Dominic

ON S. DOMINIC, ABBOT, NEAR SORA IN ITALY.

Year 1031.

Dominic, Abbot of Sora in Italy (S.)

[1] Sora is a very ancient town of Italy, situated on the bank of the river Liris. A mile and a half from it there is a cenobium called S. Dominic's, founded by S. Dominic the Abbot, shortly after the year of Christ 1000: who also ended his life there about the year 1031, as Leo of Ostia testifies in the Cassinese Chronicle, book 2, chapter 62. "In these days," The cenobium of S. Dominic, he says, "Blessed Dominic, the worker of innumerable miracles and the founder of many cenobia, departed to the Lord near Sora, a city of Campania, when he was already nearly eighty years old; and he was buried in the monastery near Sora which is now called by his name." Pope Honorius III, as Ludovicus Jacobilli attests, together with another monastery constructed by the people of Sora four years after Dominic's death at a place called Casamari, seven miles distant from Sora, handed both over to the Cistercian monks: who hold both to this day. And this is the reason why Dominic is depicted in the habit of the Cistercians, painting, although it is established that he lived long before the Cistercian reform, under the Cassinese Benedictine discipline.

[2] The feast of S. Dominic has been inscribed in the Ecclesiastical calendar on 22 January, feast day, with these words: "At Sora, S. Dominic, Abbot, renowned for miracles." He is also commemorated by Wion, Menard, and Dorganius. The people of Sora and Arpino, and those who inhabit the neighboring countryside, celebrate his feast on this day with a great concourse and piety, and hold him among their foremost tutelary Saints and patrons of their towns. church dedication; But on 22 August they celebrate the dedication of his church with no less solemnity. The people of Foligno also venerate him as their patron and fellow citizen.

[3] Against hail and storms especially, his patronage is customarily invoked, and the success rarely disappoints the people's piety. Therefore at Sora, patronage against storms, when the sky thunders, the bell of his basilica is rung with special urgency. For this reason also the people of Foligno were accustomed in former centuries to send annually to the monastery of S. Dominic, at public expense, some coins, woolen cloth for the monks' garments, and ropes for ringing the bells of the church. This is evident from the Foligno archives: and it is established that as long as this was done in the name of the Senate, no damage was inflicted upon the city or its environs from hail or any other atmospheric injury. Those who are afflicted with fevers, fevers, or harmed by the bite of rabid dogs and serpents, also invoke his aid and experience his present help: especially at the place called Cuculla, where one of his teeth is preserved; bites of serpents and rabid dogs; and at Sora, where in the church of S. Sylvester, which is under the care of the monks of his cenobium, his ring is shown.

[4] The life of S. Dominic was written by Albericus the Deacon, a man most eloquent and most erudite, as Leo of Ostia attests in book 3 of the Cassinese Chronicle, chapter 33, where he reviews certain other writings of his. life; We believe this Albericus to be the very same noble boy who, as Peter the Deacon, his fellow student, relates in the Cassinese Chronicle, book 4, chapter 68, when he was in his tenth year, was moved by heavenly signs to embrace the monastic life. He was afterwards co-opted into the College of Cardinals by Alexander II and distinguished himself in fighting for the liberty of the Church against the Teutonic Emperors. We obtained this commentary of Albericus from an ancient codex of the Cassinese library, written in Lombard characters, through the efforts of our Antonio Beatilli. Ludovicus Jacobilli also wrote the life of S. Dominic in Italian in his book on the Saints of Foligno, where he cites a history of the same Saint composed by Gasparo Spitilli. Philip Ferrarius also treats of him in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, other writings about him. where he cites a lengthy life of Dominic written by Albericus, which was translated into the vernacular tongue and published in print; and he narrates certain things not found in the Life we give; whence one may suspect that either it was abridged in our manuscript, or rather that certain things were added later to the one Albericus had written; or else drawn from a writer of questionable reliability, whom Albericus criticizes. Baronius also mentions S. Dominic at the year 1031, number 2.

LIFE

By Albericus the Cardinal, from an ancient manuscript of the Cassinese library.

Dominic, Abbot of Sora in Italy (S.)

BHL Number: 2244

By Albericus the Cardinal, from the manuscripts.

PROLOGUE TO DODO THE MONK.

[1] The birth, life, death, and certain miracles of the venerable Father Dominic — which heavenly goodness wrought through him, whether while he still breathed the air of life or after he had been released from the prison of the flesh — a certain writer had described in an extremely verbose and unpolished style: and, which I believe happened through the fault of the narrator, The life of S. Dominic, badly written by another; relating certain things otherwise than as they were done, he had made the already flawed history yet more flawed by falsehoods. Discovering, dearest Brother Dodo, that all these things were so through diligent investigation, at Dodo's instigation, you at last wrung from me by frequent and importunate entreaty of prayers that I should go with you to the place of his burial and meet the reverend Abbot Benedict, related to Dominic both by blood and by holiness, and the reverend elders of the place, formerly educated under the discipline of Dominic, having examined everything, and learning the pure truth of the events from these narrators, I should commit to writing and memory the birth, life, and death of Dominic, and whatever was most notable among his miracles, in a more polished style and one free from the stain of falsehood.

[2] And you accomplished by your zeal and industry that nothing should be committed to writing by me that was not confirmed by the credible testimonies of suitable persons. and having ascertained from certain witnesses, For many of the things which I transmit to the memory of posterity concerning Dominic were brought to my knowledge through the report of the aforesaid Abbot: many I learned from the report of the monk Hildebrand, a man of honorable life and most worthy of every veneration for the brilliance of his learning. But most things John, an old man, of advanced age and nearly decrepit, with a mouth empty of teeth from age and stammering, recounted in my ears: who, having been given to Dominic as a disciple while still in his boyhood years, lived with him up to the very end of his life. Present as narrators in my hearing were also ... of Dominic and other venerable elders, whose names I do not remember, who had familiar acquaintance with the holy man while he was living in the body ... Moreover certain Brethren were shown to me there, who at the tomb of the holy man attested by their own testimony that they had been freed from various maladies. But enough of these matters.

[3] Furthermore, in this work I have employed a style of moderate figure, which should not be a horror to the ears of the more learned, nor should it refuse to be grasped by the understanding of the less educated; Albericus composed it in a more polished style. hoping that it will be divinely granted in return for my labor and your industry that through the intercession of Dominic we may both merit to obtain full indulgence for our transgressions.

CHAPTER I.

The training of S. Dominic. His monastic and eremitical life.

[4] Dominic was born at Foligno, a town of Etruria, of a father named John and a mother named Ampa, persons illustrious in both lineage and religion. While still in his boyish years, he so showed himself a stranger to games and all Dominic was mature from boyhood, the follies which especially dominate at that age, that even then God seemed to be tracing in Dominic certain lines of the holiness that was to come...

[5] Handed over as a boy by his parents to the monastery of S. Sylvester, which has the surname Aseri, to be imbued with the study of letters, he is trained in a monastery: he began both by the vivacity of his talent and the tenacity of his memory and the acuteness of his understanding to surpass even those who exceeded him in age. And when in a short time he had acquired full proficiency in reading and singing according to the custom of the region, promoted to higher grades at appropriate intervals of time, he becomes a Priest; he at last merited to be elevated to the summit of the priesthood.

[6] Not much time passed after this, when Dominic, departing from his land and kindred, set forth to the place which, from the image of the god Ammon which the pagans formerly honored there with divine worship, is to this day corruptly called "Petra-daemonis" (Rock of the Demon), as if "of the god Ammon." And there, in a certain monastery dedicated to the name of the holy Mother of God and perpetual Virgin, he departs from his homeland: through the hands of the Abbot Donnosus, a man conspicuous for wondrous holiness, he was clothed with the habit of the holy order. What Dominic's life was like thereafter — how sparing in food, how wakeful through the night, how frequent in prayer, he becomes a monk: how assiduous in reading, how conspicuous in the observance of the entire monastic discipline — it is almost incredible to relate. he lives a holy life:

[7] Having been perfected, therefore, in cenobitic life, he lives as a solitary: and fully taught the spiritual contests of the fraternal ranks, with permission granted him by his own Abbot, he ascended the summit of a certain mountain not far from the monastery, intending henceforth to contend there alone, hand and arm, with the ancient enemy of our human race.

CHAPTER II.

Cenobia built in various places.

[8] But, according to that saying of the Truth, a city set on a mountain could not be hidden, nor could a lamp lit by God be covered with the veil of a bushel. Matthew 5:15. For it happened by chance that one or two of those who inhabited the vicinity of the place ascended the mountain in whose recesses Dominic was hiding, driven by some necessity: and traversing the retreats of the mountain on all sides, they discovered the hiding place of the holy man in the more secluded spots. And when they had spread abroad what they had seen, there was no one among the inhabitants of the land who did not know that a certain servant of God was leading a solitary life on the summit of that mountain. he is frequented by many; And very many of them began to visit him frequently, bringing him provisions for temporal life, and to listen attentively to the words that kindled the soul to desire for eternal life from his mouth.

[9] Immediately fame took wings and with swift flight bore the holy man through hamlets, through villages, through towns; and now in the towers of the rich, now in the shops of the poor, now even in the huts of shepherds, his name is found. What of all this? At last it strikes the ears of the most powerful Marquis Hubert and leads him to visit and hear Dominic. The holiness of the man pleases the Marquis to such a degree that he earnestly begged him with persistent and manifold entreaty that, in whatever place of his dominion seemed suitable to him, he should endeavor to build a monastery for the servants of God. And the Marquis did not desist from prayers and entreaties until he merited to obtain from Dominic what he asked. Dominic therefore built a monastery at Scandrilia, which he wished to be called S. Savior's: and the aforesaid Marquis granted the place so much from the revenues of his own right that to this day a not inconsiderable number of cenobites is sufficiently sustained there in all necessities. he builds a cenobium at Scandrilia:

[10] When the cenobium had therefore been built and a multitude of Brethren of no small number had been gathered there, he appointed a certain man from their number, Constantius by name, to be set over them as Father — a man most suitable for that office in life, learning, and speech alike. He himself, however, having joined to himself a certain man named John, a monk of venerable life, migrated to the place whose name is Domus; where on the mountain called Pizi, he withdraws to a mountain: dwelling in a humble little hut, they measured out the meditation of the law of the Lord alone by day, consuming the greater part of the nights in the same pursuit.

[11] It was not, however, granted them to enjoy those beloved hiding places for a longer time: for he was found and recognized there by some, and through them it was reported to Berald, Theodinus, and Randisius, Counts of the region, that Dominic was concealed in Prato Cardoso; who, going without delay to the Saint of the Lord, earnestly and most urgently endeavored to pray him he builds the monastery of S. Peter of the Lake: that what they had learned he had done in certain other places, he would not be reluctant to do in the territory of Valva; namely, to build a dwelling suited for those who were renouncing the world and resolving to serve God under the strict discipline of the monastic rule. He therefore built there, with the help of the aforesaid Counts, in a most suitable location, the monastery which is called S. Peter of the Lake; to which place, among other generous grants, the aforesaid Counts confirmed by perpetual concession and legal document five lakes.

CHAPTER III.

Visions. Miracles.

[12] In those days Dominic confessed that he had contemplated certain things which should not be veiled in silence. For on a certain night, he is refreshed by heavenly signs; while pouring forth prayers with his eyes raised to heaven, he beheld a column most similar in color to the rainbow, which indeed seemed to touch heaven with its summit and, with its lower parts, the cell in which Dominic dwelt. The servant of God judged that this vision should by no means be kept silent from those Brothers who were most intimate and familiar to him by merit of their religious life; so that he would not be the only one to offer God acts of thanksgiving for so great a vision.

[13] Likewise on another night, while meditating on certain heavenly things in his cell, he suddenly saw a wondrous light radiate from above; and by others: in which light he beheld three columns similar in splendor, equal in measure, and also continuous in position. While he marveled at them in amazement, he suddenly perceived himself lifted up to their summits above the clouds, and (which is also marvelous to tell) in the blink of an eye he beheld the entire globe of the earth at once. Soon, however, as he returned to himself, some part of the light he had seen appeared in the same place where he was dwelling for some time.

[14] During the same time a certain boy named Leo, from the town whose name is Castrum, he frees a boy from fevers; when he was burning with the heat of a violent fever, drank the water that had fallen from the hands of the man of God when he was washing himself, and at that very hour was restored to perfect health.

[15] A certain illustrious woman also, while she had long been suffering from a flow of blood and could obtain health from no physician, at last endeavored to implore the man of God by a written letter, asking that he would deign to send her the water that had washed his hands; asserting without hesitation that she believed she would obtain full health from drinking it. The most humble man spurned this as an abominable crime. a matron with a flow of blood: But lest he seem to entirely despise a woman of such great devotion, he sent the woman water blessed in the customary manner of the Church, declaring that the Lord would deal with her according not to the merits of Dominic, but according to her own faith. The woman drank the water with unhesitating faith, and at that very hour, the flow of blood being stanched, she merited to recover her former health.

[16] Nor should this be passed over in silence: that when a very great beech tree was falling upon him, Dominic with his outstretched right hand compelled it to fall in the other direction. he turns a falling tree aside: Dominic therefore began to be manifested to the world by these and similar manifold and wondrous signs, and was held by all to be not merely a Servant of God, not merely a just and God-fearing man, but truly a Saint, truly a friend of God, truly an imitator of the ancient Saints in life, signs, and teaching. On Sundays and feast days he ate spelt boiled with salt, without any seasoning of fat whatsoever, and loaves of a fixed number were sent to him weekly from the monastery.

CHAPTER IV.

Other cenobia built. Death.

[17] Moreover, asked by Borellus the Elder, he also built a cenobium on the Sangro, he builds three cenobia, which took the name S. Peter of Avellana from the enormous hazelnut tree that once stood near it, and Borellus enriched it with a sufficiently liberal gift of lands. After this, having gone to Campania to the place called Trisaltus by a revelation, he converted the inhabitants of that place from many wicked practices, and especially from illicit marriages, by his preaching; and he built there in the wilderness a monastery near a most limpid spring, and converts many from their vices: which he wished to dedicate to the name and memory of S. Bartholomew. He also established another on the side of the mountain called Cacumen, and judged it should be called by the name of the holy Angel.

[18] During the same time, when the man of God was traveling from the cenobium of S. Peter of the Lake to Trisaltus for the sake of visiting the Brethren, Peter of Rainerius, Lord of Sora, met him on the road and began to seek his judgment concerning his many and very great sins with sufficient humility. another in the territory of Sora; The holy man, among other fruits of penance, also gave him this precept: that he should build a monastery in the territory of his own jurisdiction and enrich it from his own possessions with such liberality that a fixed number of those serving God there could abundantly receive from it the supports of life. Peter willingly acquiesced in the commands of the man of God and humbly besought him to ride with him, to survey the entire land of his dominion, and promised to build a cenobium at whatever place seemed most suitable to him. Dominic consented to the just petition, and as they surveyed the land together, a place near Sora at last presented itself to Dominic, which the Saint judged most suitable for building a monastery: and there, at the command of the man of God, Peter soon built a monastery in honor of the holy Mother of God Mary, and by manifold liberality bestowed everything that was necessary for the place.

[19] When, in that place, nuns had been installed without Dominic's knowledge, and their conduct was by no means in keeping with their profession, but rather the rumor of their disgraceful way of life had even struck the ears of Dominic; whence he orders licentiously living nuns to be expelled; immediately summoning Peter to himself, he sharply reproached him for having wished to place women in the monastery that had been built at his command without consulting him. At the same time he recounted to him how foul and disgraceful the things were that he had heard about them. He therefore commanded that immediately, without any dishonor, they should be expelled and that he should gather Brethren there to serve the Lord under regular governance. Then Peter, prostrate at the feet of the man of God, begged pardon for his offense and promised to do whatever he had commanded. He also most earnestly and insistently entreated that Dominic himself should always preside over those whom he ordered to be gathered there as their Father and Rector. Though Dominic resisted these requests, he himself presides over the monks there. and Peter nonetheless persisted, at last the servant of God, overcome by the importunity of prayers, yielded, promising that when those nuns had been expelled, he would undertake the paternal care of the servants of God who would thenceforth be gathered in that place, and everything was accomplished in the order we have described.

[20] During those days a certain boy from Berola, mute and lame, was brought to the man of God: he heals a mute and lame boy: when he touched his tongue and feet, having impressed the sign of the cross and invoked the name of the Trinity, both his feet received the power to walk and his tongue the power of speech at that very hour by divine grace.

[21] When the man of the Lord had now spent nearly eighty years of life, one day, pressed by necessary business, he was setting out for Tusculum: when behold, on the way he was seized in the jaw by a fatal ulcer, which the common people call a pustule. seized by a fatal disease, The reverend monk John, who was then his companion on the journey, seeing this, urgently exhorted the man of God to hasten his return, to speed his way back, to hurry to restore himself to the Brethren, unless he wished to die in their absence, declaring without doubt that the ulcer visible on his face manifestly displayed the signs of approaching death. Dominic yielded to his exhortation and returned to the monastery at once: and immediately he commanded all the Brethren to be summoned to him, and first admonishing them about the observance of their profession and the bond of charity; after the customary words of exhortation, he at last commanded that everything customarily done for dying Brethren should be performed for him without delay. When the office had been completed, and he had also received the mysteries of the Body and Blood of the Lord, he is fortified with the divine sacraments: he commanded the weeping Brethren to go out and wait a little while outside.

[22] And when, with all having gone out, he alone remained in the cell, voices of one speaking and another conversing with him were heard by the Brethren who were keeping watch outside; he dies while an Angel converses with him: not, however, so clearly that the meaning of their words could be understood by them in any way: which conversation the holy man brought to its end together with his life, as it pleased the Lord. For when those voices had ceased to sound in the ears of the Brethren, they all entered and found that he had already breathed his last, and, beholding no traces of the one who was heard conversing with him, they all held it certain that an Angel had been sent for the consolation of the departing man. The holy man died on the twenty-second of January, in the year of the Incarnation of the Lord one thousand and thirty-one, and his body was buried in the monastery which is now named by his own title, situated in Campania in the vicinity of the city of Sora, he is buried. which was also mentioned above. Where Christ does not cease to work many wonders through his prayers even to this day, to the praise and glory of His name, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns as God through all ages of ages, Amen.

Ferrarius narrates various prophecies and miracles of the holy man: "He was distinguished," he says, "by the spirit of prophecy. For to Doda, a most noble matron, and to the Count of the Marsi her husband, he foretold many things prophecies. that befell them. When the Countess Giseltruda sent wine to him through servants who, drinking part of the wine, filled the vessel with water, Dominic rebuked them and brought them to repentance. When another sent fish and the servants hid part on the way near a tree, he warned them not to take back the hidden fish; and going, they found serpents in place of fish. Terrified by this, they humbly sought pardon from the man of God."