Den 4. august, sier nok mange, er det ikke 8. august? I den tradisjonelle kalenderen feires han fortsatt 4. august, mens i 1970 ble han flyttet til 8. august – og det er nok dette siste de fleste husker. katolsk.no har som alltid svar på hvordan merkedagene har utviklet seg:
… Dominikus ble til midten av 1500-tallet minnet den 5. august (dødsdagen 6. august er opptatt av Herrens forklarelse). Deretter ble han i 400 år minnet den 4. august, men fra 1972 minnes han den 8. august, da 4. august er dødsdagen for den hellige Johannes Maria Vianney. I Bologna minnes Dominikus fortsatt med pavelig dispensasjon den 4. august. …
Bildet øverst viser den hellige Dominukus’ grav i Bologna, der jeg var i 2006. Og i dagens tradisjonelle tidebønner leste vi følgende om Domunikus og bl.a. hans kamp mot vranglærerne:
Born at Calaruega in Spain of the noble family of Guzman, Dominic studied the liberal arts and theology at Palencia. At first he was made a canon of the church of Osma ; later he became the founder of the Order of Preachers. His genius and virtue were most conspicuous in the conversion of the heretics who were trying to pervert the people of Toulouse. He went to Rome and asked Pope Innocent III to approve and confirm his Order, and obtained this approval from his successor Honorius III. After seeing his efforts bring innumerable men to a religious and holy life, he bequeathed charity, humility and poverty as a solid heritage to his disciples, and fell asleep in the Lord at Bologna on the 6th day of August, 1221, while these words were being said : Come ye to help him, O ye Saints of God! run ye to meet him, O ye Angels! Pope Gregory IX enrolled him among the Saints.