DOMINIC OF THE MOTHER OF GOD, Venerable. - Passionist theologian, missionary and mystic, b. at Viterbo to the Barberi family on 22 June 1792, d. at Reading (England) on 27 Aug. 1849. After his "second conversion" he was favored with high mystical gifts.
He pursued his studies in Rome, at SS. Giovanni e Paolo, taught philosophy and theology (1821-31), was superior and preacher, especially among ecclesiastics, a spiritual director, and a prolific and solid writer. His spiritual experiences and doctrines have been handed down to us most extensively in his Autobiografia (1822, in Summarium additionale, pp. 50), in the Commento alla cantica (ms., 1823 and 1837, pp. 121), in the Divina paraniafa (posthumous editions 1853 and 1860), in the Dialoghi sull'orazione mentale (ms., 1836, pp. 100), in the Gemito della colomba (ms., 1837, pp. 100). He also composed a manual of philosophy (ms., 1828-30, pp. 1557) and one of moral theology (ms., ca. 1839, pp. 1872), a Mariologia (ms., 1825 and ca. 1835, in French translation: Excellence de Marie, 2 vols., Tournai 1842, 1856, 1890), a characteristic pamphlet on the De auxiliis question (ms., 1835, pp. 24) and a great many letters, discourses, conferences, along with apologetic, didactic, oratorical and hagiographic pamphlets, combating in particular rationalism, Lamennism, Jansenism, Anglicanism and Protestantism. In his spirituality, besides the great devotions to the Crucified and to the Virgin of Sorrows, there stands out an inflamed and industrious zeal for the Church, inspired by the Apostle of the Gentiles. Having felt himself wondrously called to such an apostolate, his life and activity were wholly directed to the conversion of the dissidents of north-western Europe.
In 1840 he founded the first Passionist retreat outside Italy, at Ere in Belgium. In 1841 he went over to England and there established the Congregation, founding or setting on the path to foundation four retreats before his death. In intimate contact, from as early as 1830, with Philipps and with Spencer, and somewhat also with Wiseman, in 1841 he began an interesting correspondence with Dalgairns and with other Tractarians, only partly preserved for us. He had a great part in the conversion of Newman, whom he received into the Catholic Church between 8 and 9 Oct. 1845. Newman had been struck by the extraordinary vocation, the heroic apostolate and the holiness of D., whom he later also esteemed as a good and able and profound theologian. D. also had a most principal influence in the rebirth of Catholic life in England, of which he may be called the second Augustine.
The heroicity of his virtues was declared in 1937.