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St. Dominic (sometimes spelled St. Domonic) was born Dominic
Guzman around 1170 in Old Castile, Spain. He was born into a family
of privilege and educated in Spain where he attended university
for ten years, studying the arts and theology. Education and learning
were centerpieces of his life, as were kindness and charity. Saint
Dominic Guzman is the patron saint of scientists and astronomy,
among others.
The life of St. Dominic is very interesting, as he traveled widely
and met people from every level of society. His strong belief
in education was cemented in the early 13th century whenhe accompanied
the Bishop of Osma on a diplomatic mission that crossed into the
south of France. There they encountered the Cathars, a group of
educated people who were yet heretics. His attempts to preach
to them failed, but he came away from the experience having seen
a successful model: learning faith through schooling.
He returned to the region later and established the first Catholic
nunnery at Sainte Marie de Prouille, and the nuns later became
known as the Sisters of Saint Dominic. He worked very hard in
the following years to spread education about Christ. One well-recounted
miracle associated with the story of St. Dominic occurred when
he was in Fanjeaux, participating in a theological disputation
or debate. His manuscripts and those of his adversaries were compared
and various points highlighted. Someone suggested that the manuscripts
of both sides be subjected to a 'trial by fire'. The manuscripts
were cast into a fire, and St. Dominic's miraculously levitated
from the flames three separate times, while the other manuscripts
were consumed.
Afterward, St. Dominic petitioned the Pope for the right to establish
a new religious order dedicated to preaching. Having others besides
priests being able to preach was a new idea at the time, and St.
Dominic carried it farther by requesting that these new preachers
be able to cross diocesan boundaries. His idea was to preach the
Gospel to people wherever they needed it. He was known to travel
by foot, often barefoot, living a very austere life wherever he
roamed, but preaching with great fervor.In 1215 the Bishop of
Toulouse offered the use of a house and church in Toulouse, and
it was here that the original Dominican order was founded. By
the time of his death only six years later in 1221, the Dominican
order had spread widely and friaries could be found in most larger
cities in western Europe. Thirteen years after his death, in 1234,
he was canonized by Pope Gregory IX.
The life of Saint Dominic, works and death were marked by quiet
piety and unceasing devotion to the hard work of spreading the
Gospel during a turbulent time. He believed in education because
an educated person could read the Bible and Dominic had no doubt
would then make the informed decision to switch to Catholicism.
In the centuries since his death and canonization the Dominican
friars have become renowned for their dedication to teaching as
well as study of the Holy Scriptures. Their motto "To praise,
to bless, to preach" sums up the core of Dominican beliefs,
originating from their founder.
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