St. Ambrose

Their story

Ambrose was born around 340 into a noble Roman family. He trained as a lawyer and became governor of a region in northern Italy, with his headquarters in Milan. In 374 the bishop of Milan died, and the election of a new bishop threatened to turn violent between rival groups. Ambrose went to the cathedral to keep the peace. As he spoke to the crowd, a voice cried out, “Ambrose for bishop!” and the whole crowd took up the call. There was one problem: Ambrose was still only a catechumen. Within a week he was baptized, ordained and consecrated bishop. He gave his wealth to the poor, studied Scripture deeply, and became a wise and fearless shepherd. He defended the Church against those who denied that Jesus is fully God, and he courageously called Emperor Theodosius to public penance after the emperor ordered a massacre. Ambrose was a gifted preacher who also wrote hymns that are still sung. His preaching helped bring St. Augustine to faith, and Ambrose baptized him at Easter in 387. A legend says that bees swarmed around his face as an infant, a sign of his honeyed words. He died in 397 and is a Doctor of the Church.