St. Dominic (1170-1221) was called to be of service by preaching the gospel to people who otherwise wouldn’t hear God’s Word. After training as a priest, Dominic realized the need for people to learn more about the gospels. He received the permission of the Pope to form the Order of Preachers. These men would study at the universities and then travel around to the small villages and preach the Good News to the peasants. In some areas, his groups of nuns started schools for the children.
St. Dominic’s life fulfilled a dream his mother had of him as a hound dog that roamed with a torch in his mouth setting the countryside on fire. He is often pictured with a star denoting the brightness of his mind.
DOMINICAN PILLARS
The four pillars of the Dominican Order, prayer, study, community, and service, can be seen clearly in the life and work of St. Dominic. He studied to prepare himself for his work and relied on his brethren and on prayer to give him the strength to follow his calling. Today, we follow Dominic’s example when we study to prepare ourselves for our work and service to others. We also use the friendship of our school community and the strengthening power of prayer to sustain us in our work and service. The four pillars are now the basis of our mission statement.