Beneath Mary’s Mantle: Bl. Marcolino of Forli (1317 - 1319)
St. Dominic once had a dream in which he saw all the saints of the Order safely beneath the mantle of Mary, Protectress of the Order of Preachers. In this blog series, we’ll introduce our beloved Dominican Saints, learn about their lives and work, and come to see how they still inspire and pass on their gifts to today’s faithful.
Born: 1317 at Forli in Italy
Died: 1397
Feast Day: January 27
Bl. Marcolino, from a painting of the Dominican Saints
by Bl. Fra Angelico
Blessed Marcolino of Forli is a distinctive reminder to us that although God calls each one of us to sanctity, it does not look the same in every person – even those within the same Order. At the tender age of ten, Marcolino gave himself to the Dominican Order. Very little is known or written about his life because it was not one of great deeds or magnificent external achievements. We have no writings from him, and he did not engage in an active ministry or apostolate – at least nothing of which we have record. Despite being a member of the Order of Preachers, he was not a very good preacher. He reformed several convents that were lacking in fervor, but he undertook this endeavor through prayer and example – not through preaching.
Blessed Marcolino exemplified contemplative prayer and sanctity. He was known for a strict adherence to the Rule and the Constitutions of the Order for all seventy years of his religious life. (As Sr. Mary Jean Dorcy, OP remarks, this alone should be enough to get him canonized!) Prayer and ecstasy overtook him, especially when he celebrated Mass. Many of the brethren held him in contempt and thought of him as sluggish or drowsy as he sought to cover up his heavenly gifts. At times he would converse with the statue of Our Lady in his cell. He would ask her questions, and the brothers nearby could even hear her replies. With the simplicity of a child, he sought to take the lowest place. He dined, not in the refectory, but in the company of the servants. Despite being frequently rapt in ecstasy, he was attentive to the needs of his brothers and served them in whatever way he could.
At the time of his death, a mysterious and beautiful child went about the streets of the town to announce that, “Blessed Father Marcolino is dead.” Miracles overflowed at his tomb. Pope Benedict XIV confirmed his cult in 1750.
The Order of Preachers is filled with many examples of great preachers and great minds: St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Hyacinth, St. Albert the Great, and St. Thomas Aquinas, just to name a few. These men made some big waves in the Dominican Order, and we’re indebted to them for their contributions. Blessed Marcolino is set apart from these men. His obscure life held its own unique beauty. The life of this Italian Dominican was marked by an intimate relationship with the Lord and a single-minded dedication to the Rule of life to which he professed obedience. Now he sits at the heavenly banquet among the members of his Order and intercedes for our needs.
Bl. Marcolino, pray for us!
