A Reliquary for St. Dominic is a narrative housing unit for two medals that aid in telling the story of St. Dominic and why he is named the Patron Saint of Astronomy. When his mother was pregnant, she dreamt she would give birth to a black and white dog that carried a lit torch in its mouth. It is believed this story is connected to the Dominican order and is interpreted as Domini canis or “dog of the Lord”. After Dominic was born, his grandmother was holding him in her arms and a star of extraordinary magnitude shined down upon his head. The faithful watchdog from his mother’s dreams referenced the black of the night sky with the white of the shining stars. This piece includes imagery such as the black and white Dominican shield, constellation maps that are both etched around the box and set under resin with a stone marking canis major (also known as “the dog star”) and a ring of fire. Through this I am able to articulate the story of St. Dominic and how he was destined to carry the light of the word of God to the world.
“A man who governs his passions is master of his world. We must either command them or be enslaved by them. It is better to be a hammer than an anvil.” -St. Dominic de Guzman