The 15 Tuesdays in Honor of St. Dominic

St. DominicRosary Meditation Book...Prayers

Apr 20

In 1631, a plague swept Florence. Inspired by devotion, a Dominican friar named Fr. Michael Bruni urged the people to go to Confession and receive Holy Communion in honor of St. Dominic on 15 consecutive Tuesdays leading up to the Saint's feast day, to implore God's mercy. (He chose Tuesday as the day traditionally devoted to St. Dominic in the Order, since the relics of the Saint had been solemnly transferred on that day; and the number 15, for the 15 mysteries of the Rosary preached by St. Dominic and his Order.) The plague abated and several notable favors were obtained. Ever since, this devotion has been popular among Dominicans. This year, as we celebrate the 800th Jubilee of the Dies Natalis (heavenly birthday, or death) of our Holy Father St. Dominic in 1221, we invite you to join us making the 15 Tuesdays.

Why make the 15 Tuesdays?

It is the perfect devotion to honor St. Dominic during this 800th Jubilee Year of his death. Honoring and imitating the saints is an excellent way to grow in holiness.

We expect an abundant outpouring of graces during this Jubilee Year.

Confession and Holy Communion, as the two Sacraments we can receive frequently, are privileged means of growing in love for God, which is the goal of all of our Christian life.

How to observe the 15 Tuesdays

There are three components to keeping the 15 Tuesdays: Confession, Holy Communion, and honoring St. Dominic.

Examine your conscience devoutly and go to Confession, either on the Tuesday itself, or another more convenient day. The key is to grow in a life of conversion to God and to benefit from the sacramental graces helping us do this. (Fr. Thomas Dubay's book Deep Conversion/Deep Prayer is helpful to get started; Fr. Benedict Bauer's book, Frequent Confession, is helpful for going further.)

Attend Holy Mass each Tuesday, unite yourself with Christ's Holy Sacrifice, and receive Him in Holy Communion, in honor of St. Dominic and the particular mystery honored on that Tuesday.

Spend a period of time pondering some aspect or virtue of St. Dominic, in order to honor him and to grow in holiness.

Meditations for the 15 Tuesdays

To foster devotion to our Holy Father St. Dominic, we composed a meditation for each Tuesday. These are not schematic, other than a loose correlation with the Mysteries of the Rosary, but are rather a kaleidoscope of the loving reflections of our hearts. We offer them to you in the tradition of one of the early Dominican nuns, Bl. Cecilia, whose remembrances of our Holy Father form one of the treasures of our Order’s history. In the words of our Perpetual Rosary Custom Book (1890):

"As daughters of St. Dominic, we cherish our Blessed Father so much the more tenderly as we know him to have been here below, the well beloved of the Blessed Virgin. . . . Clothed in the habit of this great Patriarch, admitted into his family, nourished at the rich table of his Order, we love him with our whole heart."

When do the 15 Tuesdays begin? What if I am joining late?

The 15 Tuesdays in honor of St. Dominic typically begin on the last Tuesday of April. To determine the day for the current year, find St. Dominic's feast day, August 8, on a calendar, and count backwards 15 Tuesdays.

If you are joining us after the beginning of the 15 Tuesdays, don't worry! Fifteen weeks is a long time, and you can begin at any point to grow in love of God and devotion to St. Dominic through joining in.