Category Archives: Dominican Saints

Dominican Saints, Incorruptables, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Martin de Porres, Feast Day Nov. 3

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St. Martin de Porres
St. Martin de Porres

 

St. Martin was born in Lima, Peru in 1579.  He was the son of the governor of Panama.  His mother Anna Martin was a freed black slave.  St. Martin is the patron saint of social justice and barbers.

When he was 15, he became a Dominican Friar. He worked as a barber, farm laborer and in the infirmary. In the infirmary he cared for the sick.  His medical knowledge regarding herbs was discovered and put to good use.

He begged from the rich to support the sick. His desire was to become a foreign missionary and earn martyrdom. Because this was not possible he offered his body to God. He received many spiritual gifts in return for his penances. Martin loved both humans and animals. He established an orphanage and children’s hospital. He also established a shelter for cats and dogs. He was a friend to St. Rose of Lima. St. Martin de Porres is the first black saint from the Americas.

St. Martin de Porres had many spiritual gifts.  He had healing power and a prophetic gift.  He could see into the future and read hearts.  St. Martin died Nov. 3, 1639.  His body is incorrupt.

Miracles were reported at his tomb.

St. Martin was canonized by Pope John XXIII in 1962.

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Compassion is preferable to cleanliness,

With a bit of soap I can clean my bed,

but think of the flood of tears I would

require to clean from my soul

the stain that harshness against

this unfortunate would leave.

Quote of St. Martin de Porres

 

November is the Month of the Holy Souls

 

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Dominican Saints, Incorruptible, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Bertrand of Garrigua, Feast Day September 6

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Blessed Bertrand
Blessed Bertrand

 

The feast day of Bl. Bertrand of Garrigua is celebrated on September 6.  He was born in Garrigua, France in 1195. Bl. Bertrand was ordained a secular priest preaching with the Cistercians against the Albigenses.  In the year 1216 he met St. Dominic.  He soon joined St. Dominic helping him to found the Order of Preachers.

While St. Dominic was in Rome seeking approval of his new order he left Bertrand in charge.  He was an important part in the founding of the Order of Preachers, becoming known as the “second Dominic”.  He was known to be a traveling companion with St. Dominic.

Bl. Bertrand was known for continually weeping for his sins.  St. Dominic convinced him that it would be better to pray for ht sins of others instead.  Bertrand continued weeping, however, he was weeping for others sins instead of his own.  After having a vision he also began to pray for the souls in purgatory.

Bl. Bertrand fell sick while preaching a mission in 1230 and died at the age of 35.

The body of Bl. Bertrand was found to be incorrupt in 1881, 23 years after his death.

Bl. Bertrand was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1881.

 

A person who governs his passions is master of the world.  We must either rule them or be ruled by them.  It is better to be the hammer than the anvil.

Quote of St. Dominic;  Feast Day August 8

 

September is the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows

 

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Dominican Saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Ingrid of Sweden, Feast Day September 2

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St. Ingrid of Sweden
St. Ingrid of Sweden

 

St. Ingrid was born in Skanninge, Sweden in the 13th century.  Her spiritual directer was Father Peter of Dacia, a Dominican priest.

Ingrid married young.   However, she became a widow when her husband died.  After a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, she gave all her possessions to God and became the first Dominican Nun in Sweden.  She also founded the first Dominican cloister in Sweden.

St. Ingrid was known for her holiness.  When she died in 1282, many miracles occurred, causing a cult to form calling for her to be named a saint.  The canonization process was begun in 1405 but formal canonization never occurred.  She is regarded a saint by many and has her feast day listed on the liturgical calendar.

 

Why should we mourn when those who have left us have suffered no loss, but have rather gained all?  Instead of earthly life they have gained eternal life;  they have exchanged a house on earth for a heavenly mansion; in place of the world they have found God.

Quote of Bl. Ildefonso Schuster

 

September is the Month of Our Sorrowful Mother

 

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Dominican Saints, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Rose of Lima, Feast Day August 23

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St. Rose of Lima

The feast day of St. Rose of Lima is celebrated on August 23.  She is the first saint of the Americas and known as the First Flower of America and the Patroness of the New World.  She is the patron saint of florists and gardeners.

St. Rose was born in April 1586 in Lima, Peru to Oliva and Gaspar Flores.  She was the 7th of 11 children.  Her birth name was Isabel.  However, her mother and friends witnessed a mystical rose descend from the air and light on her face while she was just an infant.  From then on she was called Rose.

Rose clearly had a religious calling from an early age.  After reading about St. Catherine of Siena, she decided to imitate her.  She fasted at least 3 times a week.  She found ways to do penance and offer her suffering for the good of others.   She understood redemptive suffering from an early age.  When given praise for her beauty, she cut her hair and disfigured her face by rubbing it with pepper.  She was also know for placing thorns under the garland of roses she wore in her hair to remind her of the crown of thorns Jesus wore.

St. Rose wished to enter the convent.  However, her parents refused to let her.  Finally, after ten years of struggle and refusal to marry she became a Third Order Dominican.  She lived in her home just as St. Catherine of Siena did.  St. Rose received the Blessed Sacrament daily and lived her life in silence and seclusion, enjoying the family garden.

St. Rose suffered from arthritis and asthma.  She was also disturbed by spiritual dreams.  Her friend Brother Martin de Porres reassured her that her visions were from God.    During the last three years of her life, St. Rose began caring for the elderly and sick.  she used a room in the house in which she lived.

During the inquisition, St. Rose faced an examination.  They found her to be in God’s favor in the midst of suffering.

At the age of 31 St. Rose came down with a high fever.  She died from the fever and paralysis.  A multitude of people attended her funeral.

St. Rose was canonized by Pope Clement X in 1671.

 

 

Without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace.  The gift of grace increases as the struggle increases.

Quote of St. Rose of Lima

 

August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

 

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Dominican Saints, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Hyacinth of Poland, Feast Day August 17

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St. Hyacinth of Poland

The feast day of St. Hyacinth of Poland is celebrated on August 17. 

St. Hyacinth was born in 1185 to noble parents in Odrowacz, Poland.  He was educated by his uncle who was a pious priest who eventually became the Bishop of Cracow.  He was a very happy and pious child with an early calling to the religious life.  He studied at Bologna earning the degree of Doctor of Canon Law and Divinity.

St. Hyacinth returned to Poland.  On a trip to Rome with his uncle he met St. Dominic.  He was one of the first to join the Order of Preachers, becoming a Dominican.  He returned to Poland to establish the Dominican Order.

St. Hyacinth was a wonderful preacher.  He converted many people and was able to build churches and convents.  He visited the sick and was a friend to the poor.  He became known for the many miracles which occurred.  The most famous happened during the Tartars siege of the city of Kiev.  Hyacinth had a tender devotion to the Mother of God.  After celebrating Mass unaware of the siege occurring, he retrieved the Blessed Sacrament and a statue of Mary and fled with the community to the river Dnieper.  Although the river was deep he led them across the river walking on the water.  His footprints could be seen on the water for centuries.

The last years of St. Hyacinth’s life were lived in a convent at Cracow.  On the feast of St. Dominic, he fell ill with a fever.  He celebrated Mass on the Feast of the Assumption in spite of his illness.  He was anointed at the Altar and died later that day on August 15, 1257.

St. Hyacinth was canonized by Pope Clement VIII in 1594.

 

The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.

 

Quote of Michelangelo

August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

 

Dominican Saints, Faith, patron saints, Prayer, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Dominic, Feast Day August 8

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The feast day of St. Dominic is celebrated on August 8th. He was born in 1170 to Felix Guzman and Blessed Joan of Aza in Caleruega, Spain. After studying at the University at Palencia he was ordained a priest at the age of 25. St. Dominic was known for self-denial, holiness, piety and apostolic zeal. He refused to eat meat or sleep on a bed. He also renounced wealth.  Because of his love of learning and teaching, St. Dominic is known as the patron of astronomers.

In 1215. St. Dominic founded an order of Dominican Nuns. Their mission was to care for young girls. This was followed by the founding of the Order of Preachers, which became known as the Dominicans. The purpose of the order was to preach the Word of God. They were also known as the “Black Friars”. The rule followed the Rule of St. Augustine. Their focus was on liturgical prayer and lifelong study.

The primary heresy the Dominicans preached against was Albigensianism. This was the belief that there are two dueling principles, good and evil, and that all matter was regarded as evil. They also taught that the devil is the creator of the material world.

A devotion which St. Dominic helped to spread is the Rosary. a Marian devotion, which combines meditation on the life of Christ, with memorized prayer. Tradition tells us that when Dominic became discouraged with the slow progress of his work of preaching against the Abligensian heresy, the Blessed Virgin appeared to him with a beautiful wreath of roses. She asked him to say the Rosary every day and to teach the people to say the Rosary. Soon the heresy began to disappear. The devotion of the rosary continues today.

After forming his order Dominic had a dream vision in which he met another person, a beggar. The next day, Dominic recognized this man when he came into his church. It was St. Francis of Assisi the future founder of the Franciscan Order. Dominic embraced him saying,

“You are my companion and must walk with me. For if we hold together, no earthly power can withstand us.”

St. Dominic and St. Francis were lifelong friends. Their orders celebrate their meeting on the feast day of their saint.

The motto of St. Dominic is: “To praise, to bless, to preach”. St. Dominic once said;

“Arm yourself with prayer, rather than a sword; wear humility rather than fine clothes.”

St. Dominic died on August 6, 1221 from a fever.   St. Dominic was canonized on July 13, 1234, by Pope Gregory IX, three years following his death. Pope Gregory said that he no more doubted the sanctity of St. Dominic, than he did that of St. Peter and St. Paul.

Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you

after my death and I shall help you then

more effectively than during my life.

Quote of St. Dominic

August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

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