Biography
Domingo Félix de Guzmán was born in Caleruega, Spain. As a priest, he accompanied his bishop on a diplomatic mission to France, where he encountered the Albigensian (Cathar) heresy, which taught that the physical world was evil. Dominic realized that combating this heresy required preachers who were highly educated in theology but lived in absolute poverty, matching the asceticism of the heretics. He founded the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) in 1216 to preach truth and combat error. Tradition holds that the Virgin Mary appeared to Dominic and gave him the Holy Rosary as the ultimate spiritual weapon against heresy. His order produced some of the Church's greatest intellectuals, including Thomas Aquinas.
Miracles & Signs
- ✦Raising the young man Napoleon Orsini from the dead after he fell from his horse
- ✦A book of his teachings surviving a fire while the heretics' books burned
- ✦Angels appearing in the refectory to provide bread for the friars
Wisdom & Quotes
“Arm yourself with prayer rather than a sword; wear humility rather than fine clothes.”
“A man who governs his passions is master of the world. We must either command them, or be enslaved by them.”