St Dominic and the Ash Wednesday Miracle

by Admin · Published August 8, 2022 · Updated May 2, 2022

On Ash Wednesday in most years, the pope traditionally leads a penitential procession from the church of St Anselm to the basilica of Santa Sabina, where he receives ashes that are sprinkled (not smudged) on his head. The basilica has been in the possession of the Dominican Order since 1222, though the order moved there already in 1220, a year before the death of their founder, St Dominic.

And it was St Dominic who presided over an Ash Wednesday miracle, reported by a contemporary Benedictine nun, Bl Cecilia Cesarine, who claimed to have witnessed it herself.

It was Ash Wednesday 1218, and the Spanish-born saint, then 48 years old, was meeting with three cardinals at the monastery of St Sixtus when suddenly a man burst into the room, shouting wildly and tearing at his hair. He had alarming news: the nephew of one of the cardinals, Stephen of Fossa-Nuova, had fallen from his horse and died in the process.

The room fell silent as the bereaved cardinal fainted into Dominic’s arms, immune to the words of comfort Dominic and his brother cardinals were offering. After a while, Dominic decided to collect the badly mangled body of the dead nephew, Napoleon. In the interim, he instructed that a Mass be prepared in the nearby church. His instructions were executed in short order, and the Mass could proceed.

During the consecration, as Dominic raised the Body and Blood of Christ above the altar, he fell into religious ecstasy and began to levitate. After the Mass, Dominic led the congregation to the body of the cardinal’s dead nephew. He knelt over the body and prayed quietly for a while. Then he got up, made the sign of the cross — and began to levitate again, announcing loudly: “O young man, Napoleon, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Arise!” And the nephew stood up by himself, showing no signs of injury, and asked for something to eat.

Another story told by Sr Cecilia has St Dominic bring back to life the only son of a woman named Tetta.

This story calls us to reflect on the words of Jesus: “If your faith is even as big as a mustard seed, then you will say to this mountain: ‘Get from here to there!’ And it will move away. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).