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Saint Thorlac: Defender of Authentic Catholic Living in All States in Life
St. Thorlac lived in a time of great contrasts. He grew up in a country populated by poor farmers and seafarers, frequently subject to harsh climatic conditions and fluctuations in the availability of food. He himself came from a family in good social standing whose money ran out during a downturn in mercantile activity, and from complete poverty he then entered the high social class of the priesthood. He went from being self-taught to attending a prestigious center of learning, and he studied abroad only to return home to his humble roots. In his religious career, he was a deacon, a parish priest, a theological scholar, a Canon Regular of the Order of St. Augustine, a consecrated abbot of a monastery and a bishop. In each setting, St. Thorlac conducted himself as anywhere else: in full obedience to God. Historical narratives state he "heeded to the utmost the obligations which pertained to each of the ordinations that he received. And as quickly as his education and ordination proceeded, he foresightedly attained with resolute steadfastness all the good qualities which belonged to the orders."(12)
St. Thorlac never took his rank lightly, and felt the higher one rose, the greater his responsibility to live uprightly. In particular, he believed those in public offices had the greatest burden of good living as examples for all to see. Of the matters which troubled him, he particularly disliked attending proceedings at the Althing, Iceland’s parliamentary gathering, as "many men who were highly thought of went astray in their suits there."(13) Likewise, he held the conviction that that it is the "greater downfall of the church if noble men erred greatly."(14)
St. Thorlac tended many different walks of life among his flocks: peasants, married, single, prominent leaders, monks and fellow priests. He saw them all equally, as brothers and sisters in Christ, and expected no less from them.
St. Thorlac, Defender of Authentic Catholic Living in All States in Life: Pray For Us!