The face of Saint Dominic
Carved by Fr Felicísimo Martínez Díez, O.P.
We know fr Felicísimo because he is an artisan of reflection on religious life and evangelization in today’s world. Few of us know the art of wood carving, to which he devotes himself especially during his holidays. Today, St. Dominic’s carved wooden face is surrounded by a large gilded wooden frame; it shines in the Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Rome, where it is possible to discover other sculptures by our Dominican theologian inside the convent.
In the Church of the Most Holy Trinity, there was no sign of the Order of Preachers and the reason is simple: it was built by the Order of the Most Holy Trinity and of the Captives (in Latin Ordinis Sanctae Trinitatis and Captivorum, also known as the Trinitarian or the Trinitarian Order.
The face of the Patriarch Saint Dominic was carved in teak wood, remarkable for its natural durability and possessing an antiseptic resin that makes it resistant to attacks from various organisms, such as termites or fungi.
Fr. Felicísimo accompanies Dominican students residing at “La Casa della Santissima Trinità” (Via Condotti, 41, Rome). Here, the Dominican friars are at the pastoral service of the Church and teach in university centers. As is traditional in the Dominican Family, every day after the prayer of the Compline, the “Salve Regina” is sung before the Virgin Mary and the “O Lumen” before the face or image of Saint Dominic.
In the Dominican Family, we must value the artisans of evangelization in all their different facets.
