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Why Do Dominicans Wear Shoes?


Sr Mary Catharine OP

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Sr Mary Catharine OP

Since we're on the topic of footwear!

Anyone have any ideas? There is a real reason for it!

To those who asked random questions, I'd love to answer but I'm really busy with our incoming postulants and aspirants so I don't have much time.
They're really not silly questions. A lot of fears about entering religious life are about these little things.

And no, I've never felt like I'm anything but a Dominican!

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Totus Tuus

Well I am not sure. So I did a little Googling, and I don't know if I found the correct answer, but here are some tidbits I came across:

[quote name='http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:NFugCzqgjHEJ:www.florilegium.org/files/NICOLAA/Domin-Order-art.html+%22dominicans%22+%2B+%22shoes%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us&client=firefox-a']Royal and noble patronage became a
significant source of alms for the Order; for instance, the Close Rolls note
repeated grants of shoes and cloth to various groups of Dominicans by Henry III.[/quote]

[quote name='http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:OI2Wt3Yh0D0J:www.spiritualitytoday.org/spir2day/863836gumbley.html+%22dominicans%22+%2B+%22shoes%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=us&client=firefox-a']Also of interest is the description given of his brethren by Fr. Roland Harding in a deed which he drew up in 1537, and styled himself "Prior of the Freres domynyks otherwise named the schode Freres or blake freyers." (Palmer, "Friar-Preachers of Newcastle-on-Tyne" in the Reliquary, Jan., 1878, p. 164.) Schode or Shod refers to the use of shoes by the Dominicans, who unlike some other Orders did not go barefoot.[/quote]


[quote]The king further bestowed on the Winchester Dominicans other gifts in kind, the record of which affords information as to their number. In 1239, each of the twentyeight friars received from Henry III. a pair of shoes and four ells of cloth for tunics. Like gifts of clothing were made for the next five years, when the friars numbered thirty-one. In 1261 they had a royal grant of £10 to buy winter clothing and shoes. Cartloads of wood or dead oaks for fuel were frequently granted them by the Crown, and on one occasion a tun of wine. (fn. 3)[/quote]

^_^

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AlterDominicus

[quote name='Sr. Mary Catharine' post='1279549' date='May 22 2007, 10:05 PM']Since we're on the topic of footwear!

Anyone have any ideas? There is a real reason for it!

To those who asked random questions, I'd love to answer but I'm really busy with our incoming postulants and aspirants so I don't have much time.
They're really not silly questions. A lot of fears about entering religious life are about these little things.

And no, I've never felt like I'm anything but a Dominican![/quote]


Hahahaha

I always thought Dominicans wore shoes based on that story of Saint Dominic led by a heretic into bushes of nothing, but thorns when he was asking for directions. Probably not the reason, haha.

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+

I wouldn't mind not wearing shoes, if I entered the convent... but I don't think they'd let me! p) ;)

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Because Prouille was under renovation, and St. Dominic didn't want his new daughters to step on nails? (Oh, stupid me, they didn't have nails back then)!

Seriously, though, wasn't the monastery under renovation/construction?

Blessings,
Gemma

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cathoholic_anonymous

I think they did have nails when Dominic was alive. They had them in 33 AD, anyway...

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Sr Mary Catharine OP

Some pretty good and funny answers!
Well, here's the scoop....and I'm not making this up!
When ST. Dominic was preaching against the Cathar heretics, the Council of Montpellier decreed that all the Orthodox-Catholic Preachers must wear shoes!!!

Why????
Because the Cathars said that they were following the Gospel literally and it says that Jesus said, No scrip, no shoes, no travelling bag, etc." and so they wore sandals, and the Council said yes, but the interpretation of the Gospels is left to the authority of the Church and so to show that a preacher was in union with the Church and the true teachings of the Church he should wear SHOES!

St. Dominic would carry his shoes and when he got to the place he was preaching he would stop and put them on in obedience. Otherwise, I think, we'd be like the Franciscans and go barefoot or wear sandals! (Shucks!)

Now, we are free to wear shoes or sandals. But up until the '60's Dominicans ALWAYS wore shoes!

Pretty neat, don't you think?

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Sr Mary Catharine OP

[quote name='Gemma' post='1279747' date='May 23 2007, 10:25 AM']Because Prouille was under renovation, and St. Dominic didn't want his new daughters to step on nails? (Oh, stupid me, they didn't have nails back then)!

Seriously, though, wasn't the monastery under renovation/construction?

Blessings,
Gemma[/quote]

Prouille was ALWAYS under construction! It's really amazing what that place has gone through! They STILL haven't finished the Church!

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[quote name='Cathoholic Anonymous' post='1279751' date='May 23 2007, 10:46 AM']I think they did have nails when Dominic was alive. They had them in 33 AD, anyway...[/quote]

They had blacksmiths for the sake of the army, but nails weren't in common use in construction until closer to our century.

Of course, I'm recovering from surgery, so my brain may still be in a bit of a fog. Hubby's a 18th century reinacting blacksmith, so I'll ask him.

Blessings,
Gemma

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[quote name='Sr. Mary Catharine' post='1279752' date='May 23 2007, 10:51 AM']Some pretty good and funny answers!
Well, here's the scoop....and I'm not making this up!
When ST. Dominic was preaching against the Cathar heretics, the Council of Montpellier decreed that all the Orthodox-Catholic Preachers must wear shoes!!!

Why????
Because the Cathars said that they were following the Gospel literally and it says that Jesus said, No scrip, no shoes, no travelling bag, etc." and so they wore sandals, and the Council said yes, but the interpretation of the Gospels is left to the authority of the Church and so to show that a preacher was in union with the Church and the true teachings of the Church he should wear SHOES!

St. Dominic would carry his shoes and when he got to the place he was preaching he would stop and put them on in obedience. Otherwise, I think, we'd be like the Franciscans and go barefoot or wear sandals! (Shucks!)

Now, we are free to wear shoes or sandals. But up until the '60's Dominicans ALWAYS wore shoes!

Pretty neat, don't you think?[/quote]

I had a hunch it had something to do with doctrines, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I don't think I ever heard that when in training as a lay OP so many years ago!

Blessings,
Gemma

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AlterDominicus

[quote name='Sr. Mary Catharine' post='1279752' date='May 23 2007, 09:51 AM']Some pretty good and funny answers!
Well, here's the scoop....and I'm not making this up!
When ST. Dominic was preaching against the Cathar heretics, the Council of Montpellier decreed that all the Orthodox-Catholic Preachers must wear shoes!!!

Why????
Because the Cathars said that they were following the Gospel literally and it says that Jesus said, No scrip, no shoes, no travelling bag, etc." and so they wore sandals, and the Council said yes, but the interpretation of the Gospels is left to the authority of the Church and so to show that a preacher was in union with the Church and the true teachings of the Church he should wear SHOES!

St. Dominic would carry his shoes and when he got to the place he was preaching he would stop and put them on in obedience. Otherwise, I think, we'd be like the Franciscans and go barefoot or wear sandals! (Shucks!)

Now, we are free to wear shoes or sandals. But up until the '60's Dominicans ALWAYS wore shoes!

Pretty neat, don't you think?[/quote]


I was close enough.... :P: Hahaha. That is pretty neat. :lol:

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  • 2 weeks later...
Lioness For Christ

That is really cool! I had wondered... lol... It's kinda funny wondering about lesser things, but still--great story!

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