Saint Dominic Loricatus
Saint Dominic Loricatus (born c. 995 AD in Umbria, Italy; died October 14, 1060 AD in Fonte Avellana, Marche, Italy) was an Italian Camaldolese hermit who became the close companion and spiritual advisee of Saint Peter Damian. His name Loricatus (the armored one or the mailed one) came from the iron breastplate (lorica) he wore as penance. He was known for extraordinary feats of ascetic mortification. His feast day is October 14.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Dominic Loricatus
| Saint Dominic Loricatus | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | October 14 |
| Profession | Camaldolese hermit; penitent |
| Rel. Affiliation | Camaldolese Order (Benedictine hermits) |
| Patronage | Camaldolese hermits; penitents |
| Attributes | Camaldolese white habit; iron breastplate (lorica); whip (penance); psalter |
| Birthplace | Umbria, Italy |
| Death Place | Fonte Avellana, Pesaro e Urbino Province, Marche, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes; died at the hermitage of Fonte Avellana |
| Primary Shrine | Fonte Avellana Hermitage, Marche, Italy |
| Liturgical Class | Not included in universal Roman Calendar; observed in Camaldolese Order |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Dominic Loricatus was born around 995 in Umbria. As a young man, his father had paid money to a bishop to have him ordained — a simony that later caused Dominic deep remorse. To atone for this sin, he adopted an extreme life of penance. He wore an iron breastplate (lorica) directly against his skin for the rest of his life — the source of his name.
He joined the Camaldolese hermit-monks and came into contact with Saint Peter Damian at the hermitage of Fonte Avellana. Peter Damian became his spiritual father and wrote a biography of Dominic. He describes Dominic's extraordinary penitential feats: reciting the entire Psalter thousands of times, undertaking brutal bodily mortifications (with a hundred lashes for each psalm verse), and yet doing so with serene joy.
Peter Damian recognized Dominic's life as a deliberate act of penitential charity on behalf of sinners — particularly those guilty of simony and other ecclesiastical crimes — offering his sufferings for their conversion.
He died on October 14, 1060, at Fonte Avellana. His cult was confirmed and he appears in the Roman Martyrology. Dante mentions Fonte Avellana in the Paradiso (XXI, 106–108) as a place of extreme holiness, placing it in the heaven of Saturn among the contemplatives.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Umbria, Italy
Death location: Fonte Avellana, Pesaro e Urbino Province, Marche, Italy
Notable location: The Camaldolese hermitage where he lived for many years; the base of Saint Peter Damian; now a Camaldolese monastery; visited by Dante (mentioned in Paradiso XXI) (Fonte Avellana Hermitage, Pesaro e Urbino, Marche, Italy)
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Fonte Avellana Hermitage (Eremo di Fonte Avellana), Marche — an active Camaldolese monastery; visited by Dante; rich in early medieval spirituality.
Feast day
October 14
Veneration
Saint Dominic Loricatus is venerated in the Camaldolese Order with a feast day on October 14.
Prayers
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