Today, Passionists remember Blessed Dominic Barberi, C.P. Here is a short article about him by Fr. Jerome Vereb, C.P. one of the Passionists’ foremost experts on Blessed Dominic’s life and legacy.
Dominic Barberi represents a golden age of Passionist expansion. He was born near Viterbro, Italy in 1792. The French Revolution was raging at the time and the Napoleonic conquest of Western Europe was about to threaten all stability for the church and the system of education connected with it. He, therefore, became self-taught and was encouraged by Fr. Joseph Molajoni, C.P. (later a bishop). At the time, Fr. Joseph encouraged him to present himself as a candidate for the Passionist Community. He was deemed to be unfit for the clerical life because of his illiteracy. However, the vice-master of novices, Fr. Anthony (Testa) of St. James and other superiors thought him highly talented and provided for a more formal education. Dominic was readmitted as a cleric. Eventually professed and ordained, he became a professor at the Monastery of Sts. John and Paul. His services were seconded by the reigning pontiff, Gregory XVI.
His academic career coincided with the romantic stirrings of an English movement in favor of Roman Catholicism. Always imbued with a particular devotion to England, in the spirit of his founder, St. Paul of the Cross, he saw that island nation, almost completely Anglican, as a symbol of an essential disunity within the church. Appealing to his former vice-master of novices, now general, he managed to spread the Passionist Congregation to France, Belgium and England. There he received Blessed John Henry Newman into the Roman Catholic Church on October 9, 1845. He died on the mission of promoting greater understanding of Roman Catholicism in 1849. When he was beatified by Pope Paul VI on October 27, 1963, he was proclaimed one of the outstanding figures of the pre-ecumenical movement. He remains a patron of ecumenists today.
- Father Jerome M. Vereb, C.P.
Related articles
- Blessed Dominic Barberi (thepassionists.org)
- Beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman (thepassionists.org)
- An Ecumenical Prophet: Fr. Ignatius Spencer, C.P. (thepassionists.org)
- Servant of God Elizabeth Prout (thepassionistsisters.org)
Very interesting article about little Known Blessed!His relationship with John Newman is significant,I would like to have known,what his feast day is,please? thank you.
Glad you enjoyed the article. Bl. Dominic’s feast day was August 26.