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Blessed Giovanni Dominici

Blessed Giovanni Dominici Also known as

John Dominic
John Dominici
John Dominici de Banchini

10 June

Profile

He had a humble background, little education, and a tendency to stammer and stutter, but John had a great memory, great drive to improve, and became a great theologian and preacher. He spent much of his youth in or around the nearby Dominican church of Santa Maria Novella. Though he lacked education and the Dominicans were scholars, and though he had trouble speaking and the Dominicans were preachers, he joined the Order at age 17.

He studied in Pisa and Florence in Italy, and received his degree in theology from the University of Paris. Priest. In one letters, he said that his speech impediment threatened to limit his vocation; it was cured through the intervention of Saint Catherine of Siena, and he spent 12 years as a preacher in Venice, Italy.

Prior of the Dominican house at Santa Maria Novella. Vicar-provincial in Rome, Italy in 1392. With Blessed Raymund of Capua, master general of the Order, he helped lead the rebuilding of the Order after the plague, and restoration of discipline to the members. Founded Dominican houses and convents in the Italian cities of Venice (1388 and 1394), Fiesole (1406), Chioggia, Citta di Castello, Cortona, Lucca, and Fabriano. Correspondent with Blessed Clara Gambacorta, giving her advice on her work to restore discipline to Dominican nuns. Because of his support of the Dominican White Penitents in Venice, he briefly lost papal support, but was later welcomed back, and resumed the work.

Worked to support Christian education of the young. Opposed pagan ideas that were creeping into the humanist thought of the day. Confessor and advisor to Pope Gregory XII. Cardinal of San Sisto in 1407. Archbishop of Ragusa, Italy in 1408. Helped heal the Western Schism. Convinced Pope Gregory XII to call the Council of Constance, and to abdicate in order to force the hands of the anti-popes, causing them to drop their claims to the crown.

Papal legate to Hungary and Bohemia for Pope Martin V. Worked to settle the disruptions caused by the death of John Hus, and to heal the Hussite Schism; converted some, but was unable to affect the larger problem.

Wrote Scripture commentaries and hymns in Italian. His portrait was painted by Fra Angelico, who had joined the order under him, and a memoir of him was written by Saint Antoninus of Florence who had joined the Order after hearing John preach, and had worked with him in Fiesole.