Blessed Dominic Barberi
Missionary to England
 

Dominic had been born to a poor family of farmers in 1792. Both his parents were dead by the time he was a youngster of eight. An uncle and aunt raised him in the town of Merlano. They sent him out into the pasture land to shepherd sheep. Since schooling was not necessary to become a shepherd, young Dominic did not attend school.

Dominic found time to pray as he tended the sheep. He also taught himself to read and write. When Napoleon closed all the religious houses in Italy, Dominic became acquainted with several Passionists living in exile at Merlano. Among them was Father Joseph Mary Molajoni. Father Joseph invited Dominic to pray in the family chapel on his family's estate. In that chapel (now a shrine) Dominic experienced mystical attractions to join the Passionists and one day to go to far-away England.

Dominic had promised God that if he were not drafted into the army he would become a Passionist. But when he escaped the draft at the public lottery he forgot his promise. Dominic's uncle and aunt had planned a marriage for him. Actually he tells us he found the girl quite attractive. Just being near her drove away all thought of the religious life. Dominic could not tell the young woman about God's call and his own plans. In fact he never did really face up to her. He just slipped away one day and entered the nearby Passionist monastery at Vetralla!

A few days after Dominic entered the Vetralla monastery he was kneeling in prayer before the altar of the Blessed Virgin. All at once he received an interior communication that assured him that one day he would be a priest and would go to England.

Dominic entered the novitiate, took his vows and began his studies. Dominic studied eagerly, for he had a brilliant mind. Philosophy and theology came quite easily for him. During these years he had as his director, Father Anthony Testa. Over the years both men influenced each other very much. Dominic was ordained in Rome on March 1, 1821. For the next nineteen years he shared the life and ministries of the Passionists in Italy, but his heart was in England.

After ordination, Dominic became involved in the renewal of the congregation. He was assigned the task of teaching philosophy and theology to the young students. He was a good teacher for he also remained a diligent student. He read widely and intelligently. The superiors asked him to write a manual of philosophy for use in the schools of the congregation.

Dominic felt that the students should be formed into thinkers and philosophers, that they should be acquainted with the errors of the day and not simply those of the medieval period. He insisted that philosophy should take into account modern scientific advances. These were the goals he wanted to achieve in his manual.

The censors read his book and "condemned" it for not following St. Thomas closely enough and for departing from the "traditional" methods used in the seminaries. Today Dominic's book is seen as preparing for the Thomistic revival of Leo XIII.

During all these years Dominic was ever aware of the earlier call to work for the return of England to the Church. Wherever he went he would encourage people to pray for the conversion of that country. He began to study the English language.

While teaching in Rome, Father Dominic would be called to the parlor to meet English visitors. He spoke to them of his prayers for their country. They in turn would tell him about the religious situation in England and the possibilities of its conversion to Rome. Dominic developed several close friendships with English Catholics in Rome. He waited for the day when he could fulfill his mission in England.

In 1833 Dominic was a delegate to the general chapter. He requested the chapter to send missionaries to England. The request was not granted but the idea had been planted. Even when Dominic was made rector of the new monastery at Lucca and then provincial, he and others kept in close contact with the "new" Catholics in England.

By the time of the 1839 general chapter the congregation was ready to move. There had been an increase of vocations during the past twenty five years. Some of the capitulars, especially Father Anthony Testa, remembered Dominic's suggestion at the previous chapter. The chapter recommended that the new general send several religious to England.

The new general superior was the energetic, charismatic Father Anthony Testa. He had been Dominic's vice-master and student director. He knew Dominic well, but he hesitated at first to send him to England because of Dominic's health.

By April of 1840 Father Anthony Testa decided that Dominic should go. He sent him with three companions to Belgium to make a foundation in that country with the hope that from Belgium the mission to England could be realized. The three companions were Father Peter Magagnotto, Father Seraphim Giammaria, and Brother Crispin Cotta.

The four missionaries had hardly arrived in Belgium when Brother Crispin died. Dominic wrote to the General: "Before he died, he assured me that in heaven he would intercede earnestly for the congregation and in particular for this foundation...He was scarcely dead when we began to experience marked effects of the loving providence of God".

Dominic established the first Passionist monastery outside of Italy in 1840 at Ere in Belgium. In November of that year he made a brief visit to England to survey the situation. He wrote on November 26: "Here I am on the eve of my first visit to England, if God should allow me to get there. A few moments ago I saw for the first time the coast of the island from the top of a lofty church. If I die now, it will be the death of Moses - but no! I shall not die but live to narrate the works of the Lord. Amen.

Dominic's visit to England was brief. He still had work to do in Belgium before he could return to England for good. One of the first problems confronting Dominic was the type of formation to provide for candidates from northern Europe. Dominic insisted that the conditions in north Europe called for adaptations. The novice master, Father Seraphim Giammaria, wanted to form them by means of the Italian practices he and Dominic and all Passionists had been formed by. Thus from almost the very first year the question of adapting Passionist life outside of Italy was raised, and demanded an answer.

The response of the general, Father Anthony Testa, deserves our attention if we are to understand a problem that would vex the Passionists for more than a century. "He (Paul of the Cross) intended that there should be French Passionists, English Passionists, Flemish Passionists, Russian and even Laplander....Those who intend to keep the Order inside Italy are opposed to the mind of the founder and do not have the Spirit of God." The general continues: "Intending that there be Passionists in every country in the world, did he intend that in each nation they adopt Italian ways and customs? That they eat Italian foods? Think like Italians? Speak Italian? Act like Italians? Certainly not!...You will fail if you intend to make only Italian Passionists. You will never make them Passionists at all!"

Finally, the time came to establish the first Passionist residence in England. Father Dominic and a companion went over to England and obtained a house at Aston Hall in Staffordshire. One of his first ministries was the celebration of the 1842 Holy Week services.

When in June of 1844 Dominic was near Littlemore he called on John Dalgairns and met John Henry Newman for the first time. He spent about a half hour with Newman. Neither man ever forgot this first visit. In July Dominic wrote to the general: "I was received with every token of cordiality and sincere regards by Dr. Newman and by his disciples. We talked of various matters of religion. I left them several of my polemical tracts" Newman mentioned this brief visit to his friends when he later wrote of his reception by Father Dominic.

John Dalgairns continue to keep in touch with Dominic and in mid- September of the following year wrote to Dominic that he wanted to be received at Aston Hall. Afterwards, Dalgairns invited Dominic to stop at Littlemore on his way to Belgium. When Newman heard that Father Dominic would be stopping at Littlemore he felt that this was the external sign he was looking for. He would ask Father Dominic to receive him into the church.

Dominic arrived late at night, dripping-wet for he had been sitting on the top of the coach exposed to the continual rain. On entering the house he went at once to the fireplace to dry himself. The door opened quietly and Newman entered. In a moment he was at Dominic's feet, praying for admission into the Catholic and Roman Church! That very night he began his confession.

"What a spectacle it was for me to see Newman at my feet! All that I have suffered since I left Italy has been well compensated by this event. I hope the effects of such a conversion may be great." Thus did the humble, joyous Dominic write to Father Anthony in Rome.

On the following Sunday Newman and four companions went to the Catholic Chapel of St. Clement's at Oxford for Mass. All England soon knew that they were now Roman Catholics.

Father Anthony Testa reminded Dominic that if they are to fulfill their mission in England they needed, not Italians, but English vocations: "I am more and more convinced that success requires nationals, who have a command of the language. Foreigners will be able to do something, if they have a good reputation; but they cannot gain or win the people by their speech. This reason, together with the fact that it would not be easy to send many Italian subjects, makes it desirable that God should send us English vocations."

English vocations were few, but Dominic was deeply consoled by the arrival of Father George Spencer who received the habit on January 5, 1847. Spencer was a convert of some years and already ordained when Dominic came to England in 1841. Now as a fellow Passionist, known as Ignatius Spencer, he proved a great comfort to Dominic and the Passionists.

In August, 1849, Dominic was returning to Aston Hall from London. He was accompanied by his cousin, Father Louis Pesciaroli, who has just returned from the disastrous Australian venture. About five miles from Reading, Dominic got desperately sick. He was taken off the train to be attended by a doctor. There was not a room for him at the small station of Pangbourne. Father Louis put him back on the train for Reading. There he expired from violent heart spasms at 3:00 p.m., August 27, 1849.

Dominic had dreamed a dream. Only part of it was fulfilled, for he did come to England. But even the conversion of Newman did not bring about the reunion of Canterbury with Rome. The reunion of Christians would require a long, painful journey on the part of many. Dominic had paid the price of the first steps.

In the tradition of Blessed Dominic (he was beatified by Pope Paul VI), Passionists would be aware that ecumenism is an essential part of their heritage. At the time of the Second Vatican Council, Passionists would accept with joy the call to engage in ecumenical ministries. The "renewal" of the congregation in the spirit of Vatican II would challenge the modern Passionist to this ecumenical mission.

Text from the website of the Holly Cross Passionist: www.passionist.org