If you’ve ever noticed an image of St. Dominic accompanied by a dog holding a torch in its mouth, you’ve seen one of the most enduring symbols connected to his life and mission.
The image comes from a story about his mother, Blessed Jane of Aza, before Dominic was born. According to tradition, she dreamed of a dog leaping from her womb, carrying a flaming torch. In the dream, the dog ran across the earth, setting it ablaze. When she shared the dream, a holy monk interpreted it as a sign that her son would set the world on fire—not with destruction, but with the light of Christ’s truth.
Santo Domingo de Guzmán, portrait by the Spanish painter Claudio Coello
Dominic would go on to found the Order of Preachers—the Dominicans—whose mission was to preach the Gospel with clarity and fervor. The Latin nickname sometimes given to the order, Domini canes (“Hounds of the Lord”), plays on this imagery. Like faithful hounds, the Dominicans were to guard the faith and carry the light wherever it was needed.
Dominic himself once said, “We must sow the seed, not hoard it.” The dog with the torch captures that spirit: a relentless messenger carrying the flame of the Gospel into every corner of the world.
