Today's Dominican Saint & Catholic Martyrs

Blessed Raymond of Capua, memorial

Bl. Raymond had held several posts after entering the Order of Preachers: he was prior of the Dominican house in Rome and lector in Florence and Siena.

While he was in Siena is when he met St. Catherine of Siena. He became her spiritual director, confessor and closes advisor.

He was not only associated with most of the great tasks of St. Catherine (i.e. helping to end the Avignon papacy) but worked, himself, in works of mercy like bringing aid to plague victims in Siena. When he became sick from his efforts, St. Catherine, herself, nursed him back to health.

After St. Catherine's death, he became the Dominican master general, bringing reforms and enforcing a strict following of St. Dominic's rules and always at the defense of the authority of the pope.
He wrote biographies of two of the order's greatest saints, St. Catherin of Siena and St. Agnes of Montepulciano.

Let us Pray: O God, who wast pleased to make Blessed Raymond, Thy Confessor, a distinguished master of evangelical perfection and a faithful supporter of the of the apostolic authority, graciously grant that, living after his example on earth, we may deserve to be crowned with him in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Bl. Raymond taking dictation from St. Catherine

Martyrs

There are many martyrs today in the Dominican Divine Office.
From the English translation of the official Martyrology of the Sacred Order of Friars Preachers (Dominican Martyrology), here are a few early martyrs of note:

"At Messina in Sicily, the birthday of the holy martyrs Placidus,
monk and disciple of St. Benedict the Abbot, his brothers, Eutychius and
Victorinus, his sister the virgin Flavia; also Donatus, Firmatus, deacon,
Faustus, and thirty other monks. All were killed for the faith of Christ by the
pirate Manucha. [also celebrated today in the new Roman
Calendar]

"At Treves, the holy martyrs Palmatius and his companions, who
were martyred by the governor Rictiovarus in the persecution of Diocletian.

"On the same day, the suffering of St. Charitina, virgin. At the
time of the Emperor Diocletian and under the proconsul Domitius, she was
tortured by fire and then thrown into the sea. When she emerged from it
unharmed, her teeth were torn out and her hands and feet were cut off. She died
while in prayer."