Blessed Joan of Aza
Blessed Joan of Aza (born c. 1135 AD in Aza de Aliste, Zamora Province, Spain; died c. 1202 AD in Caleruega, Burgos Province, Spain) was a Spanish Catholic noblewoman venerated as the mother of Saint Dominic de Guzmán, founder of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans). She was beatified by Pope Leo XII on January 2, 1828. Her feast day is August 2.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Joan of Aza
| Blessed Joan of Aza | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | August 02 |
| Profession | Spanish Catholic noblewoman; born Aza de Aliste Zamora c. 1135; wife of Félix de Guzmán; mother of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (founder Order of Preachers); pilgrimaged to Santo Domingo de Silos; died Caleruega Burgos c. 1202; beatified Pope Leo XII January 2 1828; feast August 2 |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Dominican Order (Order of Preachers); 12th-century Spanish Catholic noble tradition; Caleruega; Burgos; Castile; Spain; maternal holiness |
| Patronage | Spain; Burgos; Caleruega; Castile; Dominican Order; mothers; parents of priests and religious; those who pray for children; those devoted to Santo Domingo de Silos |
| Attributes | Spanish noblewoman's dress; Dominican white-and-black colors (in honor of her son); dog with torch (prophetic dream symbol); August 2 feast; Caleruega setting; pilgrim's staff (Santo Domingo de Silos pilgrimage); lily (maternal purity) |
| Birthplace | Aza de Aliste, Zamora Province, Spain |
| Death Place | Caleruega, Burgos Province, Spain |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died c. 1202 in Caleruega, Burgos Province, Spain; Blessed Joan of Aza (Spanish: Beata Juana de Aza) was a Spanish Catholic noblewoman; born Aza de Aliste Zamora c. 1135; wife of Félix de Guzmán; mother of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (founder of the Dominican Order); pilgrimaged to Santo Domingo de Silos before Dominic's birth; died Caleruega Burgos c. 1202; beatified Pope Leo XII January 2 1828; feast August 2 |
| Primary Shrine | Convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Caleruega, Burgos, Spain; beatified Pope Leo XII January 2 1828; feast August 2 |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; August 2 feast locally in Spain and in the Dominican Order |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Joan of Aza was born c. 1135 in the village of Aza, in the province of Zamora in the Kingdom of Castile. She married Félix de Guzmán, a minor Castilian nobleman, and settled in Caleruega, Burgos.
She was the mother of three sons: Antonio (a priest), Manes (a future Dominican), and Dominic. Before Dominic's birth she made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Santo Domingo de Silos to pray for a child. She is said to have had a vision that she carried a dog bearing a flaming torch, which was interpreted as prophesying Dominic's founding of the Order of Preachers.
She raised her children in a deeply Catholic household. Dominic de Guzmán (c. 1170-1221) went on to found the Dominican Order, one of the great mendicant orders of the Catholic Church.
Joan of Aza died c. 1202 in Caleruega. She was beatified by Pope Leo XII on January 2, 1828. Her feast day is August 2.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Aza de Aliste, Zamora Province, Spain
Death location: Caleruega, Burgos Province, Spain
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Feast day
August 2
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