Joan of Aza

Blessed Juana de Aza
Juana de Aza with her son St Dominic
Mother of St Dominic de Guzman
Born	c.1135 Haza, Spain
Died	August 4, 1205 (aged ~70) Caleruega, Spain
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Beatified	1 October 1828 (confirmation of cultus), Rome, Papal States by Pope Leo XII
Feast	August 2
Attributes	halo, with her sons St. Dominic and Bl. Mannes (mostly depicted as young boys), a dog with a torch in its mouth, sometimes wearing a crown or tiara, book, resting on a chair

Juana de Aza is the name gradually developed in hagiographical tradition for the mother of Saint Dominic and Bl. Manés de Guzmán. In the final form of this tradition, she is said to have been born in about 1135 in Haza and to have died at Caleruega (Dominic's birthplace) on 4 August 1205. Juana de Aza was beatified in 1828.

In the earliest biography of Dominic, by Jordan of Saxony, Dominic's parents are not named, but the story is told that before his birth his mother dreamed that a dog leapt from her womb carrying a torch in its mouth and set the world aflame.^[1] Jordan adds that Dominic was brought up by his parents and a maternal uncle who was an archbishop.^[2] A later source, still of the 13th century, gives the names of Dominic's mother and father as Juana and Felix.^[3] Nearly a century after Dominic's birth, a local author asserts that Dominic's father was vir venerabilis et dives in populo suo ("an honoured and wealthy man in his village");^[4] later hagiographers, elaborating on this, gradually developed identities for his father, said to be a member of the local noble family Guzmán and for his mother, who was eventually attached to the neighbouring noble Aza family.

Nothing is known of her childhood, but she probably married at a customarily young age. She and her husband, Felix, had four sons and a daughter. When the two older boys were grown, she went to the Abbey church at Silos to pray for another son.^[5] She is said to have had a dream in which St. Dominic of Silos told her that she would have a son, who would be a shining light to the Church. She decided to name the child Dominic.^[6]

According to Dominican tradition, his mother later saw the moon on his forehead, yet at his baptism, his godmother perceived it as a star. The boy was named probably after Saint Dominic of Silos whose nearby shrine was a favorite of his mother.^[1]

• Media related to Joan of Aza at Wikimedia Commons
• Hagiographical life of Juana de Aza (in Spanish)

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Order of Preachers

A list of all the congregations, notable members, priories, churches, and convents of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans)

Members of the Dominican Order

Beatified Dominicans Agnes of Jesus Diana degli Andalò Andrea Franchi Fra Angelico Simone Ballachi Pope Benedict XI Pauline Jaricot Benvenuta Bojani Lucy Brocadelli Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero Matthew Carrieri Catherine of Racconigi Chiara Gambacorti Antonio della Chiesa Columba of Rieti Hyacinthe-Marie Cormier Domenico Spadafora John Dominici Margareta Ebner Emilia Bicchieri Augustine Fangi Francisco Martín Fernández de Posadas Pier Giorgio Frassati Peter González Buzád Hahót Humbert of Romans John of Vercelli Jordan of Saxony Ana of the Angels Monteagudo Manés de Guzmán Margaret of Castello Maria Bagnesi Ascensión Nicol y Goñi Osanna of Mantua Nicola Paglia Maddalena Panattieri Luke Spicola of Pontecorvo Marie Poussepin Stephana de Quinzanis Bernardo Scammacca Sebastian Maggi Henry Suso Raymond of Capua Reginald of Orleans Villana de' Botti Congregations of Nuns Congregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament Dominican Nuns of the Holy Cross Convent, Regensburg Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Rosary Dominicans of the Monastery of the Angels, Karachi Dominicans of the Monastery of the Heart of Jesus, Lockport Congregations of Sisters Adrian Dominican Sisters Dominican Sisters of Ilanz Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne Dominican Sisters of Peace Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Dominican Sisters of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Dominican Sisters of the Immaculate Conception Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters of San Rafael Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist Dominican Sisters of Sparkill Racine Dominican Sisters Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters Dominican Bishops Diego de Aguilar (bishop) Johannes Alberti (bishop) Jose Advincula Nicolò Albertini Albertus Magnus Bernardo de Albuquerque Domingo de Alzola Andrea Franchi Rodolfo Fontiveros Beltran Teodoro Bacani Jr. José S. Palma Socrates Villegas Antoninus of Florence Giacomo Balardi Arrigoni Carlos Azpiroz Costa Daniele Barboli Giovanni Battista Natali Archangelo de' Bianchi Franciscus Buratti James Burke Martín Cabeza de Vaca Francisco de la Cámara y Raya Thomas Cammerota Ambrosius Capello Tomás de Cárdenas Andrew of Carniola Bartolomé de las Casas Alfonso de la Cerda Jerónimo Clavijo Antonio Cogorno R. Luke Concanen John Connolly Gregorio Cruz Edward Celestin Daly Vincent Darius Agustín Dávila Padilla Michael James Dempsey Joseph Augustine Di Noia Giulio Doffi John Dominici Vincenzo de Doncelli Alberto Drago Vincenzo Ercolano Georg Fabri Edward Fenwick Felipe Fernandez de Pardo Anthony Fisher Eustache Fontana Serafino Fortibraccia Ambrosio Fracassini Felipe Galindo Chávez y Pineda Johannes de Galonifontibus John III of Soltaniyeh Ludovico Giamagna Andrés González Pietro de Gozzo Thomas Grace Alfonso Guerra Antonio de Hervias Jean Heysterbach John Howden Guy of Ibelin Henrik Kalteisen Thomas C. Kelly Edward Thaddeus Lawton Giorgio Lazzari Bartolomé de Ledesma Reginaldo de Lizárraga Jerónimo de Loayza Eustachio Locatelli Umberto Locati Bartolomeo Lopaci Juan Lópe Giovanni Marquet Martin of Opava Bartolomé Martinez Menacho y Mesa Pascase Maupair Stefan Antonin Mdzewski Godfried van Mierlo Paolo Isaresi della Mirandola Hermann Molitoris Antonio de Monroy Alonso de Montúfar Munio of Zamora Francisco Naranjo Girolamo Michele Nichesola Berthold von Oberg Michael Padrolo Dionysius Part Alberto Pascaleo Richard Payl Pedro de la Peña Vicente de Peraza Paolo Pico Sigfried Piscator Ponsa Antonio Ponticorona Agostino Quinzio Juan Ramírez de Arellano Miguel Ramírez de Salamanca Raphael Riva Cristóbal Rodríguez Juárez Giovanni Romano Reginaldo Romero Heinrich von Rübenach Abel de Saint-Brieuc Hugh of Saint-Cher Juan de Salamanca Thomas, bishop of Finland Thomas of Mancasola Tommaso da San Cipriano Peter Sanz Christoph Schönborn Tommaso Scotti Pedro Silva y Tenorio Juan Solano John Sproten Luigi Suppa Johannes Tideln Miguel de Torres Pablo de Torres Burchard Tuberflug Domingo de Ulloa Domingo Valderrama y Centeno Antonio de Valdivieso Vicente de Valverde Vincente de Valverde Vitas John of Wildeshausen Juan de Witte Hoos Pedro Xague Dominican Cardinals Nicolò Albertini Michael Browne Yves Congar John Dominici Andreas Frühwirth Hugh of Saint-Cher Christoph Schönborn Jose Advincula Juan de Torquemada Dominican Martyrs Anna Abrikosova Luis Cancer Francis Ferdinand de Capillas Buzád Hahót John of Cologne Martyrs of Gorkum Paul and Ninety Companions Peter Sanz Dominican Missionaries Jerónimo de Loayza Luise Radlmeier Peter Sanz Juan Solano Vincente de Valverde José Álvarez Fernández Dominican Mystics Agnes of Jesus Albertus Magnus Benvenuta Bojani Lucy Brocadelli Catherine of Racconigi Catherine of Siena Columba of Rieti Christina Ebner Margareta Ebner Mary of Jesus de León y Delgado Louis of Granada Osanna of Mantua Stephana de Quinzanis Catherine of Ricci Rose of Lima Elsbeth Stagel Henry Suso Thomas Aquinas Simone Weil Dominican Nuns Anna Abrikosova Agnes of Denmark Agnes of Jesus Agnes of Montepulciano Diana degli Andalò Concepción Argüello La Beata de Piedrahita Sister Bertranda Infanta Branca, Lady of Guadalajara Violante do Ceo Chiara Gambacorti Teresa Chikaba Anna Vittoria Dolara Augusta Theodosia Drane Christina Ebner Margareta Ebner Stephanie Gorodets Elizabeth of Töss Emilia Bicchieri Patricia Fresen Irmengard of Oettingen Marion Irvine Catherine Jarrige Joanna, Princess of Portugal Theresa Kugel Saint Margaret of Fontana Margaret of Hungary Juliana Morell Osanna of Cattaro Lea Ráskay Bartolomea Riccoboni Nora Rubashova Elsbeth Stagel Yolanda of Vianden Maria Petra Giordano Dominican Popes Pope Benedict XI Pope Benedict XIII Pope Innocent V Pope Pius V Dominican Saints Agnes of Montepulciano Albertus Magnus Antoninus of Florence Louis Bertrand Francis Ferdinand de Capillas Catherine of Siena Saint Dominic Vincent Ferrer Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas Hyacinth of Poland John of Cologne John Macias Margaret of Hungary Martyrs of Gorkum Paul and Ninety Companions Pope Pius V Martin de Porres Raymond of Penyafort Rose of Lima Peter Sanz Thomas Aquinas Zdislava Berka Dominican Scholars Francisco Burgoa Jean Maurice Fiey Bede Jarrett Stjepan Krasić Raymond-Joseph Loenertz Martin of Opava Jean de Menasce Luise Radlmeier Lea Ráskay Antonin Sertillanges Rose Thering Dominican Sisters Anna Abrikosova Mother Mary Alphonsa Lucy Brocadelli Columba of Rieti Carol Gilbert Jackie Hudson Mary of Jesus de León y Delgado Margaret MacCurtain Ascensión Nicol y Goñi Ardeth Platte Stephana de Quinzanis Luise Radlmeier Catherine of Ricci Rose Thering Marjorie Tuite Rose Whitty Dominican Theologians Nicholas Bayard Catherine of Siena Yves Congar Joseph Augustine Di Noia Marcel-Jacques Dubois Luis Galiana y Cervera Henrik Kalteisen John Lutterell Aidan Nichols Paulus Hungarus Juan de Torquemada Benedict T. Viviano Dominican Tertiaries Francis Amherst Simone Ballachi Benvenuta Bojani Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero Catherine of Racconigi Catherine of Siena Pier Giorgio Frassati Pauline Jaricot Martin Grabmann Margaret of Castello Maria Bagnesi Osanna of Mantua Rose of Lima Villana de' Botti

Dominican Churches, Convents, and Monasteries

Dominican Churches Basilica of San Sisto Vecchio Basilica of Santa Maria Novella Basilica of St Dominic, Valletta Blessed Sacrament Church, Seattle Church of St Catherine, Saint Petersburg Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Košice Church of St. Vincent Ferrer, Manhattan Dominican Church, Lviv Dominican Church and Convent of St. James, Sandomierz Dominican Church and Convent of the Assumption of Mary, Tarnobrzeg Dominican Church, Vienna Église Saint-Cannat Monastery Church, Sighișoara Nuestra Señora del Rosario y Santo Domingo, Montevideo Our Lady of Pompei Church, Victoria, Gozo Predigerkirche Zürich San Domenico Maggiore San Domenico, Palermo San Giacomo Apostolo, Forlì Sant'Anastasia, Verona Santa Maria di Castello Santa Maria della Pietà, Palermo Santa Maria sopra Minerva Santa Sabina Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice Santissima Trinità a Via Condotti Santo Domingo, Mexico City St. Andrew's Church, Cologne St Cuthbert's Church, Durham St Dominic's Priory Church St. Paul's Church, Antwerp St. Hyacinth's Church, Warsaw Dominican Convents Convent of San Domenico, Fiesole Convento de Santo Tomás Dominican Church and Convent of St. James, Sandomierz Dominican Church and Convent of the Assumption of Mary, Tarnobrzeg Dominican Convent, Ilanz Dominican Convent, Zaragoza Predigerkloster St. Catherine's Priory, Roskilde Schlehdorf Abbey Skänninge Abbey St. John's Priory, Kalmar Wettenhausen Abbey Dominican Monasteries Ballindoon Friary Black Friars' Monastery of Stockholm Burrishoole Friary Corpus Christi Monastery Couvent des Jacobins de la rue Saint-Honoré Couvent des Jacobins de la rue Saint-Jacques Dominican Priory, Viborg Flavigny Abbey Holbæk Priory Kirchberg convent Liebenau monastery Matris Domini Monastery Monastère de Chalais North Abbey, Youghal Notre-Dame-de-Prouille Monastery Oetenbach nunnery Our Lady's Priory, Aarhus Priory of the Immaculate Conception Paulinerkirche, Leipzig Rue Saint-Dominique Sainte Marie de La Tourette Santa Catalina Monastery Sligo Abbey St. Agnes' Priory, Gavnø St Catherine's Monastery, Bremen St. Catherine's Monastery, Tallinn St. Catherine's Priory, Roskilde St. Catherine's Priory, Ribe St. Catherine Monastery, Olomouc Töss Monastery Weesen Abbey

Dominican Education

Colleges and Universities Albertus Magnus College Angelicum College Aquinas College, Michigan Aquinas College, Tennessee Aquinas Institute of Theology Aquinas University Barry University Caldwell University Colegio de San Juan de Letran Dominican College, New York Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology Dominican University, Illinois Dominican University of California Edgewood College Holy Trinity University Molloy College Mount Saint Mary College Providence College St. Catharine College St. Mary's Dominican College St. Thomas Aquinas College Siena Heights University Pontifical Universities Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas University of Santo Tomas Schools Albertus Magnus High School Angelicum School Iloilo Aquinas High School, New York Aquinas School Blackfriars Priory School Cabra Dominican College Dominican Academy Dominican Convent High School, Harare Dominican Convent High School, Bulawayo Dominican Convent Primary School, Bulawayo Dominican College Sion Hill Dominican College, Fortwilliam Dominican College, Portstewart Dominican High School, Whitefish Bay Dominican International School Dominican School Manila Edgewood High School of the Sacred Heart Fenwick High School (Oak Park, Illinois) Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy Frassati Catholic High School Immaculate Conception Academy (San Francisco, California) Kavanagh College Marian Catholic High School (Illinois) Maryknoll School of Lupon Mount de Sales Academy (Catonsville, Maryland) Mount Saint Dominic Academy Newbridge College Queen of Peace High School, Illinois Regina Dominican High School Rosarian Academy Rosary High School, Aurora Rosaryhill School Sacred Heart High School (California) San Gabriel Mission High School Santa Catalina School Saint Agnes Academy, Texas Saint Dominic Academy Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School (Virginia) Saint Michael Academy, Catarman Santa Sabina College Siena College, Camberwell Siena College of Quezon City Siena College of Taytay St Catherine's Academy St Catherine's School, Germiston St Dominic's Catholic School for Girls, Boksburg St Dominic's Chishawasha St Dominic's College, Henderson St Dominic's Grammar School St Dominic's Grammar School for Girls St Dominic's Priory School, Stone St Dominic's Priory College, Adelaide St Dominic's Sixth Form College St John's High School, Harare St Joseph's School, Oamaru St Mary's Dominican High School St Rose's Senior High School, Akwatia St Vincent Ferrer High School Superior Institute of Religious Sciences of St. Thomas Aquinas Trinity High School (River Forest, Illinois)

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