Catholic Saints Podcast: St. Albert the Great

Host: Taylor Kemp (A)
Guest: Dr. Scott Heffelfinger (B)
Date: November 15, 2025
Produced by: Augustine Institute

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the life, intellect, and enduring legacy of St. Albert the Great—one of the few saints known as "the Great." Host Taylor Kemp and faculty scholar Dr. Scott Heffelfinger explore not only St. Albert's contributions as a Dominican, scientist, and teacher but also his profound spiritual journey and his mentorship of St. Thomas Aquinas. The conversation highlights what made Albert “great,” the challenges and rewards of holiness in intellectual life, and the lessons modern Christians and educators can draw from his example.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

“The Great” Designation and Historical Context

• St. Albert’s Feast Day: November 15th (00:54)

• Few Saints Called “the Great”: Only a handful in Catholic tradition (e.g., St. Leo, St. Gregory, St. Gertrude). The hosts humorously try to recall all seven (01:18–01:22).

• Why “the Great”?

  • Not an official title from the Church, but a popular designation growing out of the cult of veneration.
  • Pope Benedict’s Insight: Most “Greats” had outsized impact not just on religious life but on temporal (societal/political) matters (02:09–03:03).

  “Almost all of the greats had a significant activity in and an impact on the politics of the day and age in which they were. So they had a very significant role in shaping the societies. Local or national.” (A, 02:29)

St. Albert’s Early Life and Education

• Born: Around 1200, into a wealthy family—“one of the few who's born at a castle” (B, 04:10)
• Castles: Reality vs. Myth: Fun aside about castles being cold and austere compared to modern expectations (04:48–05:39).
• Education:
  • Studied liberal arts: grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, music, astronomy (05:40–06:10).
  • Early interest in natural sciences, which became a lifelong pursuit.

Dominican Vocation & Intellectual Contributions

• Joins Dominicans: Recruited by Blessed Jordan of Saxony, after family resistance (06:11–06:30).

• Academic Career:

  • Studies and teaches across Germany and at the University of Paris (Europe’s intellectual hub at the time).
  • Renowned for integrating faith and science—“the intellectual climate at the university could tend to be a little bit divorced from the faith…St. Albert kind of unites that in his holy character and his intellectual life.” (B, 07:05)

• Major Contributions:

  • Natural Sciences: Wrote extensive treatises on scientific inquiry, geography, and natural history.
  • Aristotle’s Introduction: Crucial in bringing and defending Aristotle’s works in the West, reconciling them with Christian teaching (B, 08:23).

  “He brings Aristotle basically to the West…Albert begins the first sort of great set of arguments that Aristotle is compatible with Christianity.” (B, 08:23)

• Mentor to St. Thomas Aquinas:

  • St. Thomas’ teacher and friend—“the teacher outlives the pupil” (B, 09:36).
  • After Aquinas’ death, St. Albert traveled to Paris in 1277 to defend him and his teachings (B, 09:37).

  “He defends Thomas in Paris before the bishop there and some other theologians as an act of love for Thomas, but above all for the truth.” (B, 10:01)

End of Life: Humility and Final Purification

• Loss of Memory:

  • In his last years, Albert’s “memory fails”—understood as a providential, purifying trial foretold to him by Our Lady (B, 10:45).

• Biographer’s Reflection:

  • Holiness marked his later years, especially after relinquishing intellectual pursuits, contrasting his earlier subtle self-assertion in writing.

• Spiritual Lesson:

  • The path of holiness continues to the end, purifying every aspect, even intellectual pride—“self love and self aggrandizement can run very deep.” (B, 11:26)

  “Holiness just goes deeper and deeper if we're open to the Lord's will…Even if we can live a relatively holy life, show forth holiness in certain areas, there can be…other areas where we still have a little bit of pride or vanity or… imposing ourself on things. And St. Albert had to sort of be refined at the very end of his life.” (B, 11:26)

Parallels and Takeaways

• Gift and Responsibility:
  • The danger for those naturally gifted, like Albert, to fall into pride—reminder that all is gift and should serve God’s truth (12:03–13:46).
• Final Purification:
  • Compared to St. Louis Martin’s late-in-life suffering as a final preparation (A, 12:41).

Lessons from St. Albert’s Life

• Greatness in Christian Perspective:

  • “Greatness for the Christian is not about self glorification.” (B, 16:59)
  • Albert’s humility in teaching, producing saints like Thomas Aquinas.

• Education as Service:

  • Emphasis on the integration of intellectual pursuit with holiness and service—“it can never just be an academic endeavor…ultimately it's about God.” (A, 17:54)

• Friendship and Spiritual Formation:

  • Formation of Aquinas illustrates the power of mentorship and spiritual friendship.

• Living the Liberal Arts:

  • Pope Benedict noted Albert’s “education in liberal arts, a life of prayer and sacrament, and good mentors” as key to following God’s voice (B, 19:22).
  • Modern relevance—Augustine Institute echoes this model in its Master of Arts in Christian Education.

  “This is such a fruitful kind of combination that Albert the Great had, and I hadn't thought of it before, but in some way we're almost replicating those sure things to discover and follow God's voice…” (B, 20:32)

Lasting Legacy and Model for Today

• Doctor of the Church:

  • Albert is called the “Universal Doctor”—noted for breadth of knowledge, especially in the natural sciences, distinct from Aquinas as “Universal Doctor” for theology (19:01–19:22).

• Model of Attention:

  • Albert’s habit of close observation—journaling, mapping, noting details of the natural world—serves as a model for attentive engagement in a distracted age (B, 21:45).

  “Attention is a great thing. We don't want to lose that, I think, with all of the distractions that we have around us. So St. Albert's a great lesson there, I think, for us.” (B, 22:31)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On “the Great” title:

  “There are only a handful of greats… and I can't think of all of them…” (B, 00:56)
  “It's not like an official designation that the church grants. So it's probably recognized in like a canonization process or something like that.” (B, 01:39)

• On Humility and Holiness:

  “Holiness… goes deeper and deeper if we’re open to the Lord’s will… self love and self aggrandizement can run very deep.” (B, 11:26)

• On Christian Greatness:

  “Greatness for the Christian is not about self glorification.” (B, 16:59)
  “One of the greatest joys of being a teacher is to see a student not only sort of flourish and learn, but even surpass the teacher.” (B, 16:43)

• On Attention:

  “He drew detailed maps of Europe and, like, got the mountain ranges correct and all these things…To have the kind of friendships that St. Albert had with St. Thomas especially. Attention is a great thing.” (B, 21:45 / 22:31)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:54 – St. Albert’s feast day and list of “Great” saints
• 02:05–03:28 – Why the “Greats” are called great (Pope Benedict insight)
• 04:00–05:39 – Early life, castle upbringing, and education
• 06:40–08:23 – Studies, Dominicans, intellectual achievements
• 08:23–09:36 – Albert brings Aristotle to Western Christianity
• 09:37–10:01 – Defense of St. Thomas Aquinas in Paris
• 10:45–11:57 – Albert’s failing memory, last years, and humility
• 12:03–13:46 – Lessons about gift, pride, and purification
• 16:43–17:54 – The joy of teaching, humility, and mentorship
• 19:01–19:22 – Distinction between Albert and Aquinas as “Universal Doctor”
• 20:32–20:50 – Modern echo of Albert’s educational model
• 21:45–22:34 – Final lesson: the gift of attention

Conclusion

This episode offers an in-depth look at how St. Albert the Great’s intellect, humility, and deep attention to both the natural world and his students left an indelible mark on the Church. His life is a call for integrated Christian living—where study serves holiness, attention is a spiritual exercise, and even the “greats” seek purification up until life’s end. The timely lessons for teachers, scholars, and all the faithful are clear: pursue truth in service to God, cultivate humble mentorship, and never cease marveling at the gifts and the responsibilities they entail.

For further learning, listeners are encouraged to seek out Pope Benedict’s catechesis on Albert the Great and consider how modern programs can echo the saint’s legacy of integrated faith and learning.