A New Novice!!!

cropped-black-st-dominic.jpg

It is with great happiness that we have the privilege of announcing that our dear Brother Michael Austin Marshall has successfully completed his studies for the Postulancy of the Order of Preachers,  Independent, and has been admitted to the Order as a Novice.  We ask your continued prayers for our dear brother, as he strives to become the best Dominican he can be, and to serve the Lord in all aspects of his life.  Br. Michael will continue with his studies, daily interactions with the members of the Order, and work towards his Simple Profession.

Are You Ready??? ~ The Rev. Lady Sherwood, OPI

Are you ready?

Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come

like a thief at night. When people are saying, “Peace and security, ” then sudden disaster comes upon them, like labour pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief.  For all of you are children of the light and children of the day.  We are not of the night or of darkness.

Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober.  1 Thes. 5: 1 – 6

As it tells us in 1 THES 5:1-6,, we know the that the Lord shall indeed come again and that as “Children of the light” we must stay “alert and sober”. We are not in darkness and should not let that day take us by surprise ,as it indeed shall for all those still in darkness and without the Lord truly in their lives. We must ensure then that we are fully prepared for the day of the Lord’s return in Glory. We need to remain watchful as the Lord’s children, so how is it that we truly can be prepared?

We need to be aware of our thoughts in our daily lives -(2 Cor 10:5). Many of us as humans seem to find it difficult to bring our thoughts into the “obedient captivity of God”. When we encounter evil or negative thoughts, we must fight against and rebuke them, instead filling all our thoughts with only the things that are good in the sight of God (Phil. 4:8).

We must be aware of all the unholy things which we may hear in the world, especially all the things that are against God, or are hateful or discriminatory in nature to our brothers and sisters. And “we must apply our hearts to instruction and our ears to words of knowledge”-(Prov. 23:12).

We must watch the way in which we speak in our lives because each of us at some point in our lives has spoken, even accidentally , in a way that has caused upset, hurt, or pain to others and this will be all taken into account on the Lord’s return. ” Everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matt. 12:36-37).

We must watch our actions and our works, ensuring that they are done only for God, with all our hearts and make sure that they are works that are Gloryifying to Him (Col. 3:23; I Cor. 10:31) Our works and actions speak far louder than words, so our works will be “heard” even more than our words. It is important that both work hand in hand for the Father’s Glory.

All of these things are vital if we are truly to be prepared for the return of the Lord. Let us correct any of these ways in which we are not fully prepared, ensuring that in His loving Grace and mercy, we may then live and serve him in eternity to his Glory.

With these things in mind, If the Lord returned today or tomorrow, would you be ready???

Blessed Lucy of Narni

Blessed Lucy of Narni was the eldest of eleven children of Bartolomeo Broccadelli and Gentilina Cassio. When she was only five years old, she had a vision of the Virgin Mary. Two years later, she had another vision, this time of the Virgin Mary accompanied by Saint Dominic. Dominic is said to have given her the scapular at this time. When she was twelve years old, Lucy made a private vow of chastity, and determined to become a Dominican nun.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Circumstances, however, changed to make doing so difficult. The next year her father died, leaving her in the care of an uncle. This uncle determined that the best course of action he could take would be to get Lucy married as quickly as possible.

He made several attempts to do so. One of these included holding a large family party. He had invited the man he had chosen as Lucia’s husband to the party, with the intention of having the couple publicly betrothed. He however had not informed Lucia of his intentions. The suitor made an attempt to put a ring on Lucia’s finger, only to be slapped repeatedly for his efforts by Lucia.

A later attempt involved Count Pietro de Alessio of Milan, an acquaintance of the family. Lucia was actually quite fond of him, but felt her earlier vow to become a nun made the possibility of marriage impossible. The strain Lucia felt as a result of the conflicting feelings made her seriously ill. During this time, the Virgin Mary and Saint Dominic again appeared to her, this time accompanied by Catherine of Siena. They reportedly advised Lucia to contract a legal marriage to Pietro, but to explain that her vow of virginity would have to be respected and not violated. Pietro agreed to the terms, and the marriage was formalized.

In 1491 Lucia became Pietro’s legal wife and the mistress of his household, which included a number of servants and a busy social calendar. Despite her busy schedule, Lucia made great efforts to instruct the servants in Christianity and soon became well known locally for her charity to the poor.

Pietro observed Lucia’s behavior, and occasional quirks, quite indulgently. He never objected when she gave away clothing and food nor when she performed austere penances, which included regularly wearing a hair shirt under her garments and spending most of the night in prayer and acting to help the poor. He also seemed to have taken in stride the story he was told by the servants that Lucia was often visited in the evenings by Saint Catherine, Saint Agnes, and Saint Agnes of Montepulciano who helped her make bread for the poor.

However, when one of the servants came up to him one day and told him that Lucia was privately entertaining a handsome young man she appeared to be quite familiar with, he did react. He took up his sword and went to see who this person was. When he arrived, he found Lucia contemplating a large crucifix. The servant told him that the man he had seen Lucia with looked like the figure on the crucifix.

Lucia left one night for a local Franciscan monastic community, only to find it closed. She returned home the following day, stating that she had been led back by two saints. That was enough for Pietro. He had her locked away for the bulk of one Lenten season. She was only visited by servants who brought her food. When Easter arrived, however, she managed to escape from Pietro back to her mother’s house and on 1494 May 8 became a Dominican tertiary. Pietro expressed his disapproval of this in a rather dramatic form, by burning down the monastery of the prior who had given her the habit.

In 1495 Lucia went to Rome and joined a group of Third order Dominican tertiaries. The next year she was sent to Viterbo and here she found she was frequently the object of unwanted attention. It was here, on February 25, 1496 that she is reported to have received the stigmata. Lucia did her best to hide these marks, and was frequently in spiritual ecstasy. The house had a steady stream of visitors who came to speak to Lucia, and, often, just look at her. Even the other nuns were concerned about her, and at one point called in the local bishop who watched Lucia go through the drama of the Passion for twelve hours straight.

The bishop would not make a decision on Lucia, and called in the local inquisition. Reports here vary, some indicating that he referred the case directly to the Pope, who is said to have spoken with her and, with the assistance of Columba of Rieti, ultimately decided in her favor, telling her to go home and pray for him. Other sources question the accuracy of these reports.

At that time Pietro also came to her, making a final plea to persuade Lucia to return with him as his wife. She declined, and Pietro left alone. He would himself later become a Franciscan monk and a famous preacher.

When Lucy returned to the convent in Viterbo, she found that the Duke of Ferrara, Ercole d’Este I, had determined to build a convent in Ferrara and that, having heard of her, he determined that she would be its prioress. In summer of 1497, he invited her to be the founder of this new monastery. Lucia herself, the Dominican order, and the Pope all agreed quickly to the new proposal. The municipal council of Viterbo, however, objected, not wanting to lose Lucy. Lucia had been praying for some time for a way to create a new convent of strict observance, and agreed to go to the new convent.

Lucia’s departure precipitated a conflict between Ferrara and Viterbo which would continue for two years. Viterbo wanted to keep the famous mystic for themselves, and the duke wanted her in Ferrara. After extensive correspondence between the parties, on April 15, 1499 Lucia escaped secretly from Viterbo and was officially received in Ferrara on May 7, 1499. Thirteen young girls immediately applied for admission to her new community; the construction of the monastery began in June and was completed two years later, in August 1501. It contained 140 cells for sisters and the novices, but to fill it with suitable vocations proved to be very difficult. Lucia expressed the wish to have there some of her former friends from Viterbo and Narni. Duke Ercole, in September 1501 sent his messenger to Rome asking for the help of the pope’s daughter Lucrezia Borgia, who was preparing to marry Duke’s son Alfonso. She collected all eleven candidates Lucia had indicated and sent them, as a special wedding present to Lucia and to the Duke, a few days ahead of her bridal party. She herself solemnly entered Ferrara on February 2, 1502.

The Duke petitioned the local bishop for some help for Lucia in governing her new community, and he sent ten nuns from another community to join Lucia’s convent. Unfortunately, these ten nuns were members of the Dominican second order, who were canonically permitted to wear black veils, something Lucia and the members of the Dominican third order community were not allowed to do.

Tensions were heightened when one of these veiled outsiders, Sister Maria da Parma, was made the prioress of the convent on September 2, 1503. When Duke Ercole died on January 24, 1505 the new prioress quickly found Lucia to be guilty of some unrecorded transgression, most probably of the support for the Savonarolan church reform, and placed her on a strict penance. Lucia was not allowed to speak to any person but her confessor, who was chosen by the prioress. The local provincial of the Dominican order would also not permit any member of the order to see Lucia. There are records that at least one Dominican, Catherine of Racconigi, did visit her, evidently by bilocation, and that Lucia’s earlier visitation by departed saints continued. In response to Lucia’s insistent prayer her stigmata eventually disappeared, which caused some of the other nuns to question whether they had ever been there at all. When Lucia finally died, in 1544, many people were surprised to find that she had not died years earlier.

Then suddenly everything changed. When her body was laid out for burial so many people wanted to pay their last respects that her funeral had to be delayed by three days. Her tomb in the monastery church was opened four years later and her perfectly preserved body was transferred to a glass case. When Napoleon in 1797 suppressed her monastery the body was transferred to the Cathedral of Ferrara; and on 1935 May 26 – to the Cathedral of Narni.

Lucia was beatified by Pope Clement XI on March 1, 1710

Saint Albert the Great

Card_267-albert-the-great-front

Saint Albert the Great was born sometime between 1193 and 1206, to the Count of Bollstädt in Lauingen in Bavaria. Contemporaries such as Roger Bacon applied the term “Magnus” to Albertus during his own lifetime, referring to his immense reputation as a scholar and philosopher. Albertus was educated principally at Padua, where he received instruction in Aristotle’s writings. A late account by Rudolph de Novamagia refers to Albertus’ encounter with the Blessed Virgin Mary, who convinced him to enter Holy Orders. In 1223 (or 1221) he became a member of the Dominican Order, against the wishes of his family, and studied theology at Bologna and elsewhere. Selected to fill the position of lecturer at Cologne, Germany, where the Dominicans had a house, he taught for several years there, at Regensburg, Freiburg, Strasbourg and Hildesheim. In 1245 he went to Paris, received his doctorate, and taught for some time as a master of theology with great success. During this time Thomas Aquinas began to study under Albertus.

In 1254, Albertus was made provincial of the Dominican Order, and fulfilled the arduous duties of the office with great care and efficiency. During his tenure he publicly defended the Dominicans against attacks by the secular and regular faculty of the University of Paris, commented on St. John, and answered what he perceived as errors of the Arabian philosopher Averroes.

In 1260, Pope Alexander IV made him Bishop of Regensburg, an office from which he resigned after three years. During the exercise of his duties he enhanced his reputation for humility by refusing to ride a horse—in accord with the dictates of the Dominican order—instead walking back and forth across his huge diocese. This earned him the affectionate sobriquet, “boots the bishop,” from his parishioners. After his stint as bishop, he spent the remainder of his life partly in retirement in the various houses of his order, yet often preaching throughout southern Germany. In 1270, he preached the eighth Crusade in Austria. Among the last of his labors was the defense of the orthodoxy of his former pupil, Thomas Aquinas, whose death in 1274 grieved Albertus. After suffering a collapse of health in 1278, he died on November 15, 1280, in Cologne, Germany. His tomb is in the crypt of the Dominican church of St. Andreas in Cologne, and his relics at the Cologne Cathedral.

Albertus was beatified in 1622. He was canonized and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1931 by Pope Pius XI. St Albert’s feast day is celebrated on November 15.

1115-st-albert-the-great

Blessed John Licci

John Licci

Blessed John Licci, born to a poor farmer, his mother died in childbirth. His life from then on, all 111 years, was a tale of miracles. His father, who fed the baby on crushed pomegranates, had to work the fields, and was forced to leave the infant alone. The baby began crying, and a neighbor woman took him to her home to feed him. She laid the infant on the bed next to her paralyzed husband – and the man was instantly cured. The woman told John’s father of the miracle, but he was more concerned that she was meddling, and had taken his son without his permission. He took the child home to feed him more pomegranate pulp. As soon as the child was removed from the house, the neighbor’s paralysis returned; when John was brought back in, the man was healed. Even John’s father took this as a sign, and allowed the neighbors to care for John.

A precocious and emotional child, John began reciting the Daily Offices before age 10. While on a trip to Palermo, Italy at age 15, John went to Confession in the church of Saint Zita of Lucca where his confession was heard by Blessed Peter Geremia who suggested John consider a religious life. John considered himself unworthy, but Peter pressed the matter, John joined the Dominicans in 1415, and wore the habit for 96 years, the longest period known for anyone.

He founded the convent of Saint Zita in Caccamo, Italy. Lacking money for the construction, John prayed for guidance. During his prayer he had a vision of an angel who told him to “build on the foundations that were already built.” The next day in the nearby woods he found the foundation for a church called “Saint Mary of the Angels,” a church that had been started many years before, but had never been finished. John assumed this was the place indicated, and took over the site.

During the construction, workmen ran out of materials; the next day at dawn a large ox-drawn wagon arrived at the site. The driver unloaded a large quantity of stone, lime and sand – then promptly disappeared, leaving the oxen and wagon behind for the use of the convent. At another point a well got in the way of construction; John blessed it, and it immediately dried up; when construction was finished, he blessed it again, and the water began to flow. When roof beams were cut too short, John would pray over them, and they would stretch. There were days when John had to miraculously multiply bread and wine to feed the workers. Once a young boy came to the construction site to watch his uncle set stones; the boy fell from a wall, and was killed; John prayed over him, and restored him to life and health.

John and two brother Dominicans who were working on the convent were on the road near Caccamo when they were set upon by bandits. One of the thieves tried to stab John with a dagger; the man’s hand withered and became paralyzed. The gang let the brothers go, then decided to ask for their forgiveness. John made the Sign of the Cross at them, and the thief‘s hand was made whole.

One Christmas a nearby farmer offered to pasture the oxen that had come with the disappearing wagon-driver. John declined, saying the oxen had come far to be there, and there they should stay. Thinking he was doing good, the layman took them anyway. When he put them in the field with his own oxen, they promptly disappeared; he later found them at the construction site, contentedly munching dry grass near Father John.

While he did plenty of preaching in his 90+ years in the habit, usually on Christ’s Passion, he was not known as a great homilist. He was known, however, for his miracles and good works. His blessing caused the breadbox of a nearby widow to stay miraculously full, feeding her and her six children. His blessing prevented disease from coming to the cattle of his parishioners. A noted healer, curing at least three people whose heads had been crushed in accidents, he was Provincial of Sicily, and Prior of the abbey on several occasions.

Cleaning House With A Wee Little Man ~ Br. Chip Noon, Postulant

Zac

19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.  5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.  7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”  8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”  9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”     Luke 19:1-10

There’s something in the Gospel today that is quite significant, but we usually skip right past it, since it’s in the first sentence: “Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through the town.”

Jericho.

Why should this Gospel story have meaning for us, aside from the salvation of the house of Zacchaeus, that clever little tax collector?   First, tax collectors were collaborators with the might and power of Rome. They were seen as traitors to their people, stealing from them their hard earned gold and goods, unclean, sinners. And yet here was Jesus, once again, deigning to consort with this malefactor, even to the point of going into his house and staying there. The people began to complain and mutter at this effrontery of Jesus.

Second, Jesus grants salvation to this low-life! How can that be? Once again we find our Lord taking up with the worst classes of society, even disdaining the “good people” of the town. What did the tax collector do to gain salvation?

So in this little passage, we find that God’s grace was freely given and Zacchaeus acknowledges Jesus by given half of what he owns to the poor and paying back fourfold anyone he cheated.

But weren’t the walls of Jericho torn down by Joshua and the trumpets? What does Jericho have to do with this passage?

If we remember today’s other readings from Catholic Online, we find that they are about holy sites, the dwelling place of the Lord, God’s field and building, the foundation. Sturdy as the walls of Jericho were, they were no match for God’s people who forced them to crumble at the shout of the people. This is a foreshadowing of the message Jesus imparts time and time again: the place of worship does not matter…we are already in the courts of the house of the Lord. “The Son of man has nowhere to lay his head,” Jesus says in another passage. But he will stay in Jericho, at the home of a sinner, because “the Son of man has come to seek out and save what is lost.”

Isn’t this the message? Foundations made by humankind do not last. Temples made for the worship of God are not sufficient if Jesus is not the foundation, and finally as St. Paul says to the Corinthians, “Do you not realize that you are a temple of God with the Spirit of God living in you?”

Our job today is not to destroy the walls of Jericho, or build a pillar to the Lord, or polish up the handle on the big front door of the church. Because we are the church. We are the temple. Our job is to clean out our attics and basements, vacuum the floors of our soul, clean the windows and throw them open to the glory and the love of God and our neighbor. Jesus has told us that we are his temple. We are his house. What can we do today to make that house ready for him? How can we give him a place to lay his head in our hearts? We can love him.

Lord, we pray that today we meet each person as your temple, the holy of holies you have formed us into. We pray that we can keep our own temple spotless, worthy to welcome you into our presence, sinners though we are. We ask this in your Name. Amen.

 

Blessed Peter Cambiano of Ruffia

img-Saint-Peter-Cambiano

Peter’s father was a city councilor, his mother was from a noble family, and the boy was raised in a pious household. He received a good education, and was drawn early to religious life, with a personal devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary. He joined the Dominicans in Piedmont, Italy at age 16. He continued his studies, and was ordained at age 25, and was a noted preacher throughout northern Italy. He worked to bring the heretical Waldensians back to the Church, and was appointed inquisitor-general of the Piedmont.

In January 1365 Peter and two Dominican brothers went on a preaching mission through the mountains between Italy and Switzerland, working from the Franciscan friary at Susa, Italy. Peter’s preaching brought many back to the faith, which earned him the anger of the Waldensians. Three of the heretics came to the friary, asked to see Peter, and then murdered him at the gate.

Feast Day of the Domican Saints of our Order

“arms-of-the-dominican-order

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

(Mt. 5:8)

Why do we celebrate our Saints?

We come together as one Domican Family today to celebrate not only Our Saints, but also our many Blesseds, Holy Friars, Nuns, sisters and Laity who have lived over the past 800 years.

We are so priviledged to celebrate them as they provide us with an example by which we follow in our religious lives, by their wondorous fellowship in their communion and in their much needed aid to us by their intercessions to God on our behalf.

We include in our celebrations also all the “forgotten” saints because according to the General Chapter of Valencia in 1337, there were 13,370 martyrs between 1234 and 1335. There were another 26,000 in the 16th century alone. Martyrs, confessors, virgins, and holy men and women all have their place of honour in the Order. Friars, worn down through constant contemplation, study, and preaching; nuns who lived lives of great prayer, silence, and penance; sisters who educated 1000s of souls; and third order members who sanctified the world.

We celebrate our thanks to God on this Important feast day for our Order and turn to the examples of our Saints, their lives and their intercessions for us so that they may guide us on our spiritual Dominican lifes journey.

Our Order Father, Saint Dominic left us a wonderous legacy of teaching and preaching by word and example of how we should live our lives.It is, then, joyous and encouraging that so many of our Dominican brothers and sisters have been beatified and canonized.

Let us pray then in the example we have been taught to ask our dear saints to intercede for us, and to thank our God for all the saints of our Dominican Order and for the fruits of our order to be pleasing in his sight…..

God, the heavenly Father

have mercy on us.

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world

have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit

have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God

have mercy on us.

Holy Mary

pray for us.

Holy Mother of God

pray for us.

Holy Virgin of Virgins

pray for us.

All you holy angels and archangels

pray for us.

All you holy Patriarchs and Prophets

pray for us.

All you holy Apostles and Evangelists

pray for us.

All you holy martyrs

pray for us.

All you holy virgins and widows

pray for us.

All you holy men and women

pray for us.

Saint Michael

pray for us.

Saint Gabriel

pray for us.

Saint Raphael

pray for us.

Saint Joseph

pray for us.

Saint John the Baptist

pray for us.

Saint Mary Magdalen

pray for us.

Holy Father Augustine

pray for us.

Holy Father Francis

pray for us.

Blessed Jane of Aza

pray for us.

Blessed Reginald

pray for us.

Holy Father Dominic

pray for us.

Holy Father Dominic

pray for us.

Blessed Bertrand

pray for us.

Blessed Mannes

pray for us.

Blessed Diana

pray for us.

Blessed Jordan of Saxony

pray for us.

Blessed John of Salerno

pray for us.

Blessed William and Companions

pray for us.

Blessed Ceslaus

pray for us.

Blessed Isnard

pray for us.

Blessed Guala

pray for us.

Blessed Peter Gonzalez

pray for us.

Saint Zdislava

pray for us.

Saint Peter of Verona

pray for us.

Blessed Nicholas

pray for us.

Saint Hyacinth

pray for us.

Blessed Gonsalvo

pray for us.

Blessed Sadoc and Companions

pray for us.

Blessed Giles

pray for us.

Saint Margaret of Hungary

pray for us.

Blessed Batholomew of Vincenza

pray for us.

Saint Thomas Aquinas

pray for us.

Saint Raymond of Penyafort

pray for us.

Blessed Innocent V

pray for us.

Blessed Albert of Bergamo

pray for us.

Saint Albert the Great

pray for us.

Blessed John of Vercelli

pray for us.

Blessed Ambrose

pray for us.

Blessed Cecilia

pray for us.

Blessed Benvenuta

pray for us.

Blessed James of Varazze

pray for us.

Blessed James of Bevagna

pray for us.

lessed Jane of Orvieto

pray for us.

Blessed Jordan of Pisa

pray for us.

Saint Emily

pray for us.

Blessed James Salomonio

pray for us.

Saint Agnes of Montepulciano

pray for us.

Blessed Simon

pray for us.

Blessed Margaret of Castello

pray for us.

Blessed Augustine Kazotic

pray for us.

Blessed James Benefatti

pray for us.

Blessed Imelda

pray for us.

Blessed Dalmatius

pray for us.

Blessed Margaret Ebner

pray for us.

Blessed Villana

pray for us.

Blessed Peter Ruffia

pray for us.

Blessed Henry

pray for us.

Blessed Sibyllina

pray for us.

Blessed Anthony of Pavonio

pray for us.

Saint Catherine of Siena

pray for us.

Blessed Marcolino

pray for us.

Blessed Raymond of Capua

pray for us.

Blessed Andrew Franchi

pray for us.

Saint Vincent Ferrer

pray for us.

Blessed Clara

pray for us.

Blessed John Dominic

pray for us.

Blessed Alvarez

pray for us.

Blessed Maria

pray for us.

Blessed Peter of Castello

pray for us.

Blessed Andrew Abellon

pray for us.

Blessed Stephen

pray for us.

Blessed Peter Geremia

pray for us.

Blessed John of Fiesole

pray for us.

Blessed Lawrence of Ripafratta

pray for us.

Blessed Anthony della Chiesa

pray for us.

Saint Antoninus

pray for us.

Blessed Anthony Neyrot

pray for us.

Blessed Margaret of Savoy

pray for us.

Blessed Bartholomew of Cerverio

pray for us.

Blessed Matthew

pray for us.

Blessed Constantius

pray for us.

Blessed Christopher

pray for us.

Blessed Damian

pray for us.

Blessed Andrew of Peschiera

pray for us.

Blessed Bernard

pray for us.

Blessed Jane of Portugal

pray for us.

Blessed James of Ulm

pray for us.

Blessed Augustine of Biella

pray for us.

Blessed Aimo

pray for us.

Blessed Sebastian

pray for us.

Blessed Mark

pray for us.

Blessed Columba

pray for us.

Blessed Magdalen

pray for us.

Blessed Osanna of Mantua

pray for us.

Blessed John Liccio

pray for us.

Blessed Dominic Spadafora

pray for us.

Blessed Stephana

pray for us.

Saint Adrian

pray for us.

Blessed Lucy

pray for us.

Blessed Catherine Racconigi

pray for us.

Blessed Osanna of Kotor

pray for us.

Saint Pius V

pray for us.

Saint John of Cologne

pray for us.

Blessed Maria Bartholomew

pray for us.

Saint Louis Bertrand

pray for us.

Saint Catherine de Ricci

pray for us.

Blessed Robert

pray for us.

Blessed Alphonsus and Companions

pray for us.

Saint Rose

pray for us.

Saint Dominic Ibanez and Companions

pray for us.

Blessed Agnes of Jesus

pray for us.

Saint Lawrence Ruiz and Companions

pray for us.

Saint Martin de Porres

pray for us.

Blessed Peter Higgins

pray for us.

Blessed Francis de Capillas

pray for us.

Saint Juan Macias

pray for us.

Blessed Terence

pray for us.

Blessed Ann of the Angels

pray for us.

Blessed Francis de Posadas

pray for us.

Saint Louis de Montfort

pray for us.

Blessed Francis Gil

pray for us.

Saint Matteo

pray for us.

Blessed Peter Sanz and Companions

pray for us.

Saint Vincent Liem

pray for us.

Saint Hyacinth Castaneda

pray for us.

Blessed Marie

pray for us.

Blessed George

pray for us.

Blessed Catherine Jarrige

pray for us.

Saint Ignatius and Companions

pray for us.

Saint Dominic An-Kham and Companions

pray for us.

Saint Joseph Khang and Companions

pray for us.

Saint Francis Coll

pray for us.

Blessed Hyacinthe Cormier

pray for us.

Blessed Pier Giorgio

pray for us.

Blessed Bartolo

pray for us.

Blessed Michael Czartoryski

pray for us.

Blessed Julia Rodzinska

pray for us.

All holy Dominican brothers and sisters

pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.

Let us pray.–

God, source of all holiness, you have enriched your Church

with many gifts in the saints of the Order of Preachers.

By following the example of our brothers and sisters,

may we come to enjoy their company

for ever in the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Your Son, who lives and reigns with You

and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Blessed Jerome, Valentine, Francis, Hyacinth & Companions (Martyrs of Tonkin)

martyrs of tonkin

Between the arrival of the first Portuguese missionary in 1533, through the Dominicans and then the Jesuit missions of the 17th century, the politically inspired persecutions of the 19th century, and the Communist-led terrors of the twentieth, there have been many thousands upon thousands murdered for their faith in Vietnam. Some were priests, some nuns or brothers, some lay people; some were foreign missionaries, but most were native Vietnamese killed by their own government and people.

Jerome Hermosilla, a Dominican missionary to Manila, Philippines, and a priest, he went as a missionary to Vietnam in 1828 where he was the Vicar Apostolic of Eastern Tonking, Vietnam and titular bishop of Miletopolis. H was martyred with Saint Valentin Faustino Berri Ochoa.

Valentin Faustinao Berri Ochoa. Born in the Basque country, and ordained on June 14, 1851, Valentin was a missionary to the Philippines and then to Vietnam. He was appointed coadjutor vicar apostolic of Central Tonking, (the modern diocese of Bùi Chu) Vietnam and titular bishop of Centuria on December 25, 1857. He was martyred with Saint Jerome Hermosilla.

Francis Gil de Frederich was educated in Barcelona, Spain where he joined the Dominicans. He was a missionary to the Philippines first and then a missionary to Vietnam in 1732. He spent nine years in prison for his faith during which time he converted fellow prisoners and supervised evangelists on the outside.

Hyacinth Castaneda was a Dominican Priest and missionary to China. He then was sent as a missionary to Vietnam. He was beheaded for his faith in 1773 in Vietnam

Blessed Simon Ballachi

Blessed Simon Ballachi was born to the nobility in 1240, the son of Count Ballachi. His family had a close association with the Church clergy; two of his uncles became archbishops of Rimini, Italy, and a younger brother was a priest. Trained as a soldier and in administration, he was expected to take over the family estates. Against his family wishes, he joined the Dominicans as a lay brother at age 27.

Assigned to work in the garden of his friary, something he knew nothing about but which he loved instantly. He saw God in everything, and prayed constantly as he worked. Noted for his simple life, his strict adherence to the Dominican Rule, and his excellent work as a catechist to children. A visionary, Simon was visited by the devil, by Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Saint Dominic de Guzman, Saint Peter Martyr, and the Blessed Virgin Mary; other brothers saw his cell glowing, and heard angelic voices. Blinded at age 57, he was nearly helpless during the last years of his life; he never despaired, and used the extra free time for prayer. He died on 5 November in 1391.

Simon Biocci