On the Kalendar: Thomas à Kempis, Priest

Thomas à Kempis (Thomas of Kempen) was a German-Dutch canon regular who lived in the 15th century. While in school in Deventer (in the Netherlands), Kempis encountered the Brethren of the Common Life, a pietist religious community living in communities much like strict monasteries. The Brethren’s founder, Gerard Groote, had had a religious experience and thereafter preached a life of simple devotion. He founded a movement called Devotio Moderna (Modern Devotion), which called for apostolic renewal through the practice of humility, obedience, and simplicity of life.

Thomas entered the Monastery of Mount St Agnes in 1406 and ordained a priest about a decade later. He was made sub-prior of the monastery in 1429. Thomas became a prolific copyist and writer: in the course of his career, he copied out the Bible in its’ entirety at least four times.

Thomas’s most famous work is the Imitatio Christi, The Imitation of Christ. He also wrote biographies of several Modern Devotion members, including founder Gerard Groote.

Here is a selection of quotes from The Imitation of Christ:

July 25 is the date of Thomas’s death, but he is commemorated on July 24 to avoid a conflict with Saint James the Great.