Dominic-Founder of the Order of Preachers, known as the Dominicans

Feast Day : August 8

Patronage: astronomers

Dominic was born around 1170 in Calaroga, Old Castile, Spain, to a noble family. His mother, Joanna of Aza, was a devout woman who was beatified in 1828 by Leo XII (r. 1823–29). Brother Antonio became a priest, and brother Manes became a friar preacher and was beatified by Pope Gregory XVI (r. 1831–46). From birth Dominic seemed destined for sainthood and greatness. Tradition holds that his mother had a vision prior to his birth of a dog with a lighted torch in its mouth. This was a sign that she would have a son who would set the world on fire with his ministry. Dominic studied at the University of Valencia from 1184 to 1194, excelling in his subjects and garnering the admiration of others for his austerity and charity. He especially abhorred heresy. He sold his books to give money to the poor, and twice attempted to sell himself into slavery in order to buy captives held by the Moors. In 1199 Dominic was called to the cathedral of Osma to assist in reforms of the Franciscan chapter there. He became a Franciscan canon regular and was appointed subprior. In 1201 he became superior and prior. Dominic spent nine years there, spending most of his time within the confines of the chapter. In 1203, Don Diego, the bishop of Osma, was dispatched by Alfonso IX, king of Castile, to negotiate the hand of a Danish princess for his son in marriage. Diego chose Dominic to accompany him. En route, they were dismayed at the influence of the Albigensian heresy in Toulouse. Dominic was inspired with the idea of founding an order of preachers to evangelize and combat heresy. After the marriage was arranged, Diego and Dominic were sent to escort the princess to Spain. She died suddenly en route. Dominic and Diego set out to preach against the Albigenses in southern France and went on to Rome, arriving near the end of 1204. Pope Innocent III (r. 1198–1216) refused to approve a new order, however, and sent the men to Languedoc to aid the Cistercians in their fight against heresy and to reform the monasteries. They found the Cistercians to be too lax. Their preaching won many converts, as well as threats from the Cistercians. Dominic also founded a convent for women in Prouille in 1206. In 1208, Pierre de Castelnau, one of the Cistercian papal legates, was murdered by the Albigenses. Innocent III responded with a crusade to stamp them out and appointed Simon de Montfort to head the effort. Dominic formed a close friendship with him and assisted him. During this seven-year crusade, Dominic played a role in the Inquisition. Simon attributed a critical victory at Muret to the prayers of Dominic, and erected a chapel there devoted to Our Lady of the Rosary. De Montfort also gave Dominic a castle at Casseneuil. In 1214 Dominic returned to Toulouse. He turned down several offers of bishoprics and pursued his dream of establishing a new order. He did so with the approval of the bishop of Toulouse, forming a small group known as the Order of the Preachers, charged with the mission of spreading religious truth and stamping out heresy. The order received papal approval on December 22, 1216, from Pope Honorius III (r. 1216–27). In 1218, Honorius III gave the order the church of St. Sixtus in Rome. Dominic spent the remainder of his life organizing and expanding the order. Dominic himself preached tirelessly; it is said that his words and miracles converted thousands. He established a third order, the Militia of Christ, as an organization of men and women living in the world and protecting the rights and property of the Church. In June 1221 Dominic was in Bologna preparing for a missionary journey to Venice. He foresaw his own death, and told others that he would die before the next feast of the Assumption (August 15). Upon his return to Bologna, he spent several hours in prayer, and then was stricken with a fatal illness. He died three weeks later. As the Inquisition gathered force in Europe, Dominicans played a major role in the prosecution of heretics. In 1233, Pope Gregory IX (r. 1227–41) issued a bull declaring that all inquisitors would be Dominicans and would be answerable only to the pope. In 1484, Pope Innocent VIII (r. 1484–92) was persuaded by two Dominican inquisitors, Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger, to issue a bull removing all impediments against inquisitors. The bull opened the way for the most extreme prosecutions of the Inquisition in the 15th and 16th centuries. In art Dominic is shown in the black and white robes of his order, sometimes holding a lily or accompanied by a dog or globe of fire. A star is placed in his halo. Numerous miracles were attributed to Dominic. With the help of holy water and prayer, he is said to have raised from the dead a cardinal’s nephew who was killed when he was thrown from a horse and mangled. He had the gift of miraculous transport, not only of himself but of others as well. On one occasion, he and a Cistercian monk were traveling and stopped at a church to spend the night in prayer. It was locked, so they decided to spend the night on the church steps. Suddenly they found themselves inside at the altar. On numerous occasions he multiplied food. Once when the friary of St. Sixtus had no food, Dominic summoned all the brothers to the refectory and had the tables set for a meal. He prayed, and suddenly two angels in the guise of beautiful young men appeared carrying a large load of bread. They gave every brother an entire loaf, and then disappeared. It was recorded in 1528 that every year on the anniversary of this occa- sion, a sweet perfume manifested for 40 hours at the spot where the rectory had been. In his preaching, Dominic was known for his accurate prophecy. He also foretold deaths. He had the gift of tongues; on one occasion he enabled himself and some of his monks to converse with German monks in their own language. He could control the elements and tame storms. Dominic seemed to have an immunity to fire. Once the Albigenses challenged him to a debate in writing, to be judged by a panel sympathetic to the heretics. After hearing the arguments, the judges declined to make a decision. The heretics then requested trial by fire. The works of both sides were tossed into the flames. The writings of the heretics burned immediately, but Dominic’s work was not consumed, and even rose into the air. Three times his work was cast into the fire, with the same results each time. On another occasion, Dominic traveled to Segovia and stayed at the home of a poor woman. He exchanged his hair shirt for a coarser one. The woman secretly kept the hair shirt. Later, after Dominic was gone, the house caught fire. The only thing left unburned was the hair shirt and the box containing it. The relic was taken to the monastery at Valladolid. On May 24, 1233, Dominic’s body was exhumed due to repairs at the Bologna monastery where he was buried. As soon as the flagstones were moved, a sweet perfume filled the air. When the casket was raised, the scent filled the entire church. Dominic’s body was incorrupt and his countenance looked the same as in life. His head turned spontaneously. The perfume adhered to anyone who came near or touched the body. Three hundred years later, his relics were still fragrant.