According to traditions held sacred by both the members of the Franciscan Order (the Order of Friars Minor) and the Dominican Order (the Order of Preachers), Francesco Bernadone and Domingo de Guzman met during their lifetimes. The following tells the details of that meeting:
"In the summer of 1215 St. Francis with a small group of friars were in Rome seeking approbation for his Rule. One night during his stay while Francis was praying, he saw Our Lord prepared to unleash the most terrible chastisements upon the world. His Most Holy Mother was making an effort to placate Him, asking His mercy and forgiveness. For this purpose, she presented two men who would labor for the conversion of the world and return a countless number of lost sheep to the fold. Francis recognized himself as one of these apostles. He did not recognize the other one, however.
"The following day, he was in one of the churches of Rome when suddenly an unknown person came up to him, embraced him, and said: “You are my companion, we will work together, supporting one another toward the same end, and no one will prevail against us.” Francis recognized him as the other man in the vision. It was St. Dominic, who had also received a similar vision. When he saw Francis in that church, he immediately went to greet him, inspired by the Holy Ghost.
"Sometime after this encounter, Francis and Dominic assisted at a service at St. John the Lateran Basilica where a famous preacher was giving a sermon. It was Fr. Angelo who later would die a martyr in Sicily. As he preached, Fr. Angelo saw Francis and Dominic in the audience. Moved by a grace, he stopped, looked at them, and announced with prophetic words that the two would be strong columns of the Church.
"At the end of the ceremony, St. Angelo waited for them, embraced them, and told them the favors God had reserved for them. The two founders, in turn enlightened by a supernatural grace, revealed the principal events of the life of St. Angelo. As the trio left the church, they came upon a leper begging there. The three gave a simultaneous blessing to the poor man, which restored him to health." (from a talk by Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira)
As we celebrate the Feast of St. Dominic today (August 8), it is good for us to remember these two strong columns or pillars of the Church. Together they worked to evangelize 13th Century Europe. Today their followers continue to preach the Good News of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M.