Saint Dominguito del Val
Encyclopedia
Saint Dominguito del Val (died c. 1250) was a choirboy
and the alleged victim of a ritual murder by Jews
in Zaragoza
(also known as Saragossa). Dominguito's story is related to the blood libel against Jews that grew in prominence in the 12th and 13th centuries of the Middle Ages, and contributed to antisemitic incidents. Saint Dominguito is no longer included on the official Roman Catholic liturgical calendar; however, there is still a chapel dedicated to him in the cathedral of Zaragoza. There exists little historical evidence of Dominguito aside from the stories and legends built around him; it is difficult to ascertain how much, if any, his story is true.
According to the story, the Jews of Zaragoza plotted to kill every Christian in Zaragoza. The magic ritual to do so required a Christian heart. They captured the innocent Dominguito on Good Friday
, re-enacted Jesus
's trial by Pilate and Caiaphas in celebration with Dominguito as Jesus, then ritually murdered him via crucifixion
. Luckily for the Christians, the blackguard sent to finish the ritual stopped by a church for unclear reasons and was found with the boy's heart. He confessed, and all the Jews of Zaragoza were executed
due to their murderous, and likely fictional, plot.
Dominguito del Val is considered the patron saint of altar boys, acolytes, and choirboys.
wrote the original rendition of the story in 1250, saying "We have heard it said that some very cruel Jews, in memory of the Passion
of Our Lord on Good Friday
, kidnapped a Christian boy and crucified him."
Dominguito was born in Zaragoza and was admitted as a cathedral altar-boy and chorister because of his special qualities of great piety and purity, and for his beautiful voice. Each day he would go from his house to the church to assist in the Mass
, to learn chants and study in the parish school. In his journey there and back he had to pass by a Jewish area of narrow side-streets. The Jews were greatly displeased when Domingo and his companions sang hymns to Christ in the streets, and decided to try to make him disappear.
A Jewish fortune-teller announced that if the heart of a Christian and a consecrated Host were thrown into the river, every follower of Christ who drank from those waters would die. Being fanatics, the Jews then paid an evil woman to go take communion and then slip the Sacred Host in a handkerchief. She did so and brought them the Bread. Then they went to a very poor and hungry Christian man and offered him a bag of gold if he would give them the heart of one of his children. However, the man was a good Christian; he pretended to accept the deal and, while he had one of his children scream desperately as though his heart were being taken out, he killed a pig and took out its heart, which is very similar to that of a human being. He sold the still bleeding heart to the Jews instead for the bag of gold.
The legend goes on to say that the Jews threw the pig's heart and the holy consecrated host into the river that ran through the city, and that in a few days a terrible epidemic developed among the pigs in the surrounding areas, many of which died. The Jews realized that the man who sold them the heart had deceived them. Therefore they decided to get hold of the heart of a Christian child themselves so that there were no mistakes.
They had already obtained another holy consecrated host through the hands of a sacristan
and so on Good Friday they decided to sacrifice a child, reenacting the tortures with which in another time the Jews of old killed Jesus Christ. So as Dominguito del Val was walking by one of the Jewish houses in his acolyte's and choirboy's cassock, some great big hands took him by the neck and covered his face with a mantle, blocking his mouth with cloth so he could not say a word. The Jews then mockingly acted out the tribunal that condemned Jesus; one Jew played Pilate, another Caiaphas
, and another Anias. They asked him if he wanted to carry on being a follower of Christ and he exclaimed that, yes, he would prefer to die rather than betray the religion of Our Lord Jesus. So they sentenced him to death and crucified him.
The Jews then removed his heart and sent one of their number to go with the Consecrated Host and the boy's heart and throw them both in the river. All the Christians that drank from the river would then die. But they had no idea what was about to happen to them.
The man then decided to enter a church and pretend to pray — according to the legend, "in order that no-one should be suspicious of him." Kneeling there on a pew, he opened the book in which he was carrying the Sacred Host. However, some ladies who were nearby saw with wonder that brilliant light was emanating from this book. They supposed that this man must be a saint and went to inform the priests of this marvel. They came and asked him to show them the book and there they found the Sacred Host. For some reason, this was suspicious and the ladies then called the authorities who searched him and found Dominguito's heart.
This rogue, on seeing himself discovered, was filled with dread and promised that if they spared him he would denounce all those who had committed the crime. So he was spared. The authorities went to the houses of the Jews and seized them all. They died on the gallows as partners in crime, except for the one who denounced them, who paid for his sin with life imprisonment.
Choirboy
A choirboy is a boy member of a choir, also known as a treble.As a derisive slang term, it refers to a do-gooder or someone who is morally upright, in the same sense that "Boy Scout" refers to someone who is considered honorable or conscientious.- History :The use of choirboys in Christian...
and the alleged victim of a ritual murder by Jews
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
in Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
(also known as Saragossa). Dominguito's story is related to the blood libel against Jews that grew in prominence in the 12th and 13th centuries of the Middle Ages, and contributed to antisemitic incidents. Saint Dominguito is no longer included on the official Roman Catholic liturgical calendar; however, there is still a chapel dedicated to him in the cathedral of Zaragoza. There exists little historical evidence of Dominguito aside from the stories and legends built around him; it is difficult to ascertain how much, if any, his story is true.
According to the story, the Jews of Zaragoza plotted to kill every Christian in Zaragoza. The magic ritual to do so required a Christian heart. They captured the innocent Dominguito on Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
, re-enacted Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
's trial by Pilate and Caiaphas in celebration with Dominguito as Jesus, then ritually murdered him via crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
. Luckily for the Christians, the blackguard sent to finish the ritual stopped by a church for unclear reasons and was found with the boy's heart. He confessed, and all the Jews of Zaragoza were executed
Pogrom
A pogrom is a form of violent riot, a mob attack directed against a minority group, and characterized by killings and destruction of their homes and properties, businesses, and religious centres...
due to their murderous, and likely fictional, plot.
Dominguito del Val is considered the patron saint of altar boys, acolytes, and choirboys.
Dominguito's legend
The historical basis for Dominguito is unclear. No medieval references to the legend have been found; the first texts that recount his tale date from the sixteenth century. According to the legend, King Alfonso the WiseAlfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
wrote the original rendition of the story in 1250, saying "We have heard it said that some very cruel Jews, in memory of the Passion
Passion (Christianity)
The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion...
of Our Lord on Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
, kidnapped a Christian boy and crucified him."
Dominguito was born in Zaragoza and was admitted as a cathedral altar-boy and chorister because of his special qualities of great piety and purity, and for his beautiful voice. Each day he would go from his house to the church to assist in the Mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
, to learn chants and study in the parish school. In his journey there and back he had to pass by a Jewish area of narrow side-streets. The Jews were greatly displeased when Domingo and his companions sang hymns to Christ in the streets, and decided to try to make him disappear.
A Jewish fortune-teller announced that if the heart of a Christian and a consecrated Host were thrown into the river, every follower of Christ who drank from those waters would die. Being fanatics, the Jews then paid an evil woman to go take communion and then slip the Sacred Host in a handkerchief. She did so and brought them the Bread. Then they went to a very poor and hungry Christian man and offered him a bag of gold if he would give them the heart of one of his children. However, the man was a good Christian; he pretended to accept the deal and, while he had one of his children scream desperately as though his heart were being taken out, he killed a pig and took out its heart, which is very similar to that of a human being. He sold the still bleeding heart to the Jews instead for the bag of gold.
The legend goes on to say that the Jews threw the pig's heart and the holy consecrated host into the river that ran through the city, and that in a few days a terrible epidemic developed among the pigs in the surrounding areas, many of which died. The Jews realized that the man who sold them the heart had deceived them. Therefore they decided to get hold of the heart of a Christian child themselves so that there were no mistakes.
They had already obtained another holy consecrated host through the hands of a sacristan
Sacristan
A sacristan is an officer who is charged with the care of the sacristy, the church, and their contents.In ancient times many duties of the sacristan were performed by the doorkeepers , later by the treasurers and mansionarii...
and so on Good Friday they decided to sacrifice a child, reenacting the tortures with which in another time the Jews of old killed Jesus Christ. So as Dominguito del Val was walking by one of the Jewish houses in his acolyte's and choirboy's cassock, some great big hands took him by the neck and covered his face with a mantle, blocking his mouth with cloth so he could not say a word. The Jews then mockingly acted out the tribunal that condemned Jesus; one Jew played Pilate, another Caiaphas
Caiaphas
Joseph, son of Caiaphas, Hebrew יוסף בַּר קַיָּפָא or Yosef Bar Kayafa, commonly known simply as Caiaphas in the New Testament, was the Roman-appointed Jewish high priest who is said to have organized the plot to kill Jesus...
, and another Anias. They asked him if he wanted to carry on being a follower of Christ and he exclaimed that, yes, he would prefer to die rather than betray the religion of Our Lord Jesus. So they sentenced him to death and crucified him.
The Jews then removed his heart and sent one of their number to go with the Consecrated Host and the boy's heart and throw them both in the river. All the Christians that drank from the river would then die. But they had no idea what was about to happen to them.
The man then decided to enter a church and pretend to pray — according to the legend, "in order that no-one should be suspicious of him." Kneeling there on a pew, he opened the book in which he was carrying the Sacred Host. However, some ladies who were nearby saw with wonder that brilliant light was emanating from this book. They supposed that this man must be a saint and went to inform the priests of this marvel. They came and asked him to show them the book and there they found the Sacred Host. For some reason, this was suspicious and the ladies then called the authorities who searched him and found Dominguito's heart.
This rogue, on seeing himself discovered, was filled with dread and promised that if they spared him he would denounce all those who had committed the crime. So he was spared. The authorities went to the houses of the Jews and seized them all. They died on the gallows as partners in crime, except for the one who denounced them, who paid for his sin with life imprisonment.
See also
- Saint Dominic SavioDominic SavioDominic Savio was an Italian adolescent student of Saint John Bosco. He was studying to be a priest when he became ill and died at the age of 14, possibly from pleurisy....
, another patron saint of choirboys and acolytes.