Dominic - Definition and Overview

St Dominic presiding over an auto de fe, Spanish, 1475

Saint Dominic (born at Calaroga, Spain, around 1170; died August 6, 1221, at Bologna, Italy) founded the Dominican Order.

Born Dominic de Guzmán he was an intellectual who was particularly against a recent growth of heretical movements. He felt that a new religous order of learned men who lived lives of poverty and could effectively preach would be the best recourse against heresies. With the approval of Pope Innocent III in 1215 Dominic's order was called The Order of Preachers or more popularly known as the Dominican Order.

One of Dominic's particular concerns was combatting the Albigensian movement in the south of France and north of Spain.

Pope Gregory IX canonized Dominic July 13, 1234.

In 1963, "Soeur Sourire", the Singing Nun of Belgium, scored a U.S. No. 1 hit with the song "Dominique", about St Dominic.