St. Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order, was raised by a saintly mother, who was beatified by Pope Leo XII in 1828. Her name, according to tradition, was Jane (Joan or Joanna) of Aza.
The Catholic Encyclopedia extols her holiness and the fruit of her example that is found in her children.
Joanna of Aza added a nobility of soul which so enshrined her in the popular veneration that in 1828 she was solemnly beatified by Leo XII. The example of such parents was not without its effect upon their children. Not only St. Dominic but also his brothers, Antonio and Manes, were distinguished for their extraordinary sanctity. Antonio, the eldest, became a secular priest and, having distributed his patrimony to the poor, entered a hospital where he spent his life ministering to the sick. Manes, following in the footsteps of Dominic, became a Friar Preacher, and was beatified by Gregory XVI.
The Dominican Friars Foundation also points to her example of holiness.
It is widely believed that Dominic’s keen sensitivity to the sufferings of others, which he displayed from childhood on, was acquired from his mother, who, although from a noble family, was known for her compassion toward the poor and needy. From her Dominic also acquired the habit of prayer.
Tradition also states that when pregnant with Dominic, Jane dreamed that a dog leaped from her womb carrying a torch in its mouth and “set the whole earth on fire.” The name of the Dominican Order itself is seen as a pun on the importance of this dream, with Domini canes being Latin for “dogs of the Lord.”
Little else is known about Bl. Jane, but she is still revered by members of the Dominican Order on August 2 each year.
