Saint of the Month - August 2026: Saint Dominic de Guzman

St. Dominic de Guzman

The "Hound of God" - Feast: August 8th

For this month, this ministry is particularly happy to feature this great Saint - founder of one of the most prolific Religious Orders in the history of the Catholic Church and spiritual father to all Rosary devotees throughout the world.

HIS EARLY YEARS

Born around 1170 in the village of Caleruega, in the Diocese of Osma, Old Castile (modern-day Spain), Dominic de Guzman came from a noble and deeply pious family.  His father was Felix de Guzman, and his mother was Juana de Aza (now known as Blessed Juana de Aza), an exemplary woman renowned for her charity and holiness.  According to pious tradition, before Dominic was born, his mother made a pilgrimage to the monastery of Silos, where she dreamed she gave birth to a dog holding a glowing torch in its mouth—a prophetic vision symbolizing that her son would set the world on fire with the light of Christ.

Showing an early inclination toward scholarship and piety, Dominic was sent at the age of fourteen to the prestigious University of Palencia, where he spent six years studying the liberal arts and theology.  During a severe famine in Spain, Dominic demonstrated his profound compassion by selling his treasured books, notes, and even his furniture to feed the starving poor, famously stating: "Would you have me study from these dead skins when men are dying of hunger?"

The prophetic dream of Bl. Juana de Aza

VOCATION TO RELIGIOUS LIFE

Upon completing his studies, Dominic was ordained a priest and appointed a canon of the cathedral chapter of Osma around 1194.  In this role, he adopted the Rule of St. Augustine, living a life of rigorous communal prayer, austerity, and study.

His life changed dramatically in 1203 when he accompanied Bishop Diego of Osma on a diplomatic mission for King Alfonso VIII of Castile to secure a bride in Denmark.  Traveling through southern France, Dominic was exposed to the Albigensian (Cathar) heresy, a dualistic movement that rejected the Catholic Church, the Sacraments, and the goodness of the material world, teaching instead that all matter was inherently evil.

Observing that the papal legates sent to convert the Albigensians traveled in lavish luxury—which alienated the common people who valued radical poverty—Dominic and Bishop Diego proposed a radical shift.  They dismissed their horses and attendants, traveling on foot, barefoot, and begging for their food.  They engaged the heretics in humble, intellectual, and charitable public debates, demonstrating that the Catholic Faith could be preached through authentic apostolic poverty and profound theological knowledge.

FOUNDER OF A NEW ORDER

Dominic’s spirituality was anchored in a deep synthesis of contemplation and action—to contemplate and to give to others the fruits of contemplation.  He spent his days in active ministry, preaching and teaching, and his nights in intense prayer, penance, and weeping for the salvation of souls.

Recognizing the urgent need for a permanent, highly educated preaching force to combat heresy and renew the Church.  In 1215, Dominic laid the foundations for a new religious community by gathering a small group of followers in Toulouse, France, to establish a new order structured around:

     *  Academic Excellence

     *  Mendicant Poverty

     * Apostolic Mobility

In December 1216 and February 1217, Pope Honorius III officially approved the order as the Order of Preachers (Ordo Praedicatorum), otherwise popularly known as the "Dominicans" after their spiritual father.

Dominic quickly dispersed his friars across Europe, establishing houses near major university centers.

HIS MIRACLES AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Dominic was gifted with extraordinary mystical graces.  He possessed the gift of tears, often weeping uncontrollably during prayer for the sins of the world and the conversion of souls.  He was also known for astonishing episodes of levitation during prayer, ecstasies ... and he also read hearts.  Other documented miracles, include the following:

* A Trial by Fire: When Dominic was debating Albigensian leaders in Fanjeaux, France, both sides wrote down their arguments and threw them into a blazing fire to let God judge the truth.  The heretics' papers burned instantly, but Dominic’s manuscript was miraculously ejected unharmed from the flames three times.

* Multiplication of Bread: During the early days of the community in Prouille, the friars had nothing to eat.  Dominic prayed over a small crust of bread, and suddenly a basket of fresh, white bread materialized, abundantly feeding all the brothers.

* Saving Travelers from a Storm: While traveling with his friars, a violent tempest threatened to drown them crossing a swollen river.  Through Dominic's fervent prayer, the waters miraculously receded, allowing the group to cross safely.

THE ROSARY DEVOTION

Tradition holds that in 1214, while preaching against the Albigensians in Toulouse, Dominic experienced an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  According to the story, Our Lady presented him with the Rosary as a powerful weapon against heresy and sin, instructing him to teach its use to the faithful.

While historical scholarship notes that elements of Marian prayer-beads predated the Saint, he and the Dominican Order became the primary instruments for organizing, promoting, and spreading the Rosary throughout the Catholic world.  The devotion became a cornerstone of Dominican spirituality, combining vocal prayer with the meditation of the mysteries of Christ's life.

DEATH AND LEGACY

Exhausted by decades of relentless traveling, fasting, and preaching across Spain, France, and Italy, Dominic fell gravely ill in the summer of 1221.  He arrived at the monastery of St. Nicolas in Bologna, where he died on August 6, 1221, at roughly fifty-one years of age.  True to his vow of poverty, he did not own a cell of his own and died lying on a borrowed wooden plank.

A facial reconstruction of St. Dominic's face based

on first-hand recorded descriptions of him.

Canonized by Pope Gregory IX in 1234, St. Dominic's Feast Day is celebrated on August 8th.  The Saint's illustrious legacy lives on through the Dominican Order, which has produced some of the greatest minds and Saints in Church history, including St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Albert the Great, and St. Catherine of Siena.  Even centuries later, the spiritual sons and daughters of St. Dominic continue to serve the Church globally through teaching, preaching, and fruitful missionary work.

St. Dominic de Guzman,

pray for us!

Is this what two great Saints looked like?

I was researching something on the net the other day when I came upon a pleasant surprise - more forensic reconstruction of the faces of Saints! Those familiar with this blog are likely aware that this author is a big fan of such things (click/tap here to see other forensic "faces of holiness" that I've shared about in the past).  This time around I add two famous Saints who are both Doctors of the Church:

St. Teresa of Avila

   

Compare this Spanish Saint's forensic reconstruction (Above-Left) with the most famous portrait done of her when she was 61 (I personally don't see a similarity and prefer the painting).  To read about St. Teresa's prodigious life, click/tap here.

St. Thomas Aquinas

   

Above, the forensic reconstruction (Left) with a typical representation of the Saint painted shortly after he was canonized in July 1323 (there appears to be a slight resemblance).

So what do viewers think?  I personally find it highly fascinating to see these scientifically reconstructed faces ... then find it amusing when I compare them to statues and paintings to see how they measure up to each other.  The artistic depictions usually don't come close to reality - almost all look too perfect with their tall, slim bodies and their perfect complexion, especially devotional statues I see on sale.

I prefer to see true likenesses of our Saints and Blesseds with their not-so-perfect features.  I think it brings them down to earth, which makes them relatable; mostly ordinary people but who lived their Catholic Faith in an extraordinary manner!

Another round of "Faces of Holiness"

I recently came across a new batch of facinating facial reconstructions of Saints, created by experts using relics of their skulls.  Without further ado, here they are...

ST. LUDMILA OF BOHEMIA (d. 921)

   

The reconstructed face vs. an early image

of the Saint, which looks fairly close.

A Slavic princess by birth, this Saint converted to Christianity with her husband, Duke Borivoj in 871.  She became a champion of Christianity, living its teachings with exemplary piety; zealously promoting the Faith amongst her people; and building churches in her country.  She exerted a strong positive influence on her grandson who she helped to raise - St. Wenceslaus of Bohemia (a.k.a. "Good King Wenceslaus") - which elicited jealousy and hatred in the king's mother, Drahomira, who openly resented Christianity.

Ludmila earned the Martyr's Crown after she was strangled to death by two henchmen upon the evil bidding of Drahomira.  She was later Canonized and proclaimed one of the Patron Saints of Bohemia.

ST. ISIDORE THE LABORER (d. 1130)

   

The reconstructed face vs. a traditional

representation of the Saint, which clearly

differ.  His actual features reveal Isidore

was likely part African in ancestry.

Considered the Patron of Madrid, Spain, this Saint was a poor and humble farm laborer.  His frequent attendance at Mass, and his generosity towards those less fortunate than himself, were often rewarded by miraculous favors from God.  These signal graces included the Saint being helped with his tasks by his guardian angel, while he was away at Mass, and the multiplication of food.  After his death, his body did not decompose and it remains admirably preserved up to this present day.  St. Isidore was declared a Saint in 1622.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL (d. 1660)

   

The reconstructed face vs. an early

painting of St. Vincent.  The resemblance

between the two is spot on!

The name of this illustrious Saint is synonymous with serving the poor.  A highly devout French priest, he dedicated his life to advancing the Faith and in charitable giving to the needy, which prompted him to co-found the Congregation of the Mission (the "Vincentians") and the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.  Thus, his charism and legacy continue to live on through his spiritual children.  He was Canonized in 1737.

O Holy Saints, God's road signs directing us on the road to Heaven, pray for us!

The "real" face of St. Catherine of Genoa?

Here is yet another example, I just discovered, of a forensic reconstruction of a Saint's face using the relic of a skull - this time the subject is St. Catherine of Genoa, a great lay-mystic and advocate of the Poor Souls (click/tap here to read her biography).

Above: An old portrait of St. Catherine

Below: The facial reconstruction

When comparing the forensic results with the painting done of her, it's pretty close in my opinion... and it's nice to see what our Saints may have actually looked like in life compared to their popular, stylized depictions in works of art and holy cards; one can better see the humanity of Saints which reminds us that we, too, have a chance at holiness.  At least that's how I personally see it.

To view startling forensic reconstructions of other faces of Saints, click/tap here.

Another Round of "Faces of Holiness"...

I find this science very, very interesting - forensic facial reconstruction.  It's a field of science that aims to reconstruct the probable faces of the deceased based on standard reference points on their skulls.  More so, I get excited when the face being redone is a pre‐photography era SAINT; it's as though we now get to look at a photo of the individual rather than just a holy card based on someone's imagination.

I've posted on this topic several times before, but I accidentally came across a recent saintly facial reconstruction and, upon digging around, I actually discovered quite a few others.  In fact, it seems to be a trend for Catholic shrines/organizations to have their respective Saints' faces reconstructed, based on preserved skull-relics... and I like it!  So here we go with another round of "faces of holiness"...

+ +  St. John Nepomucene  + +

       

St. John's reconstructed face vs. a popular

statue of the Saint in the Czech Republic 

This Saint was a priest in the court of King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia.  According to most accounts, he was the queen's personal confessor and, when the king suspected her of infidelity, he pressed the priest for personal details from her frequent confessions to him.  As one would expect of a devout priest, John refused and remained steadfast despite threats made against him by Wenceslaus.

The standoff between Saint and monarch culminated on March 20, 1393, when the king ordered the priest beaten then executed when he still persisted on remaining silent - John was thrown from the Charles Bridge, in city of Prague, into the frigid Vltava River and drowned as a result.

Deemed a Martyr, John Nepomucene was canonized in 1729 and is popularly considered the "Martyr of the Seal of the Confessional" and a Patron Saint of Bohemia, Czech Republic.  Interestingly, according to a tradition, his tongue was discovered preserved from corruption during a ritual exhumation in 1715, prior to his beatification.

+ +  Bl. Luca Belludi  + +

       

Bl. Luca's reconstructed face vs. an early

depiction of him (a close likeness?)

This Blessed was an Italian friar, who was accepted into the Franciscan Order by St. Francis of Assisi (d. 1226), himself.  He was an assistant and close friend to St. Anthony of Padua (d. 1231), and died in Padua in 1286.  Like his illustrious friend, Bl. Luca was also a holy man and skilled preacher, and the Church recognized his sanctity through beatification in 1927.  His relics remain enshrined in the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua.

+ +  St. Magnus Erlendsson  + +

     

St. Magnus' face and the relic of his skull

used in the reconstruction process

This obscure Saint was a Norseman; the Earl of Orkney in Norway.  Baptized Catholic, according to a certain biography, he was exceptionally pious and highly diligent in the practice of the Faith. Because of his gentle personality and his very open expression of Christian principles, Magnus was mocked by other pagan Viking rulers... but the people he ruled over benefited from his kindness.

Reluctantly caught up in the political intrigue and power struggles of his time and place, Magnus was betrayed and put to death by order of a rival Earl, via an brutal axe blow to the head, as evidenced by his skull.  Before dying he pardoned the executioner and his enemies, and prayed for them.

The spot where St. Magnus was killed and buried was rocky and barren ground, which reportedly grew over with lush green grass soon after his death.  He was considered a Martyr and many healings were subsequently reported at his grave, prompting his canonization in 1136.

+ +  The Jesuit Martyrs of Kosice  + +

These Jesuit clergymen (their individual names are listed above) were heroically martyred by Calvinist Protestants.  All three voluntarily ministered to the Catholic minority in Kosice, which was a Calvinist stronghold during their day.  In 1619, at a time of rising anti-Catholic sentiments, they were arrested and beaten with the intent of having them apostasize, which the trio refused to do despite torture.

As a result of their steadfastness, the priests were beheaded and their bodies thrown into a ditch where they lay for 6 months.  A sympathetic countess claimed their remains and provided the Martyrs with a Christian burial; their tomb immediately became a beacon of faith for the persecuted Catholics of Kosice.  The Church eventually canonized them as a group in 1995.

+ +  St. Peter of Verona  + +

        

St. Peter's reconstructed face vs.

an early depiction of him

This Dominican Saint was a celebrated preacher, as well as a reputable wonder-worker.  He preached against heretical sects in central and northern Italy - particularly against the Cathars - bringing many back into the Church.

Infuriated by his success, Catharist leaders in Milan hired a pair of assassins to kill Peter, which took place on April 6, 1252, while the Saint made his way to their city.  The murderer, Carlino of Balsamo, struck him in the head with an axe.

While he lay dying, St. Peter used his blood to scrawl his final profession of faith on the ground beside him: I believe in God... (from the beginning of the Apostles Creed).  His body was discovered and transferred to Milan, where it was met with immediate veneration and became a channel for miraculous cures.  Peter was so highly regarded, he was declared a Saint in March 1253, less than a year after his death.

As an uplifting postscript to this somber story, Carlino - the Saint's murderer - later repented of his crime and sincerely converted.  He joined the Dominicans in Forli and lived such a holy life he is now locally honored as Blessed Carlino of Balsamo.

+ +  St. Valentine  + +

        

St. Valentine's face and the relic of his skull

used in the reconstruction process

This Saint's Feast is observed every year by millions, worldwide, on February 14th, but really ‐ how many people out there actually know about his life history and spiritual significance?

St. Valentine was a priest or bishop who ministered in ancient Rome; he was captured during a time of intense Christian persecution in the early years of the Church.  Refusing to offer sacrifices to pagan gods and betray Christ, he was beheaded in 269 AD.

According to one popular account, the Saint, among many other good works, secretly united Christian soldiers and their brides in holy matrimony, despite the Roman Emperor's edict forbidding active soldiers to marry.  It's a scenario that likely lead to Valentine being romantically branded as the Patron Saint of Lovers.

+ +  St. Zdislava Berka  + +

        

St. Zdislava's reconstructed face

vs. an early depiction of her

A noblewoman of Czech descent, this Saint was highly pious as a child.  She actually attempted to run away from home at age 7 to become a hermit...  failed...  and was forced by her parents to marry a nobleman at 15-years-old.

Zdislava's husband turned out to be a brute, but through her patience and meekness, she gained his tacit approval to perform acts of charity and to establish two convents; all while dealing with her husband and raising their children.  Furthermore, her sanctity merited ecstasies and visions, and she reportedly performed miracles in her lifetime.

St. Zdislava Berka died in 1252 but wasn't canonized until 1995 - she's considered a Patron Saint of the Czech Republic, along with St. John Nepomucene.

... and finally - the Blessed Virgin Mary?

Obviously, this last image is not a true forensic facial reconstruction since Our Lady's body was assumed into Heaven, but the artist who created this beautiful and haunting piece - Julien Lasbleiz - based his representation of the Holy Virgin on the image of Christ, as imprinted on the Shroud of Turin.

Supposing the Holy Shroud is indeed the miraculous relic many purport it to be (I personally believe it is), then it really does capture the true face of Jesus... and since he only had one biological parent - Mary - it would be logical to assume that he closely resembled her.  So how genius is the artist in coming up with this notion and the unique rendering of our Blessed Mother?  Very clever.  I had to share it here after seeing it on several other websites because it really is an image worth contemplating.

The Lasbleiz painting above, and side-by-

side with a painting of Christ that was also

based on the Holy Shroud of Turin.

To view this ministry's other posts on

forensic "faces of holiness", click/tap here.

Faces of Holiness... again!

If you can't tell by now - I have a keen interest in forensic facial reconstruction, especially when the subject is a Saint or Blessed who lived before the advent of photography.  It's simply fascinating for me to see what their actual facial features may have looked like in comparison to pretty holy cards that may be in circulation of the holy person. Fortunately, within the past few years, there seems to be a growing interest in reconstructing the faces of famous religious figures.  As an enthusiastic fan of our Saints, I welcome the trend.

With the above being stated, last year a team of scientists from South America reconstructed and unveiled the faces of three revered Peruvians - Sts. Juan Macias, Martin de Porres, and Rose of Lima - using sacred relics of their skulls.  At the beginning of 2016, the same scientific team unveiled the face of yet another holy personage from Peru; this time around it was the likeness of a little-known Dominican mystic who was exemplary for her deep devotion to the Poor Souls...

Bl. Ana [Monteagudo] of the Angels

This holy woman was born in 1602 in the town of Arequipa, Peru, where she became a nun and was honored as a living Saint in her lifetime.  According to her biographers, Bl. Ana was from a distinguished family but she gave up her inheritance to enter the local Dominican Monastery of St. Catherine after being prompted to do so by a vision of the monastery's namesake, St. Catherine of Siena (d. 1380). There, our heroine was famed for her high degree of sanctity, as well as her apparent mystical gifts, which included bilocation, miracles, prophecy, and visions.

The reconstructed face of Bl. Ana of the Angels

(center) flanked by a fairly modern rendition

of her (left) and an old painting of her from

her monastery (right).  The older portrait

appears to be a fair likeness of the Blessed.

During one particular vision, ten years before her death, Bl. Ana reportedly saw Our Lady and St. Nicholas of Tolentino (d. 1305), who commended to her fervent prayer the plight of the Poor Souls in Purgatory.  The humble nun accepted the mission entrusted to her and willingly suffered progressive blindness and paralysis as a victim-soul for those undergoing spiritual cleansing in the afterlife. She died in 1686 with a solid reputation of holiness and continues to be much loved in Peru along with its three other Saints.

St. Mary Magdalen

This facial reconstruction project was actually conducted back in early 2015 by the same Brazilian 3D designer who worked on the faces of the four Peruvian Saints, and that of St. Anthony of Padua in 2014... but it only just came to my attention recently. With St. Mary Magdalen being one of the most revered and inspiring figures since the birth of Christianity, I was quite excited when I accidentally came across the story while researching the one of Bl. Ana of the Angels.  Some may be wondering - where'd the skull come from for this forensic reconstruction?  Read on below...

Is this the face of St. Mary Magdalen?

Reconstructed using her alleged skull

kept in a basilica in southern France.

According to Sacred Tradition, after the ascension of Christ, St. Mary Magdalen escaped persecution in the Holy Land, along with St. Lazarus (who Christ resurrected), St. Martha, and other disciples of Jesus by sailing in a small ship that landed near Marseilles in southern France. There, Lazarus was installed as Bishop and the group of Christian exiles preached the Gospel, successfully converting many in the region.

Mary eventually retired as a hermitess in a large mountain cave in what is now Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume where she lived an austere life.  After her death, she was lovingly buried by the early Christians. Her original tomb was venerated until her skeleton was hidden for safekeeping and lost in the early 700's during a period of Saracen invasions.

In 1279 St. Mary's tomb and remains were rediscovered amidst signs and wonders, and documented confirmation, and her bones and skull are now enshrined in the Basilica of Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume. After the reconstructed face of St. Anthony of Padua was unveiled in June 2014, the basilica commissioned the reconstruction of Mary Magdalen's face using the alleged relic of her skull; the startling result, as seen above, was unveiled to the world on July 19, 2015, in conjunction with her Feast Day celebrations that year.

The reconstructed features reveal St. Mary Magdalen to be a strong and beautiful woman, as many have imagined her to be; as many visionary-mystics such as Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich (d. 1824) have described her to be.  So thanks to science and technology we have the wonderful opportunity to look upon the enigmatic face that was the first to bask in the glory of the risen Lord!

More Faces of Holiness: The Saintly Men of Peru

This post is actually a follow-up to one I did at the beginning of September 2015.  Back then I shared that a team of South American forensic experts were able to reconstruct the probable facial features of St. Rose of Lima (d. 1617) and it was recently unveiled for the world to see (click here to view it).  What I didn't share was the fact that along with the reconstruction of St. Rose's face, the same team of experts also reconstructed the faces of two other Peruvian Saints: St. Martin de Porres and St. Juan Macias.

Holy card depictions (Left to Right):

St. Rose of Lima, St. Martin de Porres,

& St. Juan Macias.

You see... all three of these 17th Century Saints lived and ministered in Lima, Peru, where their memories continue to be revered to this present day.  St. Martin was a personal friend to both his fellow Saints, but St. Rose died about five years before St. Juan entered the Dominican Friary in Lima in 1622.  After each of them passed on to their eternal rewards, their sacred remains all ended up enshrined in the Basilica and Monastery of St. Dominic in Lima.  It was their skulls that the experts used to reconstruct what they probably may have looked like in life.

St. Rose's face was revealed first... and now, the faces of her two male counterparts have also been recently unveiled. Below are the results of the research work completed by the forensic team:

St. Martin de Porres

The Patron Saint of Social Justice, St. Martin was the illegitimate, bi-racial son of a Spanish nobleman and a former black slave from Panama.  In his youth, St. Martin was apprenticed as a barber/medical practitioner, but he abandoned that vocation in favor of joining the Dominicans of Lima, first as a servant, then as a professed lay-brother in 1603. 

A portrait of St. Martin de Porres (Left),

reported to have been painted from life...

and the face that the experts came up with

(Right).  The likeness is striking!

At first, the other friars were condescending towards their mulatto companion, but they came to deeply respect him after Martin won them over with his genuine humility and piety; with his charitable service towards the friars and the sick/poor of Lima; and with his apparent God-given miraculous gifts, which included the astounding abilities of healing, levitation, and bilocation.  St. Martin died in 1639 and was declared a Saint in 1962.

St. Juan Macias

A contemporary of St. Martin, and his spiritual brother in the Dominican Friary, this Saint had a slightly different charism of service in the Church.  While St. Martin ministered primarily to the living citizens of Lima, St. Juan had a special ministry directed towards the deceased, the Holy Souls of Purgatory.  Because of his immense devotion to the Poor Souls, and the extraordinary efforts he made to help release them from their purification, he is often referred to as the "Patron Saint of the Poor Souls".  I won't go into detail about his life in this post, but you can read a little more about him by clicking here.  St. Juan was Canonized by the Catholic Church in 1975.

An old print of St. Juan Macias (Left)... and

the face that the experts came up with (Right).

Again, very close.  The Saint was from Spain

and the European features are evident.

Again, I commend the scientists who worked to reveal these faces of holiness to us.  It's always a joy and a cause for personal excitement for me to see the reconstructed faces of our "pre-photography period" Saints; faces based on solid scientific data and not all dolled-up the way most holy cards represent them.  Now when their names are prayerfully invoked, we can also recall and contemplate their actual faces, bringing us closer to them in the union of prayer.  St. Rose... St. Martin... and St. Juan, pray for us!

St. Rose of Lima - She Really Was Beautiful!

A stylized portrait of St. Rose of Lima,

as depicted on an old holy card.

St. Rose of Lima.  Just saying the name evokes images in my mind of a woman whose beauty was perhaps comparable to that of her namesake - the Rose - which is, without dispute, one of the loveliest of all flowers, if not the most beautiful.  For readers out there who are not familiar with her incredible life, Isabel [Rose] Flores y de Oliva was a laywoman and mystic from Peru; the daughter of a Spanish soldier and a mixed-race native woman.  She was a stigmatic who lived and died in the city of Lima, where she became well-known for her charitable service towards the sick and the poor; her ascetic lifestyle; and the many miracles she performed.  Rose died on August 24, 1617, being only 31-years-old, and was canonized a Saint in April 1671; the first canonized person of the Americas.

I've read several biographies about St. Rose, and besides commonly mentioning the loftiness of her personal sanctity and the quirky things about her voluntary penances (self-flagellation, extreme fasting, sleep deprivation, etc.) there was another thing that was often written about her - she was described as having been an exceptionally beautiful woman.

Of course, back in St. Rose's time, there was no such thing as a camera... and the painting style in old Peru seems to have been somewhat rustic; nice... but not doing true justice to the painted subjects. The fact is St. Rose never sat for an artist during her lifetime; she was adamant about not making any fuss over her looks.  The lone portrait in existence (left), that is reported to preserve her true features, was painted by an artist who was summoned to her deathbed shortly after the Saint passed away. Her eyes did not completely close after she died and the artist captured this on his canvas. Again, it's a nice portrait - decent - but I'm sure the rustic style of it doesn't fully capture the loveliness that was said to grace St. Rose's features.  Now fast-forward to 2015...

Once again, modern science and technology, working with religion, have harmoniously come together to bring us something remarkable!  Using the sacred relic of St. Rose's skull, preserved and venerated in the Basilica of Lima, a team of South American forensic experts were able to reconstruct the probable features of the Saint, which was recently unveiled for the entire world to see... and guess what?  St. Rose was indeed beautiful; stunning, in fact.  So the Saint's biographers had it right all along with no exaggeration on their part.  The computer-generated portrait of St. Rose of Lima is shown below so readers can judge for themselves as to what they think of it.  Whatever the reader's opinion, it's definitely a big improvement to the holy card image seen above and the 1617 portrait.

To view forensic reconstructions of the features of other famous Saints, click here and here.  I personally think, we Catholics, owe the respective scientists who made these facial reconstructions possible, a debt of gratitude for allowing us to see the unique "faces of holiness" of our spiritual heroes, as they truly were - human and totally relatable... but exceptional temples of the Holy Spirit.  Thanks be to God.

The skull of St. Rose of Lima, as venerated in

the Basilica of Lima.  It was used by forensic

experts to reconstruct the probable features

of this Saint who is so loved throughout

the world.

Faces of Holiness: Forensic Reconstructions of Two Saints and a Blessed

Ever since a forensic team unveiled a portrait of St. Anthony of Padua, last year, that was forensically reconstructed using scanned images of his skull (see it here)... I've been fascinated with the idea of researching other holy personages whose remains may have been subjected to the same scientific study.  More often than not, when we see devotional images of our Saints, their respective artists tend to "doll them up" way too much; perfect, youthful features with rosy cheeks and pink lips, which I think are highly unrealistic and almost strips the Saint or Blessed of the human aspects of their lives and normal physical characteristics such as wrinkles, blemishes, or other unique facial features (e.g. a crooked nose).  Plus I think it's interesting, and somewhat amusing, to see what their actual faces looked like in comparison to popular depictions in print or statuary.

But to be fair, when dealing with Saints/Blesseds, especially those who lived before photography was invented, I understand that the artist probably did his/her best to interpret the holy person's appearance in the light of faith and traditional iconography... and perhaps even emphasized the "spiritual beauty" of the Saint in the absence of concrete physical references.

So going back to my research... I actually found three other examples of holy persons whose probable facial features have been reconstructed by scientific experts using their actual skulls as models.  One is a male Saint who was the inspiration for the popular legend of our beloved "Santa Claus"... and the others were obscure female mystics from Italy and Germany.  Now without any further ado, I present the following:

+ St. Nicholas of Myra/Bari (d. 343)

This Saint was born of a Greek family, but lived in Myra (now in present day Turkey) where he ministered to the Faithful.  Through the influence of an uncle, who was a Bishop, St. Nicholas became a priest and was himself consecrated a Bishop around the year 317.  During his lifetime, he was renowned for his exemplary charity towards the poor and was reported to have worked astounding miracles, including raising several dead people to life through his fervent prayer.

   

A computer-generated reconstruction of

the features of St. Nicholas of Myra (left) in

comparison with a popular representation

of the Saint. 

After his death, the Saint's bone relics were transferred from its original tomb in Myra to Bari (Italy) in 1087, where they have been the object of veneration ever since... as well as the focus of an ongoing miracle.  Throughout the centuries the bones of St. Nicholas reportedly drip "manna", a clear fluid with curative properties.  The phenomenon has been repeatedly investigated by Church officials but no reasonable explanation has been found, as to its origin and mysterious appearance.

The tomb of St. Nicholas, which enshrines

his sacred bones that exude manna in the

form of a clear odorless liquid.

Today, the priests of the Basilica of St. Nicholas in Bari, where the Saint's tomb is located, annually collect the manna that accumulates around the bones of St. Nicholas, and ceremoniously mix it with holy water, which is then freely distributed to the faithful.  Cures continue to be reported through the devout use of this sacred manna.

+ St. Rose of Viterbo (d. 1251)

This particular Saint, unlike the other two featured in this posting, died very young; she was only 17-years-old.  But despite her youth, she lived a fruitful spiritual life, spent in courageous service to the Church.

   

A depiction of St. Rose of Viterbo (left),

commisioned by the Poor Clares of Viterbo,

the custodians of her relics.  The image was

based on forensic studies conducted on

the incorrupt body of the youthful Saint.

St. Rose allegedly performed her first miracle (there were many) when she was only 3-years-old by raising a dead aunt to life with her touch.  She practiced voluntary mortification even as a child, and at 10 received a vision of Our Lady, who commissioned her to preach penance to the people.  The holy teen clothed herself in the rough sackcloth habit of the Franciscans, and with a crucifix in hand, did as she was told by the Blessed Virgin.

She brought many souls to God through her preaching and sometimes even through stupendous miracles.  For example, Rose was reportedly raised in the air, along with a boulder she was standing on, during one of her preaching episodes when the crowds became too large and people could not see her.

The incorrupt body of St. Rose.

After Rose died of a congenital heart defect, her body was found miraculously incorrupt and is today guarded by the Poor Clares of Viterbo, Italy. An enlightening sketch drawn using forensic studies conducted on the Saint's preserved body, showed St. Rose to have been a young woman with a long face, but with very fine features.

+ Bl. Christina Bruso of Stommeln (d. 1312)

This little-known German Mystic was a victim-soul for the conversion of sinners and experienced incredible spiritual phenomena during her lifetime.  She entered a Beguine community in Cologne at around 13-years-old to escape an arranged marriage, but was later dismissed when controversy arose over the mystical graces that began to physically manifest around her.  These external signs included prolonged ecstasies and the Stigmata, which marked Christina's hands, feet, and brow.  

   

A clay reconstruction of the features of

Bl. Christina of Stommeln (left) in comparison

with a statue of her in a German church. 

Christina was forced to return to Stommeln, where she was taken in by a kindly parish priest.  It was also at this time that she began experiencing a new and extremely painful trial in her life - physical assaults from demonic entities.  The pious maiden was not only beaten and wounded by invisible attackers, but she was sometimes targeted by flying objects and showered with foul-smelling matter.  The frightful episodes often extended to her family and friends, including distinguished priests when they tried to assist her... but despite of it all, Christina maintained an admirable peace and strength, offering her sufferings for the good of souls and the Church, in general.  She was consoled by ecstasies during which she was encouraged by Our Lord and other heavenly visitors (also see the life of St. Catalina Thomas).

The skull of Bl. Christina of Stommeln,

which was used in the forensic reconstruction

of her facial features.  Note the discoloration

around the brow - it is said to be the effects

of a mystical crown of thorns that the

Blessed wore around her head.

The diabolic phenomena ceased completely in Christina's later years and she was finally able to live a peaceful life as a consecrated laywomen.  She died at the age of 70 and her memory is still very much alive in Stommeln and Julich, where her relics are enshrined.

Upon reflecting on these faces, especially those of St. Nicholas and Bl. Christina, the thought that immediately came to mind was how oddly familiar they looked to me in comparison with their respective devotional images. Seriously, these faces could be of people I run into daily on the sidewalk, in the grocery store, in church, etc.  But it all just goes to remind us, once again, that the face of holiness comes in all shapes and sizes, and most importantly... that Saints were human beings, too.