About the holy man Brother Dominic of Bologna, Priest

Brother Dominic was from the city of Bologna. He was born to honest parents who were quite good citizens. He attended school at an early age until he learned to read and write. However when he came to about the age of eighteen years an immense desire to serve God was born in his heart. However because his parents were not happy about this he went away secretly to Florence so that they could not stop him. Since he felt that the Order of Saint Francis was the poorest and most adverse to earthly burdens he took the habit in the Congregation of Zoccolanti Fathers. There he never wanted to study and apply himself to the sciences. Instead from his youth he was always in poor places where with great diligence and humility he carried out the office of cleric and all the lowly tasks of the place [. . . ].

He came to the holy Congregation of Capuchins and Father Louis of Fossombrone received him. Here he led a life that was more angelic than human, embracing with great fervour all the efforts that belong to the holy Order, especially in those years when the poor Capuchins did not have friaries. I saw this when the friary near the city of Siena was established. Until the friary was built the poor Capuchins stayed at Our Lady of Fonte Giusto in Siena and most of the time they slept on the cobblestones. This servant of God had withdrawn to a little hut. There he trained his delicate members with penance, sleeping on a beam of wood while he used a piece of wood for a pillow. When he had slept until more than three hours before Matins he prayed on the same beam where he poured out many tears. At the same time he tasted the passion of Our Lord in his mind he also felt it in his sense through the afflictions and penance that he did. In this way that beam served him more as an oratory than as a bed. With many tears he said, “Now I know what poverty means [ . . . ]. . . such peace of mind that he accepted everything from the hand of God. This was just as I saw when Father Angelus dal Palla of Siena dressed him down, saying to him very harsh words. I believe that the venerable Father did this precisely so that I, who was a youngster at the time, would take example from that holy man. He went mute like a statue except for a little laugh. Lowering his head he gave reverence to the one who said these things to him, and without his face changing he went away. I saw other signs of his invincible gentleness.

He rarely ate more than once a day and then very little. He cut a big loaf of bread into thin slices and then wet them a little with water. That was his food almost always.

He spoke little or hardly ever and when he spoke about the things of God he did so quietly with a soft voice and with inspired and few words. Then you would not realise that he lowered his head a little and rose in front of you as if some very important persons were waiting for him and that he had to do things that were very important for him. For it was according to his custom that he staid continuously at holy contemplation in front of the Blessed Sacrament or in his cell or in the woods.

He was very devout towards the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, usually fasting on the Saturday dedicated to her and he also fasted on bread and water for all her vigils. It was amazing that he persevered in this way in which he started at the beginning without variation for all the time he lived.

He wore a harsh hairshirt for a long time. After Matins he rarely went to rest. He persevered in holy prayer – at night in mental prayer and during the day he practised vocal prayer. He said the Office of the Dead each day as well as the seven psalms and other devotions.

I cannot write too much about him because I was only in the same fraternity as he in the friary at Siena for quite a few days. From what those venerable Fathers told me he was regarded as the holiest man in the Province of Tuscany during his time. He did many miracles which I will not write down since I am not quite able to do so.

It is enough that after having served the Lord God with all fidelity for about fifty five years he passed away happily to his Creator. I don’t know where his body rests. Amen.