Ambrose

Who they were

Ambrose was born in 340 at Trier to a Christian Roman family; his father was prefect of Gaul, and his sister Marcellina and brother Satyrus are saints. He studied law in Rome and became governor of Liguria and Emilia. On 7 December 374, called to keep order at the stormy election of a bishop in Milan between Catholics and Arians, he heard a child's voice cry 'Ambrose bishop!' and the whole crowd take it up. Not yet baptised, he tried to refuse and even fled, but the emperor and Pope Damasus confirmed the choice, and at 34 he became bishop of Milan.

He gave his goods to the poor, studied the Scriptures and the Fathers - 'when I read the Scriptures, God walks with me in Paradise' - and learned to preach; his sermons helped convert the young Augustine. He would not hand a single church to the Arians, holding that the emperor is within the Church, not above it, and he always upheld the Pope: 'Where Peter is, there is the Church.' He wrote hymns that transformed the Church's prayer, and died on Holy Saturday 397.

The miracles

There was never a formal cause: Ambrose has been honoured as a saint since his death. He is one of the four great Doctors of the Western Church, with Jerome, Augustine and Gregory the Great.

Why that counted as sanctity

Ambrose accepted a burden he had not sought and carried it as a true shepherd, poor, prayerful and fearless before emperors, defending the divinity of Christ and the freedom of the Church.

Connected on this site

• Augustine of Hippo Saint Influenced by them
  “He also had a notable influence on Augustine of Hippo (354–430), whom he helped convert to Christianity.” — Wikipedia
• Saint Marcellina Saint Brother or sister
• Satyrus of Milan Saint Brother or sister
• Theodosius I Saint
  “As bishop, he took a firm position against Arianism and attempted to mediate the conflict between the emperors Theodosius I and Magnus Maximus.” — Wikipedia