Saint Dominic

Saint Dominic was born on August 8, 1170, in Caleruega in Old Castile, Spain. Sent to study at Palencia, he quickly showed a heart shaped by the Gospel: during a famine he sold even his treasured books to feed the poor, insisting that learning must never come before charity. Ordained a priest, he served the cathedral chapter of Osma, and his life changed through travels in southern France, where he encountered the Cathar heresy. Convinced that truth must be preached with humility, he embraced a simpler, more apostolic way of life and labored patiently for conversions. At Prouille he established a refuge for women and formed a community under the Rule of Saint Augustine. Dominican tradition also remembers a special grace there: a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary that deepened his devotion and helped inspire the spread of the rosary. In 1216 Pope Honorius III approved Dominic’s new Order of Preachers, dedicated to prayer, study, and preaching for the salvation of souls. He is honored as patron of astronomers and natural scientists, and is especially venerated in places such as Acquamela, Augusta, and Cobán. His feast day is August 8.