The Dream That Foretold Saint Dominic: Uncovering the Meaning of the Dominican Dog

SaintDominicisoneoftheChurch’sgreatestsaints,andtheorderthatbearshisname,theDominicans,isoneoftheChurch’sgreatestorders. ButhowmanyCatholicsknowthemeaningoftheDominicandog? Yes,lotsoficonographyrelatedtoSaintDominicandtheDominicansincludesadog!Butsometimesyouhavetolookcloselytocatchit:PublicdomainOnceyoustartlookingforit,youstartseeingiteverywhere!(Youcanseemoreexamplesattheendofthispost.) WhatdoestheDominicanDogmean? TheDominicandoggoesbacktoavisionSaintDominic’smothersupposedlyhadbeforeshehadhim.Strugglingwithinfertility,shewasmakingapilgrimagetothe AbbeyofSantoDomingodeSilos inSpainwhen shedreamedthatadogjumpedfromherwombholdingatorchandseteverythingaroundthemonfire. Soonafter,sheconceivedasonwithherhusbandandnamedhimafterthe11th-century SaintDominicofSilos,forwhomtheabbeyshehadvisitedhadbeennamed. ThedreamwasprescientduetoaplayonwordsinLatin:althoughDominiccalledhisordertheOrderofPreachers,itwouldlatercometobeknownast