St. Ambrose

Ambrose was the Roman governor of northern Italy when the people of Milan chose him as their bishop — before he was even baptized. He tried to flee the city, but the emperor confirmed the election. Within a week he was baptized, ordained, and consecrated, giving away his wealth and plunging into the study of Scripture.

He became the most influential bishop in the Western Church of his era. He stood down Emperor Theodosius after the massacre at Thessalonica, refusing him communion until he did public penance — establishing the principle that even rulers are subject to moral law. His preaching drew the young Augustine of Hippo into the Church.

A gifted hymn writer, Ambrose introduced congregational singing to the Latin Church. His four great hymns are still sung today. He died on Good Friday 397, having shaped the relationship between Church and state, the theology of the sacraments, and the spirituality of the Western tradition for centuries to come.