Saint Ambrose, Bishop, Confessor & Doctor
S. Ambrosii Episcopi Confessoris et Ecclesiae Doctoris
Saint Ambrose, the great Bishop of Milan, was one of the four original Doctors of the Latin Church, a fearless shepherd who taught the faith, instructed Saint Augustine, and confronted emperors in defence of the rights of God.
Saint Ambrose was born about the year 340 into a noble Roman family, his father serving as prefect of Gaul. Trained in law and eloquence, he rose to be the imperial governor of the region of Milan. While he was still only a catechumen, the people of Milan, divided over the choice of a bishop, acclaimed him with one voice; and so, though unbaptised and reluctant, he was baptised, ordained, and consecrated bishop within a single week, about the year 374.
Bishop and teacher
Saint Ambrose gave away his wealth to the poor and devoted himself entirely to the study of Scripture and the care of his people. He became one of the foremost preachers and writers of the Latin Church, and it was his preaching, under the grace of God, that led the great Saint Augustine to the Catholic faith; Saint Ambrose baptised him at Milan. His commentaries, his treatises on the duties of the clergy, and his hymns shaped the worship and teaching of the Church for centuries, and from him the venerable Ambrosian liturgy of Milan takes its name.
He was a bishop of unbending courage in defending the liberty of the Church and the moral law. When the Emperor Theodosius had been responsible for a grievous massacre, Saint Ambrose required of him public penance before he might again approach the sacred mysteries, and the emperor humbly submitted. In this Saint Ambrose witnessed that no earthly power stands above the law of God.
Doctor of the Church
For the holiness of his life and the soundness of his doctrine, Saint Ambrose is honoured as one of the four great Doctors of the Western Church, together with Saints Augustine, Jerome, and Gregory the Great. He died at Milan on Holy Saturday in the year 397. His feast on the seventh of December, the eve of the Immaculate Conception, recalls a pastor who fed his flock with sound teaching and guarded it with fearless love.
The Collect
O God, who didst give blessed Ambrose to be a teacher and ruler of thy people: grant, we beseech thee; that we may deserve to have him for our intercessor in heaven, whom we have had for a teacher of life on earth.
Deus, qui pópulo tuo ætérnæ salútis beátum Ambrósium minístrum tribuísti: præsta, quæsumus; ut, quem Doctórem vitæ habúimus in terris, intercessórem habére mereámur in cælis.
Patronage
He is the patron of the city of Milan and of bee-keepers, and the Ambrosian rite of Milan bears his name.
In the Modern Calendar
In the modern calendar his feast is observed on 7 December as an obligatory memorial.
Common Questions
When is the feast of Saint Ambrose?
His feast is kept on 7 December in the calendar of the 1962 Roman Missal, as a Third Class feast, on the eve of the Immaculate Conception.
Who was Saint Ambrose?
He was the fourth-century Bishop of Milan, a former imperial governor acclaimed bishop by the people. He is one of the four original Doctors of the Latin Church, famed for his preaching, his hymns, and his courage before emperors.
What is Saint Ambrose’s connection to Saint Augustine?
It was the preaching of Saint Ambrose that led Saint Augustine to embrace the Catholic faith, and Saint Ambrose baptised him at Milan in 387. Augustine remembered him with deep gratitude in his Confessions.
See where this feast falls in the Church’s year on the liturgical calendar, or find a Traditional Latin Mass near you.
These pages are offered with love for the saints and for all who seek them. If anything here should need correcting, we humbly beg your pardon and ask your help — kindly write to [email protected], and we will mend it as soon as we can.
Receive the coming feasts, Mass times, and reflections from our community — sent with care, never spam.