..."

The audience groaned again.

Many people would come to Pio for confession.  One woman said in confession "I have not always been as loving as I should be." 

Padre Pio said "I'll say!  You're having an affair with a married man!"

The woman gasped, saying "How could you possibly know that!"

The audience whispered "It's a miracle!"

The abbot said "Hey, this is confession!  No audience allowed!"

(exit people, abbot)

Another time a woman was in downtown crying about her sick daughter.  Pio said "Don't cry!  Your daughter is healed!"

(enter abbot, exit Pio)

The next day the woman came to the monastery and said to the abbot "Please!  I must speak to Padre Pio!  His prayers have healed my daughter!"

The audience whispered "It's a miracle!"

The abbot said "I am sorry, you cannot see Padre Pio today.  He is sick in bed."

The woman said "Oh... but he was fine yesterday!"

The abbot replied "I'm afraid not-  he has been in bed for 3 weeks!"

The woman argued "But I saw him!  He was downtown!  He must have been in 2 places at once!"

The audience whispered "It's a miracle!"

The abbot yelled at the audience "That's enough!"

(Clear the stage, enter bombers)

During World War II, American Bombers were flying over the area, going to bomb Padre Pio's town.  Suddenly one of them yelled  'Look out!  There's a flying monk!"

(enter Padre Pio)

Padre Pio was standing in the clouds, and he said "Don't bomb here.  go somewhere else!"

The audience whispered "It's..."  But before they could finish the abbot yelled from offstage "Enough!"

(exit bombers, enter doctor)

Fifty years after getting the stigmata, one day the wounds disappeared all together.  The doctor said "Weird!  There's not even scar tissue" 

But Padre Pio said "But I can still feel the pain."

Shortly after that he died.

St Padre Pio-  Pray for us!




  



St Gianna


St Gianna
Gianna, the sick(2), brother, Pietro, Baby.  Another baby,  Yet another baby, Doctor, Priest last baby

(Enter Gianna, Sick.)

Gianna was a doctor, and spent her days looking after the sick.  She would make them lie down on beds, and when they coughed she would wipe up their phlegm, and when they sneezed she would wipe their noses.

(Enter Brother)

Her brother said "Gianna, I am going to Brazil, where I will be a missionary, and tell people about Jesus!"

Gianna said “I wish I could go with you!”

Just then the sick people spasmed and vomited, saying "Uh, Gianna, can you clean that up?"

Her brother said "I can see why you want to come with me.  But I'm afraid your health is too weak, so you cannot."
Gianna wept as she hugged him goodbye.  Then he left epicly, looking back lovingly at his sister, and holding out his hand to hers as if to say "I will always be with you in your heart."  Then he tripped, so he started looking where he was going.

(Exit brother and sick, enter Pietro)

At her office, Gianna met an attractive engineer named Pietro.  She made flirty eyes at him.  He used his best pick up line on her. (Narrator, make sure he uses one.  If he can't think of one, get him to say "I notice you noticin me girl")   Soon, they were in love, and they held hands, as they skipped around singing “when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore.”
First came love, then came marriage, then came a baby in a baby carriage.

(Enter Babies, one at a time, except last baby)

 Then another baby.  Then yet another baby.  The babies crawled around, spoke baby talk, drooled, and pooped in their diapers.  

(enter doctor, priest)

When Gianna was pregnant the 4th time the doctor said “Gianna, I am afraid if you have this baby you will die!”

The audience gasped!  The babies began to cry.
The doctor went on  “We can remove your uterus, and save your life, but the baby will die.”  A priest said “Don’t worry, Gianna. The Catholic Church says that kind of operation is ok, as long as you are not directly having an abortion.”

But Gianna said “If we need to choose between my life and that of my baby, I choose my baby!”
(enter last baby)

So after the last baby was born, Gianna died in hospital.

St Gianna-  Pray for us!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

St Barbara


Barbara, dad, Shepherd 1, Shepherd 2, 3 sheep, Martinianus

Barbara was the most beautiful woman any one had ever seen.  Her Dad was so enamored by her beauty that he said “ Barbara, will you marry me?”

Barbara said “Ew!  No!  You’re my dad!”

So her dad took her by the hair, and dragged her to the top of a high tower, where he locked her in.  Yelling through the door, he said “If you won’t marry me, you won’t marry anyone! “  Then he laughed an evil and diabolical laugh.

But Barbara prayed, and suddenly the walls of the tower opened up, and she was miraculously brought to a nearby gorge, where 2 shepherds who were looking after their sheep, hid her.

When he dad came looking for her, he demanded of the shepherds “Have you seen my daughter Barbara?”

The first shepherd said “No, I have not seen her.”

But the second shepherd said “Yes-  she’s over there in that gorge!”  After saying this, he was turned to stone!  And his sheep were turned into grasshoppers!

Barbara’s father grabbed her and said “Now I will take you to Martinianus, who will put you to death for being a Christian!”

Martinianus giggled like a school girl when he saw the prisoner, and tortured her cruelly.  Each night she would be placed in a cell, where her wounds would be miraculously healed.

Finally Martinianus said “You are to be beheaded!”

Barbara’s Father took a sword, and chopped off her head!  Then he began once more to laugh maniacally!  Then he was suddenly struck by lightning.

St Barbara’s feast is Dec 4th, and is celebrated in Arab countries with traditions like Halloween!

 

St Barbara-  Pray for us!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

St Kassiani


St Kassiani

Characters:  Theophilus (Thee-awe-fill-us), Subjects (2), Euphrosyne (U-fro-seen), Eligible women, Kassiani, nuns

(Enter Theophilus, Subjects)

There once was great Byzantine Emperor, named Theophilus. 

The audience said "Seriously?  That's Theophilus name I've ever heard!"  Then they all gave each other high fives for thinking of the exact same joke at the exact same time.

Theophilus walked around as regally as he could, patting his subjects on the head, and giving orders for noble things to be done.  But Theophilus was lonely, and would often sit alone and wish that he had someone to love.

(Enter Euphrosyne, eligible women, Kassiani)

So his stepmother, Euphrosyne, made a declaration that all the eligible young women should come and present themselves to the emperor in a bride show. All the eligible women, including Kassiani, made themselves as pretty as possible to impress Theophilus.  They giggles and posed in the most beautiful ways. 

Theophilus walked up and down the line of beautiful women, trying to decide which one to give a golden apple to, which would make her his wife.  He stopped at Kassiani, saying "Va-va-voom!". 

Kassiani giggled. 

Then he said "It is because of women that all the bad things have come into the world."  By this he was referring to the sin of Eve.

But Kassiani was intelligent, and she answered "It is because of a woman that all of the good things have come into the world." By this she meant Mary.

All the other eligible girls said "Oooh", as if Kassiani was trying to pick a fight.

Theophilus was impressed by her intelligence,  but embarrassed because she was more intelligent than he was. So he gave the apple to one of the other girls, and they went off and got married.

(Theophilus, eligible girls, subjects and Euphrosyne leave the stage, enter nuns)

Kassiani was sad, because she actually did love Theophilus.   But she believed that God wanted her to become a nun, so she went and started a convent.  She gathered other nuns around her, and led them in singing praise songs to God.

Kassiani loved writing hymns for the Church, and would spend her time signing to herself in the convent.

(Enter Theophilus)

One day while writing a hymn, she saw that Theophilus was coming! He was riding on a horse, and looking very gallant.

"Oh no!"  Kassiani said, melodramatically.  "I am a nun, but I still love him!  If I speak with him I will want to leave with him!  I must hide!" And so she went and hid in the closet.

When Theophilus entered the room, he found it empty.  He began to cry.  "Oh, Kassiani!  You were the most beautiful of all the women, and the most intelligent!  Would that I had chosen you instead of being hurt by my pride!" 

Then he noticed the Hymn that Kassiani had been writing, sitting on a table.  He took a pen, and finished writing the song, saying "I knew that we would write beautiful music together!"

As he set down the pen, he saw Kassiani watching him from inside the closet.  Kassiani gasped. But Theophilus just left the room.

St Kassiani-  Pray for us!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

St Albert the Great


St Albert
Albert, Roger Bacon, People (1) (2) (3), Mary, young men, Tomas Aquinas, Etienne Tempier

Back in the middle ages, there was a guy named Albert.  He was so smart, that even back in his day, people used to call him “Albert the Great”.  One of his buddies was a man named Roger Bacon.  Bacon was also very smart, and people called him “the wonderful teacher.”   Together, Albert the Great and Roger Bacon would conduct scientific experiments, long before most people even knew what science was! 

 (Scene Change!  Everyone but Albert leave)

One day while studying something, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him.  Mary said “Albert, that’s great that you want to be a scientist and a teacher, but you should really become a priest.”  Albert said “yeah, Ok!”  Then Mary disappeared.

(Young men and Thomas Aquinas enter)

Now known as Father Albert, he continued teaching university classes.  Several young men, including Tomas Aquinas, were his students.  Tomas Aquinas was a big fat guy that always had a stupid look on his face.  Because of that, the other students would call “the dumb ox”.  But it turned out that Thomas was one of the smartest guys in history!

When Thomas died, Albert was really sad.  

(Scene Change- Exit Thomas, enter Etienne Tempier and people)

A few years later, the Bishop of Paris, a guy named  Etienne Tempier, called a gathering, and said in his snooty Parisian accent “Science is very dangerous!  If you believe in the laws of physics and logic, you are putting a limit on God!  Some of the things Aquinas said are wrong, and nobody should believe them!  If you teach the stuff he taught, you should be kicked out of the Church!”

But Albert said “The stuff Thomas taught is what the Church teaches!  So stop being so silly!”

Other people accused Albert of being a wizard.  One person said “I heard Albert was doing experiments with things!  He must be doing magic!”  Another person said  “I heard that he found the philosophers stone, which turns other metals into gold! And he gave it to Thomas Aquinas!”  a third person said “He turned me into a newt!” And when everyone looked at him added “I got better.”

But one of Albert’s students said “He is doing science, and he has in doctorate in pretty much everything.   Science is a good thing… you should try it!”

So Albert kept doing his work.  He wrote books on logic, theology, botany, geography, astronomy, astrology, mineralogy, chemistry, zoology, physiology, phrenology… 38 volumes in all! Eventually everyone recognized that both he and Thomas Aquinas were geniuses.

St Albert the Great is a Doctor of the Church, and the Patron Saint of Scientists.

St Albert-  Pray for us!