Some 800 years ago a zealous religious sect flourished in what is today southern France. The Cathars (from katharos, meaning pure or clean), or Albigenses (from the region of Albi), believed in co-equal twin creators who ruled over the universe. The benevolent god ruled over the unseen spiritual realm while the malevolent one created the physical world and the corruption of sin. Dualists and docetists, the Cathars rejected the humanity of Christ and even believed that the God of the Old Testament was the malevolent one himself.

Domingo de Guzmán Garcés was about 33 years old when he first came into contact with the Cathars. They undoubtedly shocked him for they were fiercely anti-clerical and had been in conflict with Rome for some years. While there were many economic and political issues at play, Dominic’s interest was solely religious. His great insight was that the Cathars’ particular disdain for the material world made it difficult for them to hear the Gospel from the well-appointed and worldly Cistercians of that particular region and time. He discerned that only by entering into their reality as a poor itinerant preacher could he hope to teach the redeeming love of the Incarnation and the goodness of creation – core concepts of Catholicism. This two-fold path of solid theology and simple living proved a winning combination for Dominic and a new religious order was born.

The murder of a papal emissary in 1208 sparked religious war and the Pope responded by calling for a crusade against the Albigenses. Tradition has it that Dominic advocated strenuously for mercy and it was during these years that the gift of the Rosary was first delivered to Dominic by Our Lady. The foundations of the Dominican family date from this era of our shared Church history.

Today we pray for the Western Dominicans and their works in the NW: Holy Family Cathedral in Anchorage, Prince of Peace Newman Center and Blessed Sacrament Parish in Seattle, Holy Rosary Parish in Portland, & St. Benedict Lodge and St. Thomas More University Parish in Eugene.