SAINT DOMINIC

SAINT DOMINIC




Saint Dominic
Is the founder
Of the DOMINICANS


Their official title
Is ORDER OF PREACHERS
And states accurately
What Dominic
Had in mind


A WORLD-WIDE order
Dedicated to promoting
On a community basis
The things
That would make GOOD preachers:
Holiness-deep study-and SOUND DOCTRINE
And familiarity with the SPIRIT


Dominic was born in 1170
And was the youngest
Of four children
And he was an innovator


He was born
In Spain
And took after his mother
THE BLESSED Joan of Aza


He was EDUCATED
By his uncle
And his first seven years
As a priest-were uneventful


Dominic led
A life of prayer-penance-and study
Until 1205
When he and his BISHOP offered themselves
To Pope Innocent III
For mission work in Russia


But the Pope sent them instead
To convert the Albigenses
In southern France


He was 35
And would have
Only 16 years of life left


He was a man
Of vision
Of energy
And GREAT personal charm


He felt
That those who preceded him
Were ineffective-because their life style
Was too high and too soft


HIS PREACHERS
Would live on alms
Carry books-but NO MONEY
And offer the Albigenses
An ideal


The first Dominicans were women
Consisting of Albigensian converts
And in 1215
After ten years of preaching
Dominic organized his preachers
Under the rule of Saint Augustine


Five year later
He held the first general charter
And drew up the constitution


A year later-in 1221
Dominic died


Saint Dominic’s feast day
Is August 8^th
And the motto of the Dominicans is:


“To contemplate
And to SHARE with others
The FRUITS of contemplation”


Robert P. Wallman
8-13-13
Ps WITNESS 8-8-14