The Saints: St. Robert Bellarmine

1542 - 1621
Feast – Sept. 17

A doctor of the church and key figure of the Catholic Reformation, Robert was born in Montepulciano, Italy, and by 18 had mastered the violin, debating and writing Latin verse. He was ordained a Jesuit in 1570 and taught at Louvain. Subsequently, he advised several popes; mediated theological conflicts, including the Galileo controversy; and became a cardinal, archbishop of Capua and prefect of the Vatican Library. He wrote an acclaimed 3-volume work defending Catholicism against the heresies of the age.