CSVF Blog

God’s word is alive; it strikes to the heart.
It pierces more surely than a two-edged sword, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Francis Coll was born at Gombreny in the Catalan Pyrenees in 1812 and, after studying at the diocesan seminary at Vich, entered the Order at the priory of Gerona in 1830.  In 1835 the anti-clerical government closed the house of studies at Gerona and dispersed the Dominican students.  From that day until his death he maintained a heroic fidelity to his Dominican vocation without the support offered by Dominican community life.  Eventually he was ordained at the diocesan seminary at Vich in 1836.  After several years of parish ministry he pursued itinerant preaching along with his friend Saint Anthony Claret.  He founded the Dominican Sisters of the Annunciation to teach the children of the poor in the villages where he preached.  In December, 1869, Blessed Francis suffered a stroke which left him completely blind.  He died at Vich on April 2, 1875.

St. Francis was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 11, 2009.  Click here for homily preached at the Mass of Canonization.

God of all truth,
you chose Blessed Francis
to make known the name of your Son
and to instruct Christian people in holiness.
By the help of his prayers
may true faith be continually sustained
and grow through the ministry of preaching.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.

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My life is at the service of the Gospel;
God has given me this gift of his grace, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Andrew was born in 1375 at Saint Maximin, France, and received the habit at the priory of St. Mary Magdalen there.  He was outstanding for his teaching, for his preaching throughout Provence, and for his zeal in restoring regular observance.  In addition he exercised his talents as an artist in many of the Dominican churches of southern France.  He died at Aix-en-Provence on May 15, 1450.

Click here for more on the life of Blessed Andrew.

God of all truth,
you chose Blessed Andrew to preach the gospel of peace
and to promote the regular life.
by the help of his prayers
may we devote ourselves to proclaiming the faith
and bearing the yoke of Christ with fidelty.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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God’s word is alive; it strikes to the heart.
It pierces more surely than a two-edged sword, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Giles was born at Vouzella, near Coimbra, Portugal, about the year 1184.  Although destined for a church career by his father, Giles was more attracted by medicine which he studied and taught through the intervention of the Blessed Virgin.  He entered the newly-founded Order of Preachers at Valencia around 1224 and became a celebrated preacher and an able superior. Noted for his humble service to his brethren, he died at Santarem on May 14, 1265.

Click here, here, and here for more on the life of Blessed Giles, including several rumors and legends that still cling to his name.

Merciful God,
you drew Blessed Giles back
to a life of justice and holiness.
Draw us away from our sins
and lead us to the fullness of freedom and life.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Come, spouse of Christ,
receive the crown the Lord has prepared for you from all eternity, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Jane, the only daughter of Alphonso V of Portugal, was born in Lisbon in 1452.  For a time she served as regent of Portugal during her father’s absence, but had little taste for the life of the royal court.  She desired to embrace religious life and despite the violent opposition of her brother and father, she entered the Dominican monastery of Aveiro in 1472.  Dedicated to prayer and penance she lived for the conversion of sinners and the liberation of the Christian captives in Africa.  She lived a life of humility and simplicity and died at the monastery on May 12, 1490.

Click here for more on the intriguing political and religious life of Blessed Jane.

O God,
in the midst of the royal court
you strengthened Blessed Jane
with purity of heart.
By her prayers
may your faithful turn from the things of earth
and seek after the things of heaven.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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What you say of me does not come from yourselves;
it is the spirit of my Father speaking in you, alleluia.

A contemporary of St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Antoninus of Florence was instrumental in reforming the Dominican Order in Italy before being elected Archbishop of Florence in 1446.  A zealous pastor of souls, St. Antoninus fulfilled his duties as a friar and a bishop with distinction.  Also a trained scholar, St. Antoninus wrote books in theology, law, and economics.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Antonino Fierozzi was born in Florence in 1389 and in 1405 was received into the Order “for the future priory of Fiesole” by Blessed John Dominic, who at the time was reforming the Dominican priories of the area according to the wishes of Blessed Raymond of Capua.  He served the friars in various prioris in Italy, often as local superior, and became a distinguished master of canon law.  In 1436 he founded the famous priory of San Marco in Florence and under his leadership Fra Angelico decorated the priory and an outstanding library was collected.  His wisdom and pastoral zeal made him a natural choice for Archbishop of Florence in 1446.  He was noted for his service to the poor and established a society under the patronage of Saint Martin to assist him in this work.  Among his writings the best known in his Summa moralis.  His whole life was mirrored in his last words, “to serve God is to reign.”  He died on May 2, 1459.

For more on the life of St. Antoninus, click here and here.  For an explanation of the window dedicated to St. Anoninus in the parish church, click here.

Eternal God,
you wonderfully blessed Saint Antoninus
with the gift of wisdom.
Pour out upon us, your servants,
the same spirit of understanding, truth and peace.
May we know in our hearts what pleases you
and pursue it with all our strength.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Albert was born in Valle d’Ogna near Bergamo in 1214.  As a married man he was known for his generosity to the poor, a virtue for which his wife reproached him.  Upon the death of his wife, being childless, he left his father’s farm and went to Cremona where he lived in poverty.  His poverty was a witness to a group of heretics there who boasted of their own poverty. Attracted by the life of Saint Dominic he joined the Brothers of Penance, which later became the Order of Penance of Saint Dominic, and lived at the Dominican priory.  He died on May 7, 1279.

Click here for more on the holy life of Blessed Albert.

Almighty and ever-loving God,
you led Blessed Albert to shine forth in humility of life,
in zeal for the truth,
and in apostolic charity.
May we follow in his footsteps
and so obtain the same reward.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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I became all things to all men, that all might find salvation.

Happy Feast Day to all of our parishioners!

Though his feast appears on the General Calendar on April 5, the Order celebrates the feast of its own St. Vincent Ferrer today, May 5, which also happens to be the anniversary of the dedication of our magnificent parish church.  The newly constructed Church of St. Vincent Ferrer was dedicated on May 5, 1918.  Click “continue reading” below to see the New York Times article that covered the event.

For short biographies of St. Vincent Ferrer, click here and here.  To read his sermons, click here.

Father,
you called Saint Vincent Ferrer
to preach the gospel of the last judgment.
Through his prayers may we come with joy
to meet your Son in the kingdom of heaven,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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The holy virgins praise their Lord and King;
come let us join in their worship, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Emily was born at Vercelli, Italy, in 1238.  At the age of nineteen she made profession in the monastery built by her father and several times served as prioress there.  She joyfully performed the most unpleasant tasks of the monastery and was especially devoted to the Passion of our Savior.  She died on May 3, 1314.

God,
you led Blessed Emily to despise all earthly things
and to seek you alone.
By following her example
may we learn self-denial
and love you with grateful hearts.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Priest of the Most High God,
you were a good shepherd and pleasing to the Lord, alleluia.

Today ends the “Dominican Triduum” that every year closes the month of April. On Wednesday, we remembered St. Louis de Montfort, the missionary priest and Dominican tertiary who renewed devotion to Mary in early eighteenth-century France.  Rumors still circulate that he will be proclaimed a Doctor of the Church. Yesterday, we commemorated St. Catherine of Siena, the fourteenth-century Italian Dominican tertiary whose sweet love for Jesus, Mary, and Peter guided her all her prayer and activity.  A peacemaker among enemies, Catherine brought peace also to the Church by guiding Pope Gregory XI back to Rome from Avignon. And today we honor St. Pius V, a mid 16th-century Dominican friar charged, after his election to the papacy, with implementing the reforms and directives of the Council of Trent.  In the Chair of Peter for less than seven years, Pius fulfilled his mission with decisive action and ardent devotion.

As we end April and look forward to May, we enter the month of Mary strengthened by the witness of three great Dominican devotés of Our Lady.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Antonio Chisliere was born in 1504 at Bosco, in Peidmont, Italy.  At the age of fourteen he entered the Dominican Order and took the name Michaele.  He taught theology and held several positions of responsibility, first as prior of several communities, then as Commissary General of the Roman Inquisition. In 1556 he was named bishop of Nipi and Sutri and was created cardinal in 1557. In 1566 he was elected pope and took the name Pius.  He implemented the decrees of the Council of Trent; published the revised Breviary (1568) and Missal (1570); reformed the Roman Curia; issued the Roman Catechism (1566); and defended Catholic doctrine against the Reformers.  His love and devotion to the Virgin Mary was manifest when he entreated her through the rosary to spare the Christian forces in the Battle of Lepanto. Moved by this victory he instituted the feast of Our Lady of Victory.  He died May 1, 1572.

Click here and here for more on the life of St. Pius V.

Faithful God,
you called our brother Pius
to defend the faith
and to renew the worship of your Church.
With the help of his prayers
guide us toward that worship in truth
which is faithful to your Word.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Eternal God, receive the sacrifice of my life for your Church.
Accept my heart and impress upon it the face of your Son, Jesus, alleluia.

Words fail the love many hearts feel for the saint we celebrate today, our Dominican sister Catherine of Siena.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Catherine Benincasa was born at Siena, Italy, in 1347, the youngest of twenty-five children.  Inspired by divine grace she vowed her virginity to God while still a small girl and after overcoming the objections of her family pursued a life of prayer and penance as a Sister of Penance of St. Dominic.  She continued in this way of life until 1370 when in a vision God asked her to undertake an active apostolate and become involved in the affirs of her age. Several times she was able to bring about peace among the Italian city-states and, while representing the Florentines at Avignon, was instrumental in persuading Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome.

On April 1, 1375, by divine favor she received the stigmata.  The Dialogue (1378), which she left for her large family of disciples, is a masterpiece of spiritual and theological doctrine and has become a source of riches for the entire Dominican family.  She died in Rome on April 29, 1380, and was buried in the basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva.  In 1970 Pope Paul VI declared her a Doctor of the Church.

For more on the life of Holy Catherine, click here and here.  For a link to her Dialogue, click here.  And for her letters, click here.

God of wisdom,
you made Saint Catherine burn with divine love
in contemplating the Lord’s passion
and in serving your Church.
With the help of her prayers
may your people, united in the mystery of Christ,
rejoice forever in the revelation of his glory,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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To Jesus through Mary!

Today the Church remembers St. Louis de Montfort, a French missionary priest and Dominican tertiary charged with preaching the Rosary and renewing Marian devotion in early eighteenth-century France.

From Catholic Online:

He was born Louis Marie Grignon in Montfort, France, in 1673. Educated at Rennes, he was ordained there in 1700, becoming a chaplain in a hospital in Poitiers. His congregation, also called the Daughters of Divine Wisdom, started there. As his missions and sermons raised complaints, Louis went to Rome, where Pope Clement XI appointed him as a missionary apostolic. Louis is famous for fostering devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary. In 1715, he also founded the Missionaries of the Company of Mary. His True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin remains popular. Louis died at Saint-Laurent-sur-Sevre. He was canonized in 1947.

As is mentioned above, St. Louis’s True Devotion to Mary and The Secret of the Rosary remain must-read spiritual classics.

Click here and here for more on the life of St. Louis de Montfort.

Lord God,
you gave Saint Louis de Montfort
the spirit of truth and love
to shepherd your people.
May we who honor them on this feast
learn from their example
and be helped by their prayers.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Keep watch with love, wise virgins, with your lamps alight.
See, the Bridegroom comes; go out to welcome him, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Catherine Kosic was born of Orthodox parents in the country of Montenegro in 1493.  As a young girl she was a shepherdess, but wishing to follow Christ more closely she embraced the solitary life, assumed the habit of a Dominican tertiary, and took the name Osanna.  She spent her life in contemplation and prayer for the salvation of the world and became a counselor for many people.  She died on April 27, 1565.  Blessed Osanna is invoked especially for Church unity.

For more on the life of Blessed Osanna, click here and here.

God of compassion,
enkindle anew in our hearts
the love of your cross.
By the life and prayers of Blessed Osanna,
who suffered for the unity of the Church,
may we become sharers in both your passion and your glory.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Agnes bore the sufferings of Christ in her body,
that his life might be manifest in her, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Saint Agnes was born at Gracciano, Italy, in 1268 and entered a monastery at Montepulciano at the age of nine.  At the age of fifteen by indult of the Holy See she was appointed superior of a monastery of nuns at Viterbo.  In response to the entreaties of the people of Montepulciano she returned there in 1306 to take charge of a newly founded monastery which followed the Rule of St. Augustine.  A few years later she placed this monastery under the direction of the Order of Preachers and sought evangelical perfection according to the way of Saint Dominic.  Agnes was devoted to the infant Jesus and the Virgin Mary, manifested the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and was a model of prayer and charity.  She worked for civil peace and unity.  Saint Catherine of Siena regarded her as her “glorious mother.”  She died on April 20, 1317.

For more on the life of Saint Agnes, click here and here.

Merciful God,
you adorned Agnes, your bride,
with a marvelous fervor in prayer.
By imitating her example,
may we always hold fast to you in spirit
and so come to enjoy the abundant fruits of holiness.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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With all our heart we follow you in awe;
we long to see you face to face.
Lord, do not disappoint our hope, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Sibyllina, born at Pavia, Italy, about 1287, was left an orphan when quite young and at the age of twelve was afflicted with total blindness.  The Sisters of Penance befriended her and clothed her in the habit of the Order.  She had a special devotion to Christ crucified and to the Holy Spirit.  She lived as a recluse at the church of the Preachers where many people sought her out asking for prayers.  She died on March 19, 1367.

O Lord,
enkindle our hearts with the fire of the Spirit,
who wonderfully renewed Blessed Sibyllina.
Filled with that heavenly light
may we come to know Jesus Christ crucified
and always grow in your love.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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When the prince of pastors comes again,
you will receive from him an unfading crown of glory, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Isnard was born at Chiampo, near Vicenze, Italy, toward the end of the twelfth century and entered the Order at Bologna around 1218.  He was known as “a fervent religious, a grace-filled preacher, and a virgin in body and mind,” as well as a worker of miracles.  He founded the priory at Pavia, which he wisely governed until his death on March 19, 1244.

For more on the life of Blessed Isnard, click here.

God of truth,
you drive away the darkness of ignorance
by the light of your wisdom.
By the life and prayers of Blessed Isnard
increase the strength of our faith,
and let no trials extinguish in us the fire of your grace
which shone forth in him.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Come, let us worship God,
wonderful in his saints, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Catharine Mancini was born at Pisa around the middle of the fourteenth century.  By the time she was twenty-five she had been widowed twice and left bereft of all her children.  At the urging of Saint Catherine of Siena she became a Sister of Penance and later entered the monastery founded by Blessed Clara Gambacorta, where she took the name Maria.  There she devoted herself to contemplation and penance, and upon the death of Blessed Clara, became prioress.  She died there on January 22, 1431.

O God,
bestower of grace and consoler of the sorrowful,
you strengthened Blessed Maria in the adversities of life
with an admirable patience and unwavering constancy.
By the help of her prayers
may we follow your will with a sincere heart
and so be faithful to you
through the changing paths of life.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Come, let us worship God,
wonderful in his saints, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Clara was born in Pisa in 1362, married at the age of twelve and widowed at the age of fifteen.  She longed to join a religious order, but her family objected.  When at last they relented, upon the advice of Saint Catherine of Siena, she received the Dominican habit at the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Pisa.  In 1385 along with Blessed Maria Mancini she founded the Monastery of Saint Dominic in Pisa where regular observance was strictly maintained. She was noted for her great prudence and charity, especially in pardoning the assassin of her father and brothers.  She prized study and urged her sisters to do likewise.  She died on April 17, 1419.

Merciful God,
grant us a spirit of prayer and penance.
By following in the footsteps of Blessed Clara
may we be worthy to win the crown she has received in heaven.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord, alleluia.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Peter was born at Palencia, Spain, towards the end of the twelfth century.  He pursued an ecclesiastical career and became dean of the Church of Palencia.  Moved by the grace of God, he asked for the habit of the order nad became as renowned fo his humility as he had previously been renowned for his greed for glory.  He was notable for his life of prayer and for his service to his neighbor, especially those who were in peril on the sea.  Sailors have invoked his intercession under the name “Saint Elmo.”  He died at Tuy, Spain, on April 14, 1246.

For more on Blessed Peter, after whom “St. Elmo’s Fire” is named, click here and here.

Almighty God,
you bestowed the singular help of Blessed Peter
on those in peril from the sea.
By the help of his prayers
may the light of your grace shine forth
in all the storms of this life
and enable us to find the harbor of everlasting salvation.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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On Tuesday, April 13, the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer will celebrate of a Votive Mass in honor of Blessed Margaret of Costello.  Mass will begin at 5:30 PM, and a light reception will follow.

For more on the life of Blessed Margaret, click here.

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At Wednesday’s General Audience, Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the life and doctrine of St. Albert the Great, an early teacher of the Dominican Order who had the privilege of tutoring St. Thomas Aquinas.  As the Pope explains, it was St. Albert who inspired St. Thomas to dedicate his intellectual life to reconciling the truths of Aristotle’s philosophy with the divine truths revealed to us by Christ.  Thus in the 13th century, the Pope notes, were faith and reason brought together to develop one true theology, or as St. Albert called it, an “affective science.” Below is the full text of the Holy Father’s address.

GENERAL AUDIENCE ADDRESS
March 24, 2010

Dear brothers and sisters,

One of the greatest teachers of Medieval theology is St. Albert the Great. The title “great” (magnus) with which he has passed into history, indicates the vastness and depth of his doctrine, which he coupled with holiness of life. But already his contemporaries did not hesitate to attribute excellent titles to him; one of his disciples, Ulrich of Strasbourg, described him as “wonder and miracle of our age.”

Born in Germany at the beginning of the 13th century, he was still young when he went to Italy, to Padua, seat of one of the most famous universities of the Middle Ages. He dedicated himself to the study of the so-called liberal arts: grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music, that is, of the general culture, manifesting that typical interest for the natural sciences, which would soon become the favorite field of his specialization. During his stay in Padua, he frequented the church of the Dominicans, whom he later joined with the profession of religious vows. The hagiographic sources lead one to understand that Albert matured this decision gradually. The intense relationship with God, the example of holiness of the Dominican Friars, the listening of sermons of Blessed Giordano of Saxony, successor of St. Dominic in the leadership of the Order of Preachers, were the decisive factors that helped him to overcome every doubt, overcoming also family resistance. Often, in the years of youth, God speaks to us and indicates the plan of our life. As for Albert, so for all of us, personal prayer nourished by the Word of the Lord, the frequenting of the sacraments and the spiritual guidance of enlightened men are the means to discover and follow the voice of God. He received the religious habit from Blessed Giordano of Saxony.

After his priestly ordination, the superiors sent him to teach in several centers of theological study adjacent to monasteries of the Dominican Fathers. His brilliant intellectual qualities enabled him to perfect the study of theology in the most famous university of the time, that of Paris. From then on St. Albert undertook that extraordinary activity of writer, which he would then follow for his whole life.

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From the Dominican Ordo:

Born at Fabriano at the beginning of the fifteenth century, Blessed Constantius received the Dominican habit at the age of fifteen.  He was noted for his austere and prayerful life, as well as his efforts in promoting peace.  As prior at Fabriano, at Perugia, and at Ascoli he labored to restore regular life.  He died at Ascoli on February 24, 1481.

God of justice and truth,
you made Blessed Constantius renowned
for his unceasing prayer
and his zeal for peace.
By the hellp of his prayers
may we wwalk in the path of justice
and reach everlasting peace and glory.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Christopher was born at Milan around 1410.  He dedicated his whole life to itinerant preaching after the example of St. Vincent Ferrer.  The austerity of his life and his zeal for souls led an ancient chronicler to say of him: “He was truly a Christ-bearer, for he carried Christ not only in name, but in his heart and on his lips.”  While master of novices he wrote a treatise On the Service of God for them.  He died at Taggia in March, 1484.

Click here for more on the life of Blessed Christopher, including a description of his gift of prophesy.

God of all truth,
you made Blessed Christopher
a faithful herald of your word to the people.
By his life and ministry
may we keep Christ ever in our thoughts
and in the love of our hearts,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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From the Dominican Ordo:

Born at Zamora, Spain, towards the middle of the fourteenth century, Blessed Alvarez entered the Order in 1368.  He preached throughout Spain and Italy and established the priory of Scala Caeli at Cordova where he promoted the regular life.  By his preaching and contemplation of the Lord’s Passion he spread the practice of the Way of the Cross throughout the West.  He died on February 19, about the year 1430.

For more on Blessed Alvarez, click here.

God of mercy,
you endowed Blessed Alvarez
with the gifts of penance and divine love.
With the help of his prayers and example
may we always bear the suffering of Christ in our bodies
and your love in our hearts.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Lord, my heart is not proud and my eyes are not haughty;
truly I have stilled and quieted my soul.

Today the Dominican Order celebrates the feast of one of its most famous friars, Blessed John of Fiesole, more popularly known as “Fra Angelico.”  Like all Dominicans, this priest prayed, celebrated the Divine Mysteries, and contemplated the Divine Word, but instead of using words he preached the Gospel with pictures, holy images on wood and plaster created by his own skilled hand.  A pivotal figure in the history of art, Fra Angelico’s works can be seen in convents, churches, and museums around the world.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Guido of Vicchio was born in the region of Tuscany in 1386 or 1387 and studied art in Florence while still a young man.  Feeling drawn to religious life he entered the Order at the convent of San Domenico in Fiesole.  This convent had recently been established as a house of regular observance by Blessed John Dominic whose name he took when he entered.  He served as superior of San Domenico, promoted regular observance and handed on the fruits of his contemplation through his paintings for the altars at Fiesole and for the convent of San Marco in Florence.  He was called to Rome by Pope Eugene IV to decorate two chapels, one in the Basilica of St. Paul and one in the Vatican.  Pope Nicholas V also commissioned him to decorate his private chapel at the Vatican.  His work is also found the convent of San Domenico in Cortona and the Cathedral at Orvieto.  Pope Eugene IV wished to appoint him archbishop of Florence, but he declined in favor of Saint Antoninus.  On February 18, 1455, he died in Rome at Santa Maria sopra Minerva and was buried there.  The special quality of his painting earned him the title “Fra Angelico.”

Identifying his place in the history of art, Grove’s Dictionary of Art (II:30-40) describes the influence Fra Angelico exercised over future generations of painters.

[Fra Angelico] rose from obscure beginnings as a journeyman illuminator to the renown of an artist whose last major commissions were monumental fresco cycles in St Peter’s and the Vatican Palace, Rome.  He reached maturity in the early 1430′s, a watershed in the history of Florentine art.  None of the masters who had broken new ground with naturalistic painting in the 1420′s was still in Florence by the end of that decade.  The way was open for a new generation of painters, and Fra Angelico was the dominant figure among several who became prominent at that time, including Paolo Uccello, Fra Filippo Lipi and Andrea del Castagno.  By the early 1430′s Fr Angelico was operating the largest and most prestigious workshop in Florence.  His paintings offered alternatives to the traditional polyptych altarpiece type and projected the new naturalism of panel painting on to a monumental scale.  In fresco projects of the 1440′s and 1450′s, both for S Marco in Florence and for S Peter’s and the Vatican Palace in Rome, Fra Angelico softened the typically astringent and declamatory style of Tuscan mural decoration with the colouristic and luminescent nuances that characterize his panel paintings.  His legacy passed directly to the second half of the 15th century through the work of his close follower Benozzo Gozzoli and indirectly through the production of Domenico Veneziano an dPiero della Francesca.  Fra Angelico was undoubtedly the leading master in Rome at mid-century, and had the survival rate of 15th-century Roman painting been greater, his significance for such later artists as Melozzo da Forli and Antoniazzo Romano might be clearer than it is.

Click here and here for more on the life and legacy of Fra Angelico.

Google his name and you’ll find many of his works online.  Or click here and here for a sampling of his paintings.

God of eternal beauty,
in your providence you inspired Blessed Fra Angelico
to reveal in images of earth
the tranquil harmony of heaven.
With the help of his prayers
and by following his example
may our lives reveal that same splendor
to the hearts of all our brothers and sisters.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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He announced the good news;
the hand of the Lord was with him.

From the website of the Irish Dominicans:

Blessed Jordan was born in Saxony into the family of the Counts of Eberstein. While a student in Paris, he met St Dominic but did not immediately enter the Order of Preachers.

When Blessed Reginald of Orléans arrived in Paris in 1220 and caused many students of the university of Paris to enter the Order, Blessed Jordan was among those who received the habit on Ash Wednesday.

He was subsequently appointed first provincial of the province of Lombardy, and was later elected to replace St Dominic as Master General. It is said that his preaching caused over one thousand men to join the Order.

He was also author of the Libellus de principiis Ordinis Praedicatorum (Booklet on the beginnings of the Order of Preachers). This text offers the first history of the foundation of the Order as well as the first life of St Dominic. The now traditional Dominican practice of singing the antiphon “Salve Regina” after Compline each night was established by Blessed Jordan at Bologna.

He died in a shipwreck near Syria in 1237 while returning from Palestine where he had visited priories of the Order. His body was recovered and was buried in Akko, in present day Israel. He was beatified in 1825 and his feast is observed on 13th February.

Again today the Office of Readings has us reflect on Blessed Jordan’s written description of the beginnings of the Order.  In the lesson we read yesterday for the feast of Blessed Reginald, Jordan tells of his mentor’s grace-filled reception of the habit.  Today we hear Jordan describe his own entrance into the Order under Reginald’s inspiration.

From Blessed Jordan of Saxony’s Libellus on the Beginnings of the Order of Preachers:

Brother Reginald, of happy memory, came to Paris and began his energetic preaching.  I was moved by divine grace to conceive within myself a desire to join his Order, and I made a promise to this effect in my mind, thinking that I had found precisely the safe way to salvation which I had often thought about, even before I got to know the friars.

Once my own mind was made up, I began with all eagerness to try to entice my friend and companion to join me in my purpose, seeing that both his natural gifts and his gifts of grace would make him a very useful preacher.  He resisted, but, far from giving up, I redoubled my efforts to persuade him.

When the day came on which the imposition of ashes reminds the faithful of their creation from the dust and their return to the dust, we decided that it was a suitable occasion for us to begin our life of penance, and to fulfill what we had promised to the Lord.

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Blessed be the Lord who sent the Mother of Mercy to our brother Reginald
to anoint him for preaching the gospel of peace.

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Reginald was born near Orleans about the year 1180.  He became a doctor of law and taught at Paris.  On his way to visit the Holy Land he stopped at Rome where he was captivated by Saint Dominic and the ideal of his Order. While there he fell dangerously ill, but was healed through the intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  He then received the habit from Saint Dominic, the very habit which Our Lady had shown him.  His example and eloquent preaching attracted many young men to the Order, first at Bologna and then at Paris.  He died at Paris in 1220 and was buried at Notre Dame des Champs.

The second lesson of today’s Office of Readings is an account of Blessed Reginald’s life written by his friend, Blessed Jordan of Saxony, whose feast we celebrate tomorrow.  Writing during his term as the Order’s second Master, Jordan was careful to highlight Reginald’s important role in organizing and strengthening the Order in its infancy.  As Jordan explains, grace and nature came together in remarkable ways to bless Brother Reginald, and through him, despite his early death, the lives of all the brethren.

From Jordan of Saxony’s On the Beginnings of the Order of Preachers:

While Master Dominic was in Rome in 1218, Master Reginald, then dean of St. Aignan in Orleans, arrived there, intending to go overseas.  He was very highly thought of, a most learned man and a prominent public figure.  He had taught canon law in Paris for five years.

On his arrival in Rome, he fell seriously ill, and Master Dominic went to vist him several times, urging him to follow the poverty of Christ and to join his Order.  He prevailed upon him to agree, fully and freely, to enter the Order, so much so that he bound himself to it by vow.

So he was rescued from the serious, well-nigh desperate peril of his illness, not without a miracle of divine power.  While he was feverish, with a high temperature, the queen of heaven and mother of mercy, the Virgin Mary, came to him visibly and anointed his eyes, ears, nose, mouth, navel, hands, and feet with a healing balm which she had brought wth her, saying as she did so things like, “I anoint your feet with holy oil to make them ready to spread the gospel of peace.”  She also showed him the complete habit of the Order.

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Blessed be the Lord who said to Catherine,
“Come, my beloved, come;
I will make your garments white in the blood of the Lamb.”

From the Catholic Encyclopedia:

[St. Catherine de Ricci] is chiefly known to the world for her highly mystical and miraculous life, and especially as the subject of a marvellous, but fully and most carefully authenticated ecstasy, into which she was rapt every week, from Thursday at noon till 4 p.m. on Friday, for several years. In this state she went through all the stages of Our Lord’s Passion, actually realizing, and showing forth to others with wonderful vividness, all that His Blessed Mother suffered in witnessing it. Her father, Pier Francesco de’ Ricci, was one of an old and respected family of bankers and merchants. Her mother of the Ricasoli family — died when she was a small child, and she was brought up by a devoted stepmother, Fiammetta da Diacceto. The latter soon observed the child’s unusual tendency to holiness — particularly to solitary prayer — and did her utmost to foster and develop it. Whilst still a child, Alessandra resolved to join some strictly observant religious order; but the state of relaxation just then was so universal that it was long before she could find what she desired. Her vocation was finally decided during a stay at Prato, where she made acquaintance with the Dominican Convent of San Vincenzio, founded in 1503 by nine ladies who had been devoted followers of Savonarola. Alessandra there found the spirit of religious fervour high enough to satisfy even her ideal; and, after some difficulties with her father, she entered the novitiate, was clothed in 1535 (taking the name of Catherine), and professed in 1536.

Both during her novitiate and for four or five years after profession, she was subjected to humiliating trials from the community, owing to their misunderstanding of some of the high supernatural favours she received; but her holiness and humility eventually triumphed. She was then appointed to one important office after another, finally remaining prioress or sub prioress till her death. During all these years, whilst conscientiously fulfilling every religious duty, she was feeling and showing keen interest in all her relations — especially her brothers — and in numerous friends and “spiritual children”. The great “Ecstasy of the Passion”, above referred to, happened for the first time in February, 1542, and was renewed every week afterwards for twelve years, when it ceased in answer to the prayers of Catherine herself and the community. The fame of it was bringing so many people of every rank and calling to Prato that the peace and strict observance of the convent were suffering. Catherine de’ Ricci lived in an age of great saints; among her contemporaries were St. Charles Borromeo, St. Philip Neri, and St. M. Magdalen de Pazzi. With the two last named she is said to have held in different ways, miraculous intercourse, never having met them in a natural way. She was beatified in 1732 by Clement XII, after many delays in the process, and canonized by Benedict XIV in 1746 on both occasions amid great rejoicings at Prato, where her memory is always kept fresh. The lineal descendants of her community still inhabit the convent of San Vincenzio (now commonly called Santa Caterina), and there her body still reposes.

For more on the life of St. Catherine, click here.

There exists in the Dominican tradition a devotion to the Passion of Christ inspired by St. Catherine.  Rooted in scripture, it’s very easy to pray.  Click here for its outline.

God of light and truth,
by your grace Saint Catherine
shone forth in her contemplation
of the passion of your Son.
My the help of her prayers
may we meditate with reverence
upon these same mysteries,
and so come to enjoy their fruits.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Today the Dominican Order remembers a trio of holy friars, all Italian, two of whom were born in the same town.  All three were martyred Inquisitors-General serving in the Piedmont region of Italy.  They are Blessed Peter of Ruffia, Blessed Anthony of Pavonio, and Blessed Bartholomew of Cerverio.

BLESSED PETER OF RUFFIA

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Peter was born at Ruffia, Italy, around 1320.  He entered the Order at an early age and was known for his personal austerity, his sound doctrine and his spirit of self-denial.  He was appointed Inquisitor-General of Piedmont in 1351 to deal with the Waldensians.  He was martyred by some of this sect at Susa on February 2, 1365.

Loving God,
in your mercy you bestowed the crown of martyrdom
on Blessed Peter
for his defense of the true faith.
Help us by his prayers
to please you by a faith
that is manifested through clarity.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

BLESSED ANTHONY OF PAVONIO

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Anthony was born at Savigliano, Italy, about 1326 and entered the Order at an early age.  Upon the martyrdom of Blessed Peter of Ruffia, Anthony was appointed to succeed him as Inquisitor-General by Urban V.  His prayer and practice of virtue sustained him in this ministry.  He was himself martyred for the faith on April 9, 1374.

God of all truth,
to promote the unity of the faith
you gave Blessed Anthony a dauntless courage.
Help us to follow in his footsteps
and so obtain the object of our faith,
our eternal salvation.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

BLESSED BARTHOLOMEW OF CERVERIO

From the Dominican Ordo:

Blessed Bartholomew was born at Savigliano, Italy, about 1420.  He pursued theological studies and became a Master of Theology in the faculty of Turin.  His theological expertise and his apostolic zeal led to his appointment as Inquisitor-General in Piedmont.  Blessed Bartholomew worked untiringly to defend the true faith and for his efforts received the crown of martyrdom on April 21, 1466.

Loving God,
you made Blessed Bartholomew
an outstanding champion of the faith
and bestowed on him the crown of martyrdom.
Help us by his prayers and example
to bear our cross
and be worthy to share with him in your glory.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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Praise the holy name of the Lord;
the heart that seeks him will rejoice.

From the Catholic News Agency:

Villana de’Botti was a wife and a Third Order Dominican. She was born in Florence in 1332. She was a very pious child, and at age 13 she ran away from home to join a convent. She was refused and returned home. Soon after, her family married her to Rosso di Piero.

The rejection at the convent and the marriage seemed to change Villana. She became lazy and worldly, concerned only with pleasure. One day, as she was getting dressed, her reflection in her mirrors suddenly changed to a demon. Villana understood this to be a reflection of her sinful soul. She tore off her clothes, put on something poor and simple, and ran to the Dominican Fathers for help.

She became a Dominican tertiary, concentrated on her vocation of married life, and spent her free time praying and reading Scripture and the lives of the saints. She was given to religious ecstasies at Mass, visions of Our Lady and the saints, and had the gift of prophecy. She became the object of much ridicule and slander, but even her fiercest opponents eventually came to see her as a living saint.

She died in 1361 of natural causes at the age of 30. Her body was taken to the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, which was under the care of the Dominican Fathers. The priests were unable to bury her for a month due to the constant crowd of mourners. She was beatified by Pope Leo XII in 1824.

For more on the life of Blessed Villana, click here.

O God, our merciful Father,
you called Blessed Villana back
from the emptiness of the world
and aroused in her a spirit
of humility and true penitence.
Recreate in our hearts the power of your love
and, filled by that same spirit,
may we serve you in newness of life.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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May Christ be praised, the King of glory,
who fills the world with the teaching of grace through Thomas,
the light of the Church.

Of the many Dominican customs I have come to cherish, one stands out for me. When we friars gather in choir before the Blessed Sacrament, we begin our prayer by kneeling and reciting the O sacrum convivium, an antiphon that honors the Eucharist and calls to mind its most prominent graces.

O sacrum convivium!
in quo Christus sumitur:
recolitur memoria passionis ejus:
mens impletur gratia:
et futurae gloriae nobis pignus datur.

O sacred banquet,
in which Christ becomes our food,
the memory of his Passion is recalled,
the soul is filled with grace,
and a pledge of future glory is given to us.

Memorized quickly by every Dominican novice, this antiphon was written by the saint we honor today, our brother Thomas Aquinas.  That such a beautiful and pious text came from the pen of such a powerful intellect reminds us that all prayer, all study, all writing, all preaching, and all religious service to neighbor must take root in and point us back to the mysteries of Christ’s life, and to the mysteries of his Church, which communicate Christ’s life to us.  Through this antiphon, and indeed through his entire life, St. Thomas exhibits superlatively how the Eucharist serves as both the catalyst and the goal of the Church’s life in Christ. As preachers of grace and servants of the mysteries of Christ, we Dominicans do well to place Aquinas’s words on our lips every time we gather for prayer.

The greatest of the Church’s mysteries, or sacraments, is the Blessed Sacrament—the sacrum convivium—and no other mystery occupied the priestly and poetic heart of St. Thomas like the Eucharist.  He never let a day pass without celebrating Holy Mass, and on most days he would attend a second Mass as an act of thanksgiving.  What’s more, St. Thomas demonstrated his acute skill at poetry and hymn writing by composing Eucharistic texts still in use in the Church’s Corpus Christi liturgies.  His hymns especially remain familiar to many: Tantum ergo, O salutaris hostia, Adoro te devote.  Though less familiar than these hymns, the O sacrum convivium has also been set to music.  Posted below is Thomas Tallis’s setting for the antiphon.

O Sacrum Convivium Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

As we celebrate today the feast of the Angelic and Common Doctor, we place our Eucharistic piety under his patronage and protection.  May we grow in our love for the Sacrament of the Altar, which, as St. Thomas reminds us, is both our spiritual nourishment and the promise and foretaste of the eternal convivium that awaits us.

For more on the life and thought of St. Thomas, click here and here.

O God,
you made blessed Thomas
a herald of your wisdom
and an example of holiness of life for your Church;
by his merits and example,
grant us perpetually and truthfully to seek you,
and to love you above all things.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

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