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We have been on a little pilgrimage to Blessed Dominic Barberi's Shrine in St. Helens to pray for the reconversion of England and for an end to the Culture of Death. We included the intentions of all of our readers in our prayers.
Many years ago, our late friend Fr. Mike Williams gave Alan a sachet containing wood from the coffin of Blessed Dominic (who had been declared Venerable at the time the wood was preserved).
Blessed Dominic Barberi is hugely important in the ongoing saga for the reconversion of England. He was an Italian priest and theologian of the Passionist Congregation and was born in Viterbo in 1792. When he was still very young, God called him to labour in England to bring back souls to the Roman Catholic Church.
After many years, set-backs and trials, Fr. Dominic arrived in England and began the important work he had longed prayed for. Once here, he suffered from the hatred and taunts of anti-Catholics and even the laughter of some of the Catholics he served because they could not understand his pronunciation of English words.
Fr. Dominic walked five miles each day for two years - having fasted without food or water from midnight - in order to celebrate Mass for a handful of Catholics at a small chapel. He was often taunted en route by Protestants and assaulted, insulted and stoned by anti-Catholic bigots. By devotedly praying his Rosary for the conversion of his enemies, Blessed Dominic won over several of them to the Church; one young man, who had struck him on the head with a stone, witnessed Blessed Dominic stooping down to humbly kiss the stone.
Blessed Dominic is perhaps best known for his reception of Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman into the Catholic Church. He is also renowned for his association with two other outstanding converts who also became members of the Religious Congregation of the Passionists and who are both buried with him at the Church of St. Anne and Blessed Dominic in St. Helens.
As the causes for canonization of both of these remarkable souls are also with the Church, this parish could one day become the Church of the Three Saints! We speak of course, of Fr. Ignatius Spencer and Sister Elizabeth Prout.
Fr. Ignatius is related to the late Diana, Princess of Wales and is famous for his Crusade of Prayer for the reconversion of England. Sister Prout worked with the sick and poor in Manchester, founded the Passionist Sisters and took the religious name of Mother Mary Joseph of Jesus.
This interior shot of the Shrine is from www.irishicons.ie which belongs to a young man in Ireland with great devotion to Blessed Dominic Barberi. Blessed Dominic also inspired a young Dutch man to join the Passionists and he eventually served as Fr. Charles of Mount Argus in Dublin. Fr. Charles was declared a saint by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.
Clearly, Blessed Dominic Barberi was given special graces from God for the conversion, salvation and sanctification of souls. When Pope Paul VI beatified Fr. Dominic Barberi, he proclaimed that Blessed Dominic 'had a great love for England'. Let us then hold nothing back in our prayers to this great man of God in requesting his powerful intercession for the reconversion of England.
 Blessed Dominic Barberi - Pray for Us!
