SPADAFORA, DOMINIC, BL.

Dominican preacher; b. Randazzo, near Mt. Etna in Sicily, 1450; d. Monte Cerignone in Urbino, Dec. 21, 1521. He entered the Order of Preachers at St. Zita's Priory in Palermo. After ordination, he went to Padua, where he taught for several years. He then returned to Palermo, as the center of missionary work among the people of Sicily, for eight years. In 1487 he obtained the degree of master in theology and was called to Rome as assistant to Master General Joachim Torriani. Together they worked on the reform of the order until 1491, when Spadafora was commissioned to found a monastery of strict observance at Monte Cerignone near the shrine of Our Lady of Grace, and thus he was spared involvement in savonarola's tragic course toward execution for sedition and heresy. For 30 years he served as prior at the monastery and as missionary preacher to the people of central Italy. He was memorable for his wisdom, his ascetic spirit, and the constancy of his zeal for souls. Benedict XV beatified him Jan. 12, 1921.

Feast: Oct. 12, formerly Oct. 3.

Bibliography: a. butler, The Lives of the Saints, rev. ed. h. thurston and d. attwater (New York, 1956) 4:21–22. j. quÉtif and j. Échard, Sciptores Ordinis Praeddicatorum, 5 v. (Paris 1719–23); repr. 2 v. in 4 (New York 1959) 2.1:333. g. gieraths, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 3:483. Acta Apostolicae Sedis 13 (1921) 104–108. r. diaccini, Vita del B. Domenico Spadafora (Foligno 1921).

[g. m. gray]