28 Facts About Dominic Barberi

Dominic Barberi contributed to the conversion of John Henry Newman.

Dominic Barberi's parents died in his early childhood and he was raised by his maternal uncle, Bartolomeo Pacelli.

When Napoleon suppressed the religious communities in the Papal States, Dominic Barberi became acquainted with several Passionists living in exile near his town.

Dominic Barberi befriended these Passionists and served daily Mass with them.

When Dominic Barberi was one of the few men in his locality not chosen for military conscription, he felt it was a sign from God that he should enter a religious community.

Dominic Barberi believed that he was called to preach the Gospel in far-off lands.

Dominic Barberi was received into the Congregation of the Passion in 1814 after the re-establishment of the religious orders in the Papal States.

Dominic Barberi was ordained a priest on 1 March 1818.

Dominic Barberi now lived at the monastery of Saints John and Paul on the Celian Hill.

In 1830, when he was thirty-eight, Dominic Barberi was chosen to establish a new monastery at Lucca.

Life in Belgium posed plenty of problems for the Passionists; one of the Brothers had fallen ill, the community was in abject poverty, and Dominic Barberi had few words of French.

Dominic Barberi's spirit rose to the occasion and soon the community was flourishing and even Dominic Barberi enjoyed good health.

Dominic Barberi set out for England once more in October 1841, where he was greeted with stares and suspicion, not only as a Catholic priest, but for the strange garb of the Passionist habit.

Dominic Barberi was met with ridicule: his attempts to read prayers in English were met with the laughter of his congregation.

Opposition to Dominic Barberi was present in Stone, where on his journeys to the Mass centre, local youths would throw stones at him, though two youths took to the decision to become Catholics when they were greatly edified to see Dominic Barberi kiss each stone that hit him and place it in his pocket.

Dominic Barberi then began to visit other parishes and religious communities in order to preach, such "missions", as they were called, causing Dominic Barberi's reputation to become widely known.

Dominic Barberi decided to respond to this letter in the mistaken belief that it represented the views of the entire faculty of Oxford University.

Dominic Barberi repudiated the Anglican claim that the 39 Articles could be interpreted in a Catholic light.

Newman relates in his "Apologia" how Dominic Barberi arrived soaked from the rain and as was drying himself by the fire when Newman knelt and asked to be received into the Catholic Church.

Two of Newman's companions at Littlemore were received, and Dominic Barberi celebrated Mass for them the following morning.

Dominic Barberi had preached numerous retreats, both alone and with Spencer, both in England and Ireland.

On 27 August 1849, Dominic Barberi was travelling from Paddington, London to Woodchester, when at Pangbourne he suffered a heart attack.

Dominic Barberi was claimed patron of the Year of Faith for the Archdiocese of Birmingham.

Dominic Barberi's cause was formally opened on 14 June 1911, granting him the title of Servant of God.

Dominic Barberi was declared Venerable by Pope Pius XI on 16 May 1937.

Dominic Barberi was beatified by Pope Paul VI in 1963, during the Second Vatican Council.

Dominic Barberi is best remembered for his part in Newman's conversion, but is commemorated for his work in the efforts to return England to the Catholic faith in the 19th century.

The former Parish of Blessed Dominic Barberi, which existed briefly in Lower Earley, had been named for him.