Exploring the Life and Legacy of St. Dominic through the Eyes of Eleanor Bourg Nicholson
Award-winning novelist and scholar Eleanor Bourg Nicholson has recently published a children’s book about St. Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order. In an interview with Catholic World Report, Nicholson discusses her inspiration for writing about St. Dominic, the challenges of presenting him to children, and the importance of the Dominican scholarly tradition.
Nicholson explains that she was drawn to St. Dominic through his companions, other Dominican saints and friars whom she admired. She felt that St. Dominic was not well-known among children and wanted to introduce him to a younger audience. Despite the perception that St. Dominic is a difficult saint to understand, Nicholson believes that his life and teachings are enchanting and inspiring.
One of the key aspects of St. Dominic’s legacy is his emphasis on study as a means of combatting confusion and error. Nicholson, who is a homeschooling mother, values the Dominican tradition of study and sees it as a critical component of her children’s education. She believes that grounding children in the Truth and teaching them how to think and study is essential in today’s world.
St. Dominic’s greatest weapon, according to Nicholson, was the Rosary, given to him by Our Lady as a means of preaching the Truth with perfect charity. This emphasis on charitable accompaniment and relationship in preaching is a lesson that Nicholson believes is still relevant today.
In her book, “The Hound of the Lord: The Story of Saint Dominic,” Nicholson uses a dog as the narrator, inspired by a legend that St. Dominic’s mother dreamed of a dog with a torch in its mouth. This symbol of the dog as a light in the darkness reflects St. Dominic’s mission to set the world on fire with his preaching.
As a member of the Dominican Laity, Nicholson lives out her devotion to St. Dominic by embracing the pillars of the Order of Preachers in her daily life as a wife and mother. She also incorporates her love of St. Dominic into her Gothic novels, which feature Dominican friars battling supernatural forces.
Overall, Eleanor Bourg Nicholson’s passion for St. Dominic and the Dominican tradition shines through in her work, inspiring others to learn more about this influential saint and his enduring legacy.