Fr Paul Gooley reads from the Gospel of Matthew (14: 1-12) in which Herod, the tetrarch heard about the reputation of Jesus and said to his court, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him”. Afterwards, Fr Paul shares a little about the life of St Dominic whose memorial we celebrate today.

Before he begins, Fr Paul notes, that in Australia St Dominic’s feast has been moved to 3 August to accommodate the memorial of our very own saint, St Mary MacKillop on 8 August.

St Dominic was a Spanish Catholic priest and theologian who founded the religious order known as the Order of Preachers, or Dominicans, in 1216. He was born around 1170 in Spain to a noble family.

As a young man, Dominic distinguished himself for his love of study, especially of Sacred Scripture, and his compassion for the poor, even selling his books to help feed famine victims. He was ordained a priest and became a canon of the Cathedral Chapter in Osma, his native diocese. However, Dominic did not view this as a personal privilege, but rather as a service to be carried out with dedication and humility.

Dominic felt a strong calling to preach the Gospel and to combat heresy. In 1206, he joined a papal mission to the Cathars in southern France, where he witnessed the spiritual and material poverty of the people. This experience inspired him to found the new religious order, dedicated to preaching and teaching the faith.

With the support of Popes Innocent III and Honorius III, Dominic established the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans. The order was based on the Rule of St Augustine and emphasized community life, poverty, and study as essential for effective evangelization. Dominic himself was known for his deep devotion to prayer, especially to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and for his belief in the power of intercessory prayer.

Under Dominic’s leadership, the Order of Preachers spread rapidly throughout Europe, establishing convents and universities to educate and evangelize the faithful. Dominic died in 1221 in Bologna, which later declared him its patron saint. He was canonized in 1234, and his feast day is usually celebrated on 8 August.

In summary, St Dominic was a pivotal figure in the Catholic Church, whose life and teachings continue to inspire the faithful through his founding of the Order of Preachers, his commitment to preaching the Gospel, and his deep spirituality.

On this day, Fr Paul invites us to ask, ‘St Dominic… Pray for us!’.