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An Intellectual Army: The Dominicans
Who are the Dominicans?
One of the most prolific orders in Catholic history, the Dominicans have been a bastion of clarity and truth in confusing times. Officially named the Order of Preachers, these friars are usually called 'Dominicans' after their great patron, St. Dominic, who founded the order in the 13th century in part to help defeat the Albigensian heresy (keep reading below to find out more about this heresy).
The special charism of the Dominicans is preaching (hence, their name, the Order of Preachers). Parish priests in the 13th century were not expected to be especially learned and effective preachers of doctrine; Dominic hoped to fill this void. His friars became not only incredibly educated on matters of faith, reason, doctrine, and the like, but also effective in disseminating that knowledge through preaching, teaching, and writing. As technology has advanced, so have their methods of evangelization.
The Dominican order grew to include congregations of Dominican nuns and Lay Dominicans (also called 'Third Order Dominicans'), all committed to the Dominican charism, which can summed up nicely in their mottos - "Veritas", meaning 'truth', and "Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare," meaning 'to praise, to bless, to preach'. These intellectual heavyweights have been defending the Gospel with great courage and clarity for centuries past and there seems to be no slowing down for them in the 21st century!
Keep reading to learn about some of the remarkable saints to come from the Dominican Order.
Dominican Saints from Across the Ages
St. Dominic
St. Dominic de Guzman was born in 1170 in Spain. As a young priest, he developed a love for both intellectual tradition and fraternal community, foreshadowing the spirit of order he would soon found.
While on a mission in Southern France, he encountered the rampant spread of the Albigensian heresy, which taught a dualist principal - that God created only the spiritual realm, while the devil created the material world, meaning anything material, including the body, was evil. This had wide-ranging effects on the practice of Catholicism; it pierced the very heart of Catholic doctrine, and caused its followers to deny the Sacraments. If the body was evil, this meant that Jesus could not possibly have had a created body and could not embody the Eucharist.
St. Dominic was greatly disturbed at the hold Albigensianism had over Southern France; this, along with a growing disbelief in the compatibility of faith and reason across European universities, inspired him to found the Order of Preachers, which would bring intellectual rigor to the masses, accompanied by a fraternal, evangelistic spirit. He died in 1221 and was canonized in 1234. His feast day in August 8.
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St. Albert the Great
St. Albert the Great was an early Dominican, having been born around 1200. Born into a wealthy German family, he was drawn to the intellectual bent of the Dominicans and quickly distinguished himself as a scholar. He is best known as St. Thomas Aquinas's mentor, and yet his own intellectual feats are so notable that he has been named a Doctor of the Church. He was interested in all things scientific and utilized a surprisingly modern form of inquiry and observation (similar to what we call the scientific method) at a time when interest in magic ran rampant. Thomas Aquinas's interest in Aristotelian philosophy can be attributed to St. Albert the Great, who took great interest in the Greek philosopher.
St. Albert the Great died in 1280. He is the patron saint of scientists and philosophers and his feast day in November 15.
St. Thomas Aquinas
The Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas, stands out as the preeminent medieval Catholic figure. Much to his family's dismay, he fought their desire for him to join the Benedictine Order to instead join the Dominicans. Despite being held against his will at a family home for a year, he eventually broke free and joined the Order of Preachers.
He studied under St. Albert the Great, who nurtured his interest in Greek philosophy, especially Aristotle's writings. One of his great accomplishments was the synthesis of Catholic teaching with Greek philosophy, showing that one could arrive at God's truth through both His Revelation as well as through the natural order of being. His magnum opus, the Summa Theologiae, is a momentous work of Catholic scholarship, attempting to address the whole of Catholic theology through the dual lens of faith and reason.
St. Thomas Aquinas is a Doctor of the Church and the patron saint of teachers, students, philosophers, and universities. His feast day is January 28.
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St. Catherine of Siena
From an early age, St. Catherine of Siena developed a love for Jesus and a zeal for His Church. As a teenager, she committed herself as a Third Order Dominican; while not joining a convent, she dedicated herself to a life of celibacy, service to others, and deep, contemplative prayer. A following developed around her, and she began to have quite an impact on public opinion. This impact reached its zenith when she developed a relationship with Pope Gregory XI during the Great Schism, in which the seat of the papacy had been moved to Avignon, France and a contested pope sat in Rome. Catherine pleaded with Pope Gregory to move back to Rome, which he eventually did. Catherine also played a large role in defending the legitimacy of his successor, Urban VI.
Catherine died in 1380 at the age of 33. Her feast day is April 29.
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St. Louis de Montfort
St. Louis de Montfort, a diocesan priest and founder of his own congregation, was also a Third Order Dominican - this was a busy man! St. Louis lived and preached throughout early 18th century France, ministering to the poor and attracting thousands to the faith through his love of the Eucharist and Mary. His personal motto, "Totus Tuus" ('Completely Yours') showed his complete dedication to the Virgin Mary; Pope St. John Paul II took it as his episcopal motto. St. Louis de Montfort founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary, a congregation for priests and lay-brothers, and the Daughters of Wisdom, a religious congregation for woman to minister to the sick; however, he is probably best known for his work True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, a Catholic spiritual classic that encourages consecration and devotion to Mary as the surest path to reaching Jesus.
St. Louis de Montfort died in 1716 and his feast day is April 28.
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More Dominican Saints
Click the links below to learn about even more Dominican saints!
The Dominicans Today
The Dominicans of today are a thriving order, reaching Catholics and non-Catholics alike with their continued message of faith and reason. The friars are not diocesan priests, but rather live in community with one another. However, they are anything but reclusive; they are extremely active and visible members of the Church. They use all modes of communication to preach - teaching at universities, putting out podcasts, and even touring the country as a bluegrass band! Learn more about the Order of Preachers and the great work they are doing in the United States by clicking here.
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