August 8: Saint Dominic, Priest

St Dominic (born 8 August 1170 – died 6 August 1221) was a Castilian Catholic priest. He was also known as Dominic de Guzmán. He founded the Dominican Order, a group of religious people. Saint Dominic is the patron saint of astronomers and scientists. Dominic was born in a town called Caleruega in Spain.

An early story says that before Dominic was born, his mother had a dream. She dreamed that a dog with a flaming torch jumped out of her. This dog seemed to set the world on fire. This story became popular because his order was called the Dominican order. In Latin, “Dominic” is translated as “The Lord’s Dog.”

Dominic was raised by his parents, Juana and Felix. His mother, Joan of Aza, was later recognized as a blessed person by the Church. When Dominic was 14, he went to study at a monastery and then at schools in Palencia. He spent six years studying the  arts and four years studying theology. In 1191, there was a terrible famine in Spain. Young Dominic gave away all his money and sold his clothes and books to help feed people.

At 24, Dominic became a priest. He joined the group of priests at the cathedral of Osma. In 1198, the bishop, Diego de Acebo, made Dominic a leader among these priests. In 1203 or 1204, Dominic travelled with Bishop Diego de Acebo on a special trip for the King of Castile. On their way back, they met monks who were trying to preach against the Cathars. The Cathars were a Christian group with different beliefs that the Catholic Church considered wrong.

Dominic and the bishop noticed that the monks were not very successful. They thought it was because the monks lived in luxury, while the Cathars lived very simply. So, Dominic and the bishop decided to live a simpler life. They began to preach in the south of France to try and convert the Cathars. 

Saint Dominic is closely associated with the Rosary, which he is said to have received from the Virgin Mary in a vision. While the Rosary existed in some form before him, Dominic and the Dominican Order played a significant role in popularizing and spreading the devotion of the Rosary. According to Dominican tradition, Mary appeared to St. Dominic in 1208 and presented him with the Rosary as a weapon against heresy and a means of spiritual growth. St Dominic prayed the Rosary everywhere he went. Miracles that God worked through St Dominic resulted in conversion and new followers. 

In 1215, Dominic gathered six followers and started a community in a house in Toulouse. He believed there was a need for a new type of religious group. This group would focus on education and preaching in the growing cities. They followed strict rules of prayer and penance. In 1215, with the Bishop of Toulouse’s permission, Father Dominic founded an order of men dedicated to evangelization. They lived communally; prayed together; embraced poverty, obedience, and chastity; studied the faith; and went on preaching and evangelizing missions. The following year, Pope Honorius III gave formal consent to the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans. In 1217, the pope gave Father Dominic the Church of Santa Sabina in Rome as the order’s second home and made Father Dominic the pope’s chief theological adviser. Still, Father Dominic slept on the floor and often walked barefoot when entering a new town. Dominic travelled a lot to stay in touch with his growing group of friars. However, his main base was in Rome. Dominic also spent time in Bologna, Italy. He helped establish a convent there and held the first two big meetings for his order in that city. 

Dominic lived a very simple life. He avoided meat and often fasted. He chose the plainest clothes and never slept in a bed. When he travelled, he would teach and pray. He often walked barefoot and would praise God even when it rained or was uncomfortable. Dominic died at the age of 51 in Bologna. He was very tired from all his hard work and simple living. He asked the monks to lay him on some sacking on the ground. He spent his last moments telling his followers to have love, stay humble, and value poverty. He passed away on 6 August 1221. 

In 1234, Pope Gregory IX declared Dominic a saint. His remains were later moved to a special shrine in the Church of St. Dominic in Bologna. In the years following until Dominic’s death in 1221, other houses were founded in Paris, Madrid, and Bologna. After his death, the order continued to expand. By the mid-1200s, hundreds of Dominican houses had sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world.

The spread of the Rosary, a special prayer to Mary, is often linked to Saint Dominic's preaching. For many centuries, the Rosary has been very important to the Dominican Order. Pope Pius XI said that the Rosary is the main reason the Dominican Order exists. Dominicans have played a big part in sharing the Rosary and teaching about its power.

Saint Dominic is one of the few historical figures who has two countries named after him: Dominica and the Dominican Republic. The capital city of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, also carries his name.

I hope the story of Saint Dominic and the Rosary helped you to better understand why it's important to regularly pray the Rosary. It sure is easy for people to get off the track as we learned in the story. We don't ever want to get off track! We really need to stay connected to Jesus. We really need to stay connected to Mary, our loving Blessed Mother. By praying the Rosary, it keeps us connected!

Saint Dominic’s heart was moved with compassion for those who suffered or who were misled by heresy (mistruths). We pray that we can recognise those around us who need to help. Below is the prayer our students pray each week at Wednesday morning assemblies:

Dear St Dominic, 

We gather together  to ask God's blessing and guidance on our day.

We ask you to bless our EYES that we may recognise God's gift to us in creation;

Bless our EARS that we may listen to God's word and respond with sensitivity and love;

Bless our MOUTHS that we may always speak the truth with courage and justice; 

Bless our HEARTS that we may accept and respect all God's people;

Bless our HANDS that we may reach out in reverence and gentleness to others;

Bless our FEET that we may walk with care and concern for the environment.

We make this prayer through Christ our Lord,  

AMEN. 

Happy St. Dominic’s Day for Friday!

Rosary School Counsellor on Leave Weeks 3-10 this term.

Marymead CatholicCare has let me know that our school counsellor Mrs Sarah Foley will be on planned leave for the remainder of Term 3. Unfortunately Marymead CatholicCare is unable to replace Sarah at this time but normal services and student care will resume in Term 4. 

However, if your child has an urgent need that requires support please contact the school office and a referral can be made with Marymead CatholicCare central office and services for support. 

Year 5 Wakakirri Night

Good luck to Year 5 students and staff involved for their big night at the Canberra Theatre next Monday 4 August. This week Year 5 presented a ‘rolling’ dress rehearsal for all the students at the school. Each time they presented they were even better so we can’t wait for their time on stage at the theatre. 

Thank you to our Year 5 teacher Mrs Mogan and Mrs Scott for their coaching, input and patience. Also thank you to Mr O’Brien who is heavily involved in our Wakakirri production and does so much behind the scenes. Thanks to our 2025 choreographer Emily for her expert instruction and creativity. 

Thank you to the parents and staff who have helped with Wakakirri tasks, including Mr Read, Mrs Nascimben and Mrs Welsh.  

Let’s hope they lift the roof off Canberra Theatre on Monday night! Go Rosary! 

Kindergarten Students 100 day milestone!

Next Monday 4 August marks 100 days at ‘big school’ for our Kindergarten students. A great milestone in their learning and development! They have worked hard during this time and have earned the right to have a bit of fun at school on Monday including dressing up and a few special activities.  Enjoy!

2025 National Science Week - Open to Rosary Students!

This week we launched the 2025 National Science Week at Rosary.  Our students can again participate in learning more about science by participating in a research project based around this year’s theme:

Theme: Decoding the Universe! 

This term National Book Week (Week 5) and National Science Week (Week 6) are only one week apart in the calendar - so we have spread things out to give students a chance to participate in both. 

Last year over 60 students completed projects and displays on the theme of “Save our Species”, so we are hoping the space theme this year will also inspire many students to take part!  So many students LOVE SCIENCE and STEM! 

Students can choose to take part by doing a HOME project which relates to the 2025 theme - Decoding the Universe! Handouts are given to the students who were interested at a morning assembly this week. A copy of the invitation to take part will also be sent in Compass this week. 

Class learning is very important so this is an extension type project for home time. Students can work on the projects any time from now until Week 7 this term. Then projects can be handed into the school office and they will be displayed in the main corridor at school. 

We don’t want Science Week to affect Book Week (which is in Week 5) so we have separated the two events.  

Wishing you well for the week ahead.

God Bless.

Greg Walker

Principal