Feast of St. Dominic - 8 August

From the Patron Saints Index:

Dominic de Guzman

Memorial
8 August

Profile
Born of wealthy Spanish nobility. Son of Blessed Joan of Aza. When she was pregnant, his mother had a vision that her unborn child was a dog who would set the world on fire with a torch it carried in its mouth; a dog with a torch in its mouth became a symbol for the order which he founded, the Dominicans. At Dominic's baptism, Blessed Joan saw a star shining from his chest, which became another of his symbols in art, and led to his patronage of astronomy.

Studied philosophy and theology at the University of Palencia. Priest. Canon of the cathedral of Osma. Augustinian. Worked for clerical reform. Lifelong apostolate among heretics, especially Albigensians, and especially in France. Worked with Blessed Peter of Castelnau. Founded the Order of Friars Preachers (Dominicans) in 1215, a group who live a simple, austere life, and an order of nuns dedicated to the care of young girls. Friend of Saint Amata of Assisi.

At one point Dominic became discouraged at the progress of his mission; no matter how much he worked, the heresies remained. But he received a vision from Our Lady who showed him a wreath of roses, representing the rosary. She told him to say the rosary daily, teach it to all who would listen, and eventually the true faith would win out. Dominic is often credited with the invention of the rosary; it actually pre-dates him, but he certainly spread devotion to it, and used it to strengthen his own spiritual life.

Reported miracle worker who brought four people back from the dead. Legend says that Dominic received a vision of a beggar who, like Dominic, would do great things for the Faith. Dominic met the beggar the next day. He embraced him and said, "You are my companion and must walk with me. If we hold together, no earthly power can withstand us." The beggar was Saint Francis of Assisi.

Born
1170 at Calaruega, Burgos, Old Castile

Died
4 August 1221 at Bologna

Canonized
13 July 1234 by Pope Gregory IX at Rieti, Italy

Name Meaning
belonging to God

Patronage
astronomers; astronomy; prelature of Batanes-Babuyanes, Philippines; diocese of Bayombong, Philippines; Dominican Republic; falsely accused people; Santo Domingo Indian Pueblo; scientists

Prayers
Prayer I to...
Prayer II to...

Representation
chaplet, Dominican carrying a rosary and a tall cross; Dominican holding a lily; Dominican with dog and globe; Dominican with fire; Dominican with star shining above his head; rosary; star

Images
Gallery of images of Saint Dominic [50 images, 713 kb]

Storefront
Commercial Links related to Saint Dominic

Additional Information
Google Directory
New Catholic Dictionary
Fausto Appetente Die: On Saint Dominic, by Pope Benedict XV

Readings
A man who governs his passions is master of his world. We must either command them or be enslaved by them. It is better to be a hammer than an anvil.

- Saint Dominic
-------------------
Dominic possessed such great integrity and was so strongly motivated by divine love, that without a doubt he proved to be a bearer of honor and grace. And since a joyful heart animates the face, he displayed the peaceful composure of a spiritual man in the kindness he manifested outwardly and by the cheerfulness of his countenance.

Wherever he went he showed himself in word and deed to be a man of the Gospel. During the day no one was more community-minded or pleasant toward his brothers and associates. During the night hours no one was more persistent in every kind of vigil and supplication. He seldom spoke unless it was with God, that is, in prayer, or about God; and in this matter he instructed his brothers.

Frequently he made a special personal petition that God would deign to grant him genuine charity in caring for and obtaining the salvation of men. For he believed that only then would he be truly a member of Christ, when he had given himself totally for the salvation of men, just as the Lord Jesus, the Savior of all, had offered himself completely for our salvation. So, for this work, after a lengthy period of careful and provident planning, he founded the Orders of Friars Preachers.

In his conversations and letters he often urged the brothers of the Order to study constantly the Old and New Testaments. He always carried with him the gospel according to Matthew and the epistles of Paul, and so well did he study them that he almost knew them from memory.

Two or three times he was chosen bishop, but he always refused, preferring to live with his brothers in poverty. Of him Pope Gregory IX declared: "I knew him as a steadfast follower of the apostolic way of life. There is no doubt that he is in heaven, sharing in the glory of the apostles themselves."

- from various writings on the history of the Order of Preachers

Also, St. Dominic Web Links from www.op.org:

Pierre Mandonnet, O.P.: St. Dominic and His Work
http://www.op.org/domcentral/trad/domwork/default.htm

New "St. Dominic Page" on the St. Joseph Province website
http://www.op-stjoseph.org/hist-dom1.html

The Life of St. Dominic by fr. Gregory Anderson, OP
http://www.op.org/domcentral/trad/dominic1.htm

St. Dominic: Biographical Documents, ed. by Francis C. Lehner, O.P.
http://www.op.org/domcentral/trad/domdocs/default.htm

The First Disciples of St. Dominic, Adapted and Enlarged From Father Anthony Touron's Histoire Abrégée des Premiers Disciples de saint Dominique By The Very Rev. Victor F. O'Daniel, O.P., S.T.M., Litt.D.
http://www.op.org/domcentral/trad/disciples/default.htm

St. Dominic Clip-Art
http://www.op.org/domcentral/album/dominic/default.htm

St. Dominic and His Symbols
http://www.dominicos.org/hrosary/english/history/domsymbols.htm

Litany of St. Dominic
http://www.opthird.com/litany.htm

Father Paul A. Duffner, O.P. IN DEFENSE OF A TRADITION: St. Dominic and the Rosary
The Rosary Light & Life - Vol 49, No 5, Sep-Oct 1996
http://www.rosary-center.org/ll49n5.htm

Who's Who in Medieval History: St. Dominic
http://historymedren.about.com/library/who/blwwdominic.htm

Catholic Encyclopedia: ST. DOMINIC
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05106a.htm

St. Dominic from The Penguin Dictionary of the Saints
http://www.op.org/domcentral/trad/stdom.htm

St. Dominic and the Rosary by Robert Feeney
http://www.catholic.net/RCC/Periodicals/Faith/0910-96/articl11.html

The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic
http://www.op.org/DomCentral/places/stjude/NineWays.html
http://www.users.csbsju.edu/~eknuth/nineways/nwintro.html

Biography & Readings for St. Dominic, August 8, according to the Episcopal Church
http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Dominic.htm

Patron Saints Index: Dominic de Guzman
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintd02.htm

ST. DOMINIC Founder of the Order of Friars Preachers
http://www.op.org/DomCentral/people/vocations/s-dom.htm

Saint Dominic Adoring the Crucifixion
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/html/a/angelico/sanmarco/corridor/domenico.html

FRA ANGELICO, Fra (b. cca. 1400, Vicchio nell Mugello, d. 1455) Roma)
Manuscript painting of St. Dominic by Taddeo Crivelli Italian, Ferrara, about 1469
http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/objects/o4119.html

Fra Angelico Mocking of Christ with the Virgin and Saint Dominic
1439-1443 Fresco 73 5/8 x 59 1/2 in (187 x 151 cm) Cell 7, Convent of San Marco, Florence
http://www.artchive.com/artchive/F/fra_angelico/angelico_convent7.jpg.html

Saint Dominic Founder of the Friars Preachers, Confessor
Taken from "Lives of Saints", Published by John J. Crawley & Co., Inc.
http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/DOMINIC.HTM

Fra Angelico: The Glorification of Saint Dominic
http://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/cjackson/angelico/p-angelic2.htm

Saint Dominic Reviving Napoleone Orsini, Nephew of the Cardinal of Fossanova,
1516 oil on panel Accademia Carrara di Belle Arti, Bergamo
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/lotto/realsp/73f.htm

UPDATE
This link to The Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic from the Fish Eaters website was sent to me by Tom Reagan. Thanks!