Meet the Dominican Order: The Hounds of the Lord
The Big Three of Religious Orders, Part One
As promised when I introduced this short series on the Big Three of Catholic religious orders a few days ago, the first we’ll look at is the Dominicans. That’s not their official name, however; their official name is actually the Order of Preachers, which is why the initials “O.P.” follow the name of any priest or friar who is a member. The official name indicates their specific mission, while the more common name comes from their founder, St. Dominic de Guzman.
Dominic de Guzman was born in Spain on August 8, 1170. He studied theology and the arts at the cathedral school in Palencia, which ultimately became Spain’s first university. While he was there, a famine ravaged the country and, putting his faith into action, Dominic sold all of his possessions (including the manuscripts he needed for his studies) in order to raise money for the many suffering poor. In 1194, he joined a Benedictine Order and became the head of the order in the city of Osma in 1201.
While traveling through France in 1204, Dominic first encountered the Albigensian heresy that was spreading across France. The Albigensians (also known as Cathars, or “perfect ones”) regarded all physical matter as evil and believed a strict diet and sexual abstinence were required to…
