St. Dominic

St. Dominic was born of a noble family in Castile, Spain in the year 1170. He was educated at the University of Palencia in theology. While studying at the university, Dominic was known for his holiness and generosity and was highly regarded as a model student.

Once, while he was on a mission for the king, Dominic witnessed the destruction caused by the Albigensian heresy and began thinking of ways to stop the destruction. The ideas that Dominic came up with later became the roots for the Dominican order. As Dominic continued traveling through the countryside and encountering heretics, he converted them through his preaching, and convincing arguements. The more Dominic traveled and prached, the more his reputation spread. Three times Dominic was asked to be a bishop and each time he declined the offer.

As Dominic continued preaching, he also worked to form an order to help him accomplish his work. He established several convents of women which later would become Second Order Dominicans. Dominic's work to found an order began to produce fruit on April 25, 1215 when the Order of Preachers was approved as a congregation under the patronage of the Bishop of Toulouse. The purpose of the order was to propogate good morals and true doctrine, and work for the destruction of heresy through preaching and good example.

Dominic's first order of work was to set out to convert the Albigensians. The Albigensians lived austere lifestyles, and Dominic realized that little headway would made converting them unless the preachers lived a holy lifestyle. The Dominican Order took on a simple lifestyle, living what they preached, and lived in community devoted to contemplation, study and preaching. In this way, Dominic was instrumental in helping convert the Albigensians.

The Dominician order was greatly aided in its work by Pope Honorius III. This pope approved the congregation and also encouraged its growth in various ways. With this help, the order was able to get its feet off and spread across Europe.

Tradition does hold that St. Dominic devised the rosary as we know it. Moved by a vision of our Blessed Mother, he preached the use of the rosary in his missionary work among the Albigensians, who had denied the mystery of Christ. Some scholars take exception to St. Dominic's role in forming the rosary. The earliest accounts of his life do not mention it, the Dominican constitutions do not link him with it and contemporaneous portraits do not include it as a symbol to identify the saint.

St. Dominic died in 1221. He is the patron of astronomers.