Saint Dominic of Silos

Abbot († 1073)

Feast – December 20

For the past two thousand years, the rich and the poor, kings and peasants, have been donating to the Holy Catholic Church. Beautiful churches and monasteries were built, while numerous schools, universities and hospitals were opened. The rulers of this world don’t like this prosperity, so when given the opportunity, they will rob the church. We’ve all witnessed the sexual abuse lawsuits which bankrupted many dioceses. Lawyers are suing while judges, instead of punishing guilty individuals, choose to redistribute the property of the Church and donations of the faithful. Likewise, the sixteenth century protestant revolution would not have occurred without the support of greedy local rulers. Another example: in the eleventh century, García Sánchez III, after the death of his father Sancho III in 1035, bypassed the late king’s eldest, illegitimate son Ramiro, and inherited the crown of Pamplona (Spain). In 1037, he joined his brother Ferdinand, the nominal Count of Castile, at the battle of Tamarón, near the river Pisuerga, against Bermudo III in which the King of León, the last scion of Peter of Cantabria, was killed and Ferdinand become new King of León. As a reward for his help Garcia took over the Castilian territories from Oca to the gates of Burgos, from Briviesca to the valley of Urbel, from Castrobarto to Bricia, and from the Nervión River to Santander. A few years later, in his greed García Sánchez III decided to annex the San Millán de la Cogolla monastery’s lands, but he met fierce resistance from its Abbot, who was not afraid of a powerful king and would not surrender. His name is St. Dominic of Silos.

St. Dominic was born in 1000 AD in Cañas, La Rioja Spain to a humble peasant family. In his youth, Dominic worked as a shepherd on his family’s farm. It is said that while caring for his father’s flocks in the foothills of the Pyrenees, he grew to love silence and solitude. Some suggest his lineage traces back to the ancient kings of Navarre. Through his life he proved to have the qualities of both a good shepherd and good king. St. Joseph, a poor carpenter, was a descendent of the King David, it’s possible that royal blood flowed in St. Dominic’s veins as well.

While watching over his father’s flock he began his own to religious studies, having virtually no teacher but the Holy Spirit. Early in his life he decided to become a monk and joined the Benedictine Monastery of San Millan de la Cogolla. Quickly he became known for his holiness. Shortly after being ordained a priest, he became master of novices and eventually elected abbot. When King García Sánchez III of Navarre tried to seize the monastery’s land, St. Dominic refused to surrender it, so the king exiled him with two other monks. In 1041 they settled in Silos in Castile. When King Ferdinand I of Leon heard of St. Dominic’s arrival, he welcomed him with open arms, took him under protection and appointed him Abbot of St. Sebastian at Silos monastery.

The monastery of St. Sebastian was founded in 954 AD and was located in a remote part of the diocese of Burgos. At the time the monastery had only six monks in residence and was in a state of decay. When St. Dominic entered the church the monk Licinian was offering Holy Mass, and by the special permission of God, when the priest turned towards the people at the Offertory to chant, “Dominus vobiscum,” he said instead, “Behold, the restorer cometh!” and the choir responded, “It is the Lord who has sent him!”

Since St. Dominic was named Abbot by the king he became fully in charge of their new home. He quickly realized that a complete makeover was necessary to restore the physical presence of the monastery, but more importantly the spiritual lives of the monks. Under St. Dominic’s leadership they immediately started refurbishing the monastery: the cloisters were rebuilt, and a scriptorium, where the bible and ancient books were copied and painted by hand, was added. This addition turned the monastery into a place of learning and knowledge. There was a gold and silversmith shop added and this brought in needed funds to help the monks in their charitable works. He renewed the Rules of Saint Benedict, which emphasized traditional monastic life, promoted sacred music, encouraged devotion to Mary and focused on the celebration of the Mass as the liturgy of heaven. The monastery became one of the centers of the Hispano-Mozarabic Rite (a variant of the Latin rite) liturgy.

Meanwhile, St. Dominic’s gift of miracles drew to the convent the blind, the sick, and the lame, curing them by the hundreds. It was said that there were no diseases known to man which had not been cured by his prayers, as it is still evident today from the ex-votos of the chapel where his relics are conserved.

Over time monastery of St. Sebastian became the most famous in Spain, like Cluny in France. Wealthy patrons of the monastery endowed St. Dominic with the funds to ransom Christians taken prisoner by the Spanish Moors (Muslims). The ball-and-chains, iron handcuffs and similar implements which are seen suspended from the vault there, demonstrate his special charity for the poor Christians held captive whom he often went to console and pay their ransom. There were even stories about the captives seeing a bright light, and the prison doors opening by themselves so the prisoners could flee. Over three hundred slaves were liberated.

After many years of good works, St. Dominic felt the moment of recompense approaching, and was advised of it by the Blessed Virgin. I spent the night near the Queen of Angels, he said one day to his religious. She has invited me to come in three days where She is; therefore, I am soon going to the celestial banquet to which She invites me. In effect, he fell ill for three days, and then his brethren saw his soul rise in glory to heaven. At the time of Dominic’s death on December 20, 1073, the monastery had been turned into a center for scholarship, learning, and liturgical preservation, as well as a place of rescue and safety. The number of monks active in the monastery had grown from six to 40, but he was done there, about a hundred years later he appeared to Blessed Juana of Aza praying at his tomb and announced her that she will have son and that he would be a shining light to the Church. She did, indeed, have a son whom she named Dominic, St. Dominic of Guzman, Founder of the Order of Preachers, known as the Dominicans.

Interestingly, from the time of the birth of Joan’s son, Dominic, up until the Spanish Communist Revolution of 1931, it was customary for the Abbot of Silos to always bring the staff of St. Dominic of Silos, the patron saint of pregnant women, to the royal palace when a queen was about to give birth.

By the way, the greedy king García Sánchez III perish on the 1st of September 1054, in battle against his own brother, the protector of St. Dominic and future King of Spain, Ferdinand I in the valley of Atapuerca.

References and Excerpts:

[1]          catchlight, “St Dominic of Silos,” C A T C H L I G H T. https://catchlight.blog/category/people/st-dominic-of-silos/ (accessed Nov. 25, 2022).

[2]          kathleensenior, “The fascinating story of two St. Dominics and a faith-filled mom,” Aleteia — Catholic Spirituality, Lifestyle, World News, and Culture, Feb. 19, 2019. https://aleteia.org/2019/02/19/the-fascinating-story-of-two-st-dominics-and-a-faith-filled-mom/ (accessed Nov. 25, 2022).

[3]          L. Tiblis, “St. Dominic of Silos: the Modern Ancient Saint,” The Miraculous Medal Shrine, Nov. 30, 2021. https://miraculousmedal.org/inspire/st-dominic-of-silos-the-modern-ancient-saint/ (accessed Nov. 25, 2022).

[4]          “Saint Dominic of Silos, Abbot.” https://sanctoral.com/en/saints/saint_dominic_of_silos.html (accessed Nov. 25, 2022).

[5]          “Saint Dominic of Silos, Abbot.” http://traditionalcatholic.net/Tradition/Calendar/12-20.html (accessed Nov. 25, 2022).

[6]          “Dominic of Silos,” Wikipedia. Mar. 30, 2022. Accessed: Nov. 25, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dominic_of_Silos&oldid=1080146971