St. Dominic de Guzman (1170-1221)

"He had a special prayer which he often made to God, that God would grant him true charity, which would be effective in caring for and winning the salvation of all; he thought he would only really be a member of Christ's Body when he could spend himself utterly with all his strength in the winning of souls, just as the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of us all, gave himself up entirely for our salvation."

~ Bl. Jordan of Saxony, 2nd Master of the Order

God answered this prayer of Dominic in a most unexpected way. At the time he made the prayer, he was a Canon Regular in the cathedral church in Osma, Spain. Requested to accompany his bishop, Diego, on a seemingly simple mission - that of arranging a marriage for the son of King Alfonso of Castile - Dominic found himself travelling through large stretches of country where the people had abandoned the Catholic faith to embrace an enticing heresy. Moved with compassion, and on fire for the Truth, the life's work of Dominic was beginning.