⛪ Blessed Jordan of Saxony: The Successor Who Fulfilled the Dream

Early Life and Noble Heritage (c. 1190-1219)

Blessed Jordan of Saxony was born around the year 1190 in Westphalia, a region of Saxony in what is now northwestern Germany. His birthplace is traditionally identified as the Castle of Borrenstrick (or Burgberg) in the Diocese of Paderborn. Jordan belonged to the noble German family of the Counts of Eberstein, a family of considerable wealth, social standing, and influence in the region.

A Privileged Youth

Growing up in a noble household, young Jordan enjoyed all the advantages that came with aristocratic birth in medieval Germany—material comfort, excellent education, social connections, and the expectation of a distinguished career either in the Church hierarchy, in government service, or in the management of family estates.

From his earliest years, Jordan demonstrated exceptional intellectual gifts. He was brilliant, articulate, and possessed of a quick and penetrating mind. His family recognized these talents and determined that he should receive the finest education available.

Studies in Germany

Jordan began his studies in his native land, attending schools where he learned Latin grammar, rhetoric, logic, and the liberal arts. He proved to be an outstanding student, excelling in all subjects but particularly in the art of disputation and the analysis of texts. His facility with language and his ability to construct compelling arguments marked him as someone destined for academic distinction.

However, the schools of Germany, excellent as they were, could not compare with the great university that was emerging as the intellectual center of Christendom: the University of Paris.

The University of Paris (c. 1210-1219)

Center of Medieval Learning

Around the year 1210 or shortly thereafter, Jordan traveled to Paris to complete his studies at its famous university. The University of Paris was then at the height of its medieval glory—the premier institution of higher learning in Europe, attracting the best minds from across Christendom.

There, Jordan immersed himself in the intellectual ferment of early 13th-century scholasticism. He studied philosophy, theology, and Sacred Scripture under the best masters of the age. He participated in the scholarly disputations that were the hallmark of medieval university education. He earned his Master of Arts degree, a significant achievement that qualified him to teach and established him as a recognized scholar.

But Paris was more than just an intellectual environment—it was also a spiritual crossroads where new movements of evangelical reform were taking root.

A Young Man Known for Holiness

Even as a student immersed in academic pursuits, Jordan was known for "the unembarrassed witness of his holy life," as contemporary sources note. Unlike many university students who used their freedom from parental supervision to indulge in dissolute living, Jordan maintained strict moral standards and lived his Catholic faith seriously and publicly.

He attended Mass regularly, prayed the Divine Office, practiced mortification and self-discipline, and was known for his purity of life. His fellow students recognized him as someone different—intellectually brilliant but also genuinely holy, combining academic excellence with authentic piety.

This combination of intellectual gifts and spiritual depth would prove to be exactly what the young Dominican Order needed in its second generation of leadership.

The Encounter That Changed Everything (1219)

Meeting Saint Dominic

In 1219, while Jordan was still at the University of Paris, a Spanish priest named Dominic de Guzmán came to the city. Dominic was the founder of a new religious order—the Order of Preachers (Ordo Praedicatorum), later known as the Dominicans or Friars Preachers.

Saint Dominic had founded his order just a few years earlier (with papal approval in 1216) specifically to combat heresy through preaching and to serve the intellectual needs of the Church. The Dominicans combined rigorous intellectual formation with austere religious life and with a missionary zeal to preach the Gospel.

When Jordan heard that this famous Spanish preacher was in Paris, he hastened to hear him. He was immediately impressed—not merely by Dominic's eloquence (though Dominic was a gifted preacher) but by something deeper: the evident holiness of the man, the clarity of his vision for the Church, and the revolutionary nature of his order.

Jordan met Dominic personally and opened his soul to him. He chose Dominic as his confessor and spiritual father, beginning a spiritual direction that would transform his life.

The Hesitation

Despite his attraction to the Dominican ideal and his recognition of his own call to religious life, Jordan hesitated to take the final step. For reasons not entirely clear from the historical record, he did not immediately join the order. Perhaps he wanted to complete his studies first. Perhaps he struggled with the natural reluctance to give up his promising academic career and his comfortable social position. Perhaps he was discerning whether this was truly God's will or merely his own enthusiasm.

Whatever the reason, Jordan spent months—perhaps more than a year—drawn to the Dominicans but not yet committed. He continued his studies, maintained his relationship with Dominic, and prayed for clarity.

Blessed Reginald of Orleans: The Final Push

The decisive moment came in the fall of 1219 when another remarkable Dominican arrived in Paris: Blessed Reginald of Orleans (also called Reginald of Saint-Gilles).

Reginald was himself a convert to the Dominican life—a brilliant canonist and professor who had been recruited by Saint Dominic himself. Reginald had the gift of preaching with extraordinary power and attractiveness. As one historian noted, "universities feared losing their best professors to the pull of his eloquence."

Jordan "hastened to hear" Reginald preach, just as he had hastened to hear Dominic. Reginald's sermons moved him profoundly. Jordan went to confession to Reginald, had private consultations with him, and finally made a decisive commitment: he made a promise or vow to Reginald to enter the Order of Preachers.

Recruiting His Friends

Before entering himself, Jordan engaged in what would become characteristic of his entire ministry: recruiting vocations. He spoke with two of his fellow students and closest friends—Henry of Utrecht and a German named Leo—working to convince them to join the Dominicans with him.

His efforts were successful. The three friends decided to enter together, making their commitment a shared adventure in following Christ.

Reception of the Habit and Early Dominican Life (1220-1221)

Ash Wednesday 1220

On Ash Wednesday, February 12, 1220—just a few days after the death of Blessed Reginald of Orleans (whose holy death was itself a powerful witness to the faith)—Jordan and his two companions received the Dominican habit from the hands of Father Matthew of France at the Convent of Saint-Jacques in Paris.

Jordan was approximately thirty years old—relatively old for entering religious life by medieval standards, but bringing with him the maturity, education, and leadership skills that would serve the order well.

The reception of the habit was the beginning of a new life. Jordan laid aside his fine clothing and donned the simple white tunic and black cappa of the Friars Preachers. He who had been Jordanus de Eberstein, a German nobleman and Master of Arts, was now Frater Jordanus Saxo (Brother Jordan of Saxony), a mendicant friar, committed to poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Immediately Recognized Gifts

"The remarkable ability of the subject of our sketch was recognized at once," as one early biographer notes. Jordan had worn the habit for only two months when he was chosen as a delegate to the Dominican General Chapter in Bologna, Italy.

This was extraordinary. For a novice—someone who had been in religious life for only a few weeks—to be sent as a representative to the order's highest governing body testified to the immediate recognition of Jordan's exceptional gifts of intellect, judgment, and character.

Rapid Rise to Leadership (1221-1222)

Provincial of Lombardy (1221)

The following year, 1221, Jordan was elected Prior Provincial of Lombardy—one of the major provinces of the order, covering much of northern Italy. He was responsible for overseeing multiple convents, ensuring proper observance of the rule, settling disputes, and promoting the order's mission.

This appointment came when Jordan had been a Dominican for barely more than a year. It was a testament not only to his gifts but also to the desperate need for capable leadership in the rapidly growing young order.

As Provincial, Jordan traveled extensively throughout Lombardy, visiting convents, preaching, recruiting vocations, establishing new foundations, and dealing with the administrative and spiritual challenges of a religious province. He demonstrated both practical wisdom in governance and spiritual depth in guidance.

His work brought him into contact with important figures in the Church, including Cardinal Ugolino (the papal legate in Lombardy, who would later become Pope Gregory IX), with whom Jordan collaborated in combating heresy and extending the Church's preaching ministry.

The Death of Saint Dominic (August 6, 1221)

On August 6, 1821, at Bologna, Saint Dominic died. He was only about fifty years old, worn out by his labors and austerities. The order he had founded was just six years old, still in its infancy, still fragile, still needing guidance and direction.

Dominic's death was a tremendous loss. He was the founder, the visionary, the charismatic leader who had inspired men across Europe to join his revolutionary new form of religious life. Who could possibly replace him?

Election as Master General (May 22, 1222)

On May 22, 1222, at the General Chapter convened in Paris for Pentecost, the assembled friars elected Jordan of Saxony as the second Master General of the Order of Preachers—Saint Dominic's successor as head of the entire order.

The election was, according to tradition, absolutely unanimous—every friar voted for Jordan. This unanimity was interpreted as divine confirmation that Jordan was God's chosen instrument to continue Dominic's work.

Jordan was just thirty-two years old. He had been a Dominican for only two years and three months. He had never lived with Saint Dominic for any extended period or received extensive personal formation from him. Yet the friars recognized in him the gifts needed to lead: brilliant intellect, administrative ability, holiness of life, preaching power, and above all, the same zeal for souls that had animated Dominic himself.

Jordan accepted the office with humility and trepidation, understanding the enormous responsibility placed on his young shoulders.

Master General: Fulfilling Dominic's Dream (1222-1237)

The Challenge

When Jordan became Master General in 1222, the Order of Preachers faced both tremendous opportunities and serious challenges:

Opportunities:

• The Church desperately needed educated, holy preachers to combat heresy and renew Christian faith
• Universities were producing intellectuals who could be recruited for Dominican life
• Bishops and popes were supportive of the order's mission
• The example of Saint Dominic's holiness was still fresh in people's memories

Challenges:

• The order was tiny—fewer than 100 friars in perhaps 30 convents
• Financial resources were limited (Dominicans lived by begging and worked without compensation)
• The constitutions and structures were still being developed
• Opposition from secular clergy who resented the friars' privileges
• The danger that rapid expansion might compromise quality of formation
• The constant temptation to worldliness and relaxation of the rule

Jordan would lead the order for fifteen years (1222-1237), and in that time he would transform it from a small, experimental community into a major force in medieval Christendom.

Preaching and Recruiting: The "Apostle of the Schools"

Jordan is remembered above all as a preacher of extraordinary power and eloquence. Contemporary sources tell us (with some exaggeration perhaps) that "mothers would hide their sons when they heard he was coming to town" because so many young men joined the Dominicans after hearing Jordan preach.

Universities feared him. Whenever Jordan came to a university town to preach, professors and students would be converted to religious life en masse. His preaching was so effective that entire cohorts of the brightest minds in Europe left their academic careers to become Dominican friars.

The numbers are astonishing: during Jordan's fifteen years as Master General, more than 1,000 men (some sources say up to 4,000) joined the Order of Preachers. These were not merely any recruits but the intellectual elite of Europe—masters of arts, doctors of theology, brilliant students who could have had distinguished careers in the universities or the Church hierarchy.

Among those recruited by Jordan was Albertus Magnus (Saint Albert the Great), the great philosopher and theologian who would later teach Saint Thomas Aquinas. Albert is thought to have been recruited by Jordan in Padua.

How did Jordan do it? What made his preaching so effective?

1. Personal Holiness: Jordan lived what he preached. His evident sanctity gave authority to his words.

2. Intellectual Brilliance: As a Master of Arts and accomplished scholar, Jordan could speak to academics on their own level while showing them something higher.

3. Joyful Witness: Jordan demonstrated that religious life was not a burden but a joy, not a sacrifice but a privilege. His enthusiasm was contagious.

4. The Pull of Truth: Jordan preached the Gospel with clarity and conviction, and truth has its own attractive power.

5. Call to Greatness: Jordan challenged young men to desire "the greater gifts" (1 Corinthians 12:31), to seek not worldly success but eternal treasure, not comfortable careers but heroic sanctity.

Rapid Expansion of the Order

Under Jordan's leadership, the Order of Preachers experienced phenomenal growth:

Number of Convents: From approximately 30 when Dominic died to over 300 by Jordan's death—a tenfold increase in fifteen years.

Number of Provinces: Jordan added four new provinces to the eight that existed at Dominic's death, extending the order's reach across Europe.

Geographic Spread: During Jordan's tenure, Dominican houses were established throughout:

• France
• Germany and Saxony
• Italy
• Spain
• England
• Poland
• Hungary
• Scandinavia
• The Holy Land

Institutional Foundations: Jordan helped establish:

• The University of Toulouse (1229), supporting Bishop Fulk and his successor in creating this important center of orthodox theology to combat the Albigensian heresy
• Chairs of theology at the University of Paris (Jordan obtained two such chairs for the order)
• The first general house of studies for the order, ensuring high-quality theological education for Dominican friars

Author and Legislator

Jordan was not merely an administrator and recruiter but also a writer and legislator who shaped Dominican identity for centuries to come:

1. The Libellus de Principiis Ordinis Praedicatorum ("Booklet on the Beginnings of the Order of Preachers"): This invaluable historical work, written sometime between 1231 and 1234, is both the earliest biography of Saint Dominic and the first narrative history of the foundation of the order. It provides authentic, firsthand testimony about Dominic's life and the order's origins, written by someone who knew Dominic personally and who was Master General. All subsequent Dominican historians have relied on Jordan's Libellus as their primary source.

2. Organization of the Constitutions: Jordan worked on developing and refining the Dominican Constitutions—the laws and customs that would govern the order. He helped establish the proper balance between contemplation and action, between individual autonomy and communal obedience, between strict observance and merciful accommodation.

3. Letters: Jordan wrote numerous letters—circular letters to the entire order, letters to individual friars and convents, and especially letters of spiritual direction to Dominican nuns. These letters reveal his pastoral heart, his spiritual wisdom, and his literary skill.

4. Liturgical Contributions: Jordan was instrumental in developing the Dominican liturgy—the specific way Dominicans would celebrate Mass and the Divine Office, distinct from other religious orders.

The Salve Regina and Marian Devotion

One of Jordan's most lasting contributions was establishing the custom of singing the Salve Regina in procession each night after Compline (the final prayer of the Divine Office before bed).

According to tradition, Jordan initiated this practice to calm the spirits of the Brothers, who were being tried by the Devil. The friars were experiencing severe temptations, spiritual attacks, and discouragement. Jordan recognized that they needed Our Lady's protection and that ending each day by singing this beautiful hymn to Mary would bring peace and strengthen them against the enemy.

The words of the Salve Regina express both the exile and longing that characterize earthly life, and the hope and trust we place in Mary's maternal intercession:

"Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears..."

This practice, established by Jordan in the 1220s, is still observed by Dominicans throughout the world today, nearly 800 years later. Every night, after Compline, Dominican communities process while singing the Salve Regina, seeking Mary's protection just as Jordan and his brothers did in the 13th century.

Spiritual Father to Diana d'Andalò and the Dominican Nuns (1222-1236)

Blessed Diana d'Andalò

One of the most remarkable aspects of Jordan's ministry was his spiritual direction of Blessed Diana d'Andalò (Diana Lovello) and the community of Dominican nuns she founded in Bologna.

Diana was born around 1200 into a noble family in Bologna. After hearing Saint Dominic preach, she felt called to dedicate her life to God as a Dominican nun. However, her family violently opposed this vocation. When Diana entered a convent temporarily, her family attempted to kidnap her, literally dragging her from the monastery. In the struggle, Diana was so badly injured that she carried the physical effects for the rest of her life.

Eventually, through perseverance and the intervention of Church authorities, Diana was able to establish a monastery of Dominican nuns in Bologna—the Monastery of Sant'Agnese (Saint Agnes). Saint Dominic had begun this foundation before his death, and Jordan completed the work, helping Diana and her companions to build their monastery and establish their community.

The Extraordinary Friendship

Jordan became Diana's spiritual director and closest friend. Their relationship was one of the most remarkable spiritual friendships in Church history—a deep, passionate, yet completely chaste love between a celibate priest and a cloistered nun, rooted entirely in their shared love for God and the Dominican charism.

Jordan wrote numerous letters to Diana and her community. Thirty-seven of these letters survive, preserved by Diana and her sisters as precious relics. These letters are treasures of Dominican spirituality, revealing:

Jordan's Pastoral Heart: His tender concern for Diana's spiritual wellbeing, his encouragement during her illnesses and struggles, his wise counsel about how to live the contemplative life.

The Depth of Their Friendship: Jordan wrote with remarkable emotional openness about how much he missed Diana when traveling, how he longed to see her, how he carried her constantly in his prayers. Sample quotes from the letters:

"I cannot find the time to write you the long letter your love would wish for and I would so gladly send; none the less I do write, I send you a very little word, the Word made little..." (Christmas 1223)

"Oh Diana, how wretched is this present state we have to endure, in which we cannot love each other without pain and fear! You grieve and are sad because you cannot always see me. I am anxious and troubled because I can so seldom have you near me. Happily, at the bottom of our hearts the fire of divine charity burns..."

Spiritual Wisdom: Jordan's letters contain profound teaching about prayer, about suffering, about perseverance, about the contemplative life, and about the mercy of God.

The Call to Moderation: Jordan stressed repeatedly the importance of moderation to Diana, who was inclined to excessive austerities. He counseled her that it was "much better to be patient and loving towards the members of her community than to be starving or hurting herself." True holiness, he taught, is found in charity more than in extreme penances.

Diana's Death

Diana died on June 10, 1236, at about thirty-six years of age, worn out by illness and austerity. Jordan, who was traveling at the time, was devastated by the news. He had lost his closest friend and spiritual companion.

Diana was eventually beatified, and her cult was confirmed by Pope Leo XII in 1891. She is commemorated on June 9 (the eve of her death).

Jordan's Ministry to All Dominican Nuns

Jordan's spiritual care extended beyond Diana to Dominican nuns throughout Europe. He visited their monasteries when possible, wrote them letters of encouragement and instruction, and "set great store by their prayers for the success of the labors of the fathers."

He understood the essential role that the contemplative Dominican nuns played in the order's mission. While the friars went out to preach, the nuns remained in their monasteries, offering prayers and sacrifices that supported the active ministry. Jordan saw the order as a unified whole—friars and nuns working together for the salvation of souls.

The Defender of the Church (1225-1237)

Confronting Emperor Frederick II

Jordan was not merely a recruiter of vocations and administrator of convents. He was also a courageous defender of the Church's rights and freedom against secular interference.

Emperor Frederick II was one of the most powerful and problematic rulers of the medieval period. Brilliant, cultured, and ambitious, he also was egotistical, proud, and often hostile to the papacy. His conflicts with Pope Gregory IX caused tremendous disruption in Italy and throughout the Holy Roman Empire.

In May or June 1229, after Frederick returned from his brief and farcical "crusade" to the Holy Land (during which he had been excommunicated), he renewed his war against Pope Gregory IX. When Jordan learned of this, he started forthwith for the camp of the German emperor to intervene on behalf of the Pope.

This was an act of extraordinary courage. Frederick was a powerful monarch with a large army, known for his cruelty to enemies. Jordan, arriving as an advocate for the Pope whom Frederick was fighting, could have been imprisoned or killed.

But Frederick respected Jordan too highly to refuse him an audience. When the two men met, Jordan pleaded for peace, for reconciliation with the Church, and for the emperor to cease his aggression against the papacy.

While we don't have a detailed record of the conversation or its immediate results, the very fact that Jordan made this intervention demonstrates his courage, his loyalty to the Church, and his commitment to peace and justice even at personal risk.

The Holy Land and the Final Journey (1237)

Pilgrimage and Visitation

In 1236-1237, when Jordan was about forty-seven years old, he undertook a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. His journey had multiple purposes:

Personal Devotion: To pray at the holy places where Christ had lived, preached, suffered, died, and risen—Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Calvary, the Holy Sepulcher.

Visitation of Dominican Houses: The order had established convents in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem and in Acre. As Master General, Jordan wanted to visit these remote communities, encourage the friars, ensure proper observance, and strengthen their mission.

Missionary Support: Jordan had sent friars to the Holy Land as missionaries. He wanted to assess their work and provide whatever support they needed.

Jordan spent weeks or months in Palestine, fulfilling these objectives. He visited the holy sites with deep devotion, prayed and wept at the places sanctified by Christ's presence, and celebrated Mass at the shrines that Christian pilgrims had venerated for centuries.

He also visited the Dominican convents, meeting with the friars, hearing their confessions, celebrating community Masses, discussing their challenges, and encouraging them in their difficult missionary work in a predominantly Muslim land.

Death by Shipwreck (February 13, 1237)

The Return Journey

After completing his pilgrimage and visitation, Jordan boarded a ship to return to Europe. The ship departed from the coast of Palestine, probably from the port of Acre (Akko), sailing westward across the Mediterranean toward Italy.

But Jordan would never see Italy again.

The Shipwreck

On February 13, 1237, somewhere off the coast of Syria, the ship encountered disaster. Whether it was a storm, a navigational error, striking rocks, or some other cause, the historical sources don't specify. What we know is that the ship was wrecked and sank.

Jordan of Saxony drowned in the shipwreck. He was forty-seven years old. He had been Master General for fifteen years. He had been a Dominican for only seventeen years—yet in that brief time, he had transformed the order and shaped its future for centuries.

A Kind of Martyrdom

While Jordan did not die at the hands of persecutors or specifically "for the faith" in the technical sense required for formal martyrdom, his death was considered "a kind of martyrdom" because:

• He died while on a mission to further the order's expansion
• He died returning from the Holy Land after supporting the Church's mission there
• He gave his life in service to the order and the Church
• His death came as a result of his apostolic travels and missionary zeal

Recovery and Burial

When news of the shipwreck reached the Dominican community in Acre, the friars rushed to the coast. According to a remarkable tradition recorded by early biographers, they found Jordan's drowned body surrounded by a cross of light—a supernatural sign confirming his sanctity.

The friars recovered Jordan's body with great reverence and buried him in the Dominican Church of Saint John in Akko (Acre), in present-day Israel. His tomb became a site of pilgrimage and devotion, where friars and faithful came to pray and ask for his intercession.

Dispersal of Relics

Tragically, Jordan's relics did not remain in Acre permanently. When the Turks captured the city in the later 13th century during the final collapse of the Crusader states, the Dominican priory was destroyed, and Jordan's mortal remains were dispersed. The exact fate of his relics is unknown—they may have been destroyed, scattered, or possibly preserved by fleeing Christians, but their location is now lost to history.

However, while Jordan's bodily relics were lost, a precious spiritual legacy remains: his letters to Diana and the nuns, preserved in a beautiful reliquary that contains what is believed to be some of the original letters written in Latin. These letters are themselves relics—tangible connections to this great saint, infused with his spirit and wisdom.

The Vision of Saint Lutgarde

On the day of Jordan's death—though news had not yet reached Europe—Saint Lutgarde, a holy Cistercian nun in Belgium known for her mystical gifts, had a vision of Jordan in heaven. She saw him glorified, standing between the Apostles and the Prophets, confirmed in eternal glory.

This vision, reported by her contemporaries, was taken as immediate confirmation of Jordan's sanctity and as divine assurance that his tragic death was not a defeat but a triumph—his entrance into eternal life and his reward for faithful service.

Beatification and Cult (1237-1825)

Immediate Veneration

From the moment of Jordan's death, the Dominicans venerated him as a holy man. His memory was treasured, his writings were preserved, his example was proposed to new generations of friars as a model to imitate.

Gerald de Frachet, an early Dominican chronicler, devoted a section of his important work Vitae Fratrum (Lives of the Brothers) to describing Jordan's character, virtues, and miracles. Gerard called Jordan "the most worthy successor of Dominic" and praised him as "a mirror of every aspect of religious observance, an exemplar of virtue, a man of unblemished chastity of mind and body."

All the first chroniclers of the order described Jordan's kindness and personal charm. He had the ability to console the troubled and to inspire the despondent with new hope. He combined strict adherence to the Rule with tender mercy. Like Dominic himself, he governed with both firmness and gentleness.

Centuries of Popular Devotion

For nearly six centuries, Jordan was venerated as "Blessed" by popular acclaim and traditional cult, though without formal papal beatification. His feast was celebrated within the Dominican Order on February 13, the anniversary of his death. Prayers were composed asking for his intercession. His life was proposed to Dominican novices as the model of what a friar should be.

Official Beatification: 1825

Finally, on an unspecified date in 1825, Pope Leo XII officially beatified Jordan of Saxony, formally confirming the cult that had existed for centuries and authorizing his liturgical veneration throughout the Church.

From that time forward, he has been officially known as Blessed Jordan of Saxony, and his feast day of February 13 is celebrated not only by Dominicans but by the wider Church.

Legacy and Significance

The Order's Growth: Jordan's Lasting Impact

The explosive growth of the Dominican Order under Jordan's leadership had permanent effects:

Institutional Strength: The infrastructure Jordan built—hundreds of convents, educational institutions, administrative structures—provided a solid foundation for centuries of Dominican ministry.

Intellectual Tradition: By recruiting the best minds from universities and establishing houses of study, Jordan ensured that the Dominicans would become the intellectual powerhouse of medieval Christendom, producing such giants as Albert the Great, Thomas Aquinas, and countless others.

Missionary Spirit: Jordan's own example of tireless travel, preaching, and recruitment instilled in the order a missionary dynamism that would carry Dominicans to the ends of the earth.

Balanced Spirituality: Jordan's combination of strict observance with kindness, of contemplation with action, of intellectual rigor with pastoral warmth became characteristic of Dominican spirituality.

Literary Legacy

Jordan's writings continue to nourish Dominican spirituality:

The Libellus: Remains the primary source for knowledge of Saint Dominic and the order's origins, consulted by every Dominican historian and hagiographer.

The Letters: Particularly the letters to Diana, continue to be read, studied, and translated, offering timeless wisdom about prayer, spiritual friendship, and the contemplative life. A former Master of the Order, Fr. Carlos Azpiroz Costa, called these letters "a pearl of Dominican spirituality" and said they "show how it is possible for divine charity to transform human hearts with warm and fraternal love."

Patronages

Blessed Jordan of Saxony is venerated as the patron saint of:

Dominican Vocations: His extraordinary success in attracting vocations makes him the natural patron for all those seeking to recruit men and women to religious life. Dominicans worldwide pray to Jordan when seeking vocations.

University Chaplains and Campus Ministers: As the "apostle of the schools," Jordan is a model for those who minister to university students and academics.

The Faculty of Engineering, University of Santo Tomas, Manila: This faculty, at a university founded by Dominicans, honors Jordan as its patron.

Colegio Jordan de Sajonia, Bogotá, Colombia: One of the most important private schools in Colombia, run by Dominicans, bears his name.

Spirituality and Lessons for Today

The Spirituality of Blessed Jordan

Several themes characterize Jordan's spiritual life and witness:

1. Intellectual Excellence in Service of the Gospel: Jordan demonstrates that brilliant minds should be placed at the service of preaching the Gospel. Academic achievement is valuable when used for God's glory.

2. Joyful Discipleship: Jordan's characteristic joy and enthusiasm showed that religious life is not a burden but a privilege. This joy was contagious and drew thousands to follow Christ.

3. The Power of Personal Example: Jordan's holiness gave authority to his preaching. He lived what he taught, and people recognized this authenticity.

4. Combining Firmness with Kindness: Like Dominic, Jordan was a "strict disciplinarian whose commitment to the Rule was tempered with kindness." Leadership requires both clear standards and merciful accommodation.

5. Spiritual Friendship: Jordan's friendship with Diana shows that deep, holy friendships between men and women are possible and can be sources of mutual sanctification when rooted in shared love for God.

6. Devotion to Mary: Jordan's establishment of the nightly Salve Regina demonstrates the importance of Marian devotion in Dominican spirituality.

7. Courage in Defending the Church: Jordan's willingness to confront Emperor Frederick II shows that sometimes love for the Church requires courage to speak truth to power.

Relevance for Today

What can Blessed Jordan teach us in the 21st century?

For Those Discerning Vocations: Jordan's response to God's call, despite initial hesitation, encourages us to be generous in following our vocations. Don't let fear or attachment to worldly success prevent you from answering God's call.

For Recruiters and Vocation Directors: Jordan's extraordinary success in attracting vocations came from authentic holiness, joyful witness, and the ability to call people to greatness. These remain the keys to vocational promotion.

For University Students and Academics: Jordan shows that intellectual life and sanctity are not opposed but complementary. The pursuit of truth and the pursuit of God are ultimately the same quest.

For Preachers and Evangelizers: Jordan's preaching was effective because it combined intellectual depth with spiritual authenticity and was delivered with joy and enthusiasm. Modern evangelization needs the same qualities.

For Religious Superiors: Jordan's combination of high standards with merciful kindness provides a model for religious leadership today.

For Anyone Seeking Holy Friendship: Jordan and Diana's friendship demonstrates that deep, chaste friendship between men and women is possible and can be a powerful means of mutual sanctification when centered on Christ.

Prayer for the Intercession of Blessed Jordan of Saxony

O God, who raised up Blessed Jordan of Saxony to continue the work of Saint Dominic and to spread the Order of Preachers throughout the world, grant us, through his intercession, the grace to respond generously to Your call, to preach the Gospel with joy and power, to combine intellectual excellence with spiritual depth, and to lead others with both firmness and kindness. May we, like Blessed Jordan, seek Mary's protection by faithfully praying the Salve Regina, cultivate holy friendships centered on You, and spend our lives in service to Your Church. Through his prayers, grant us an increase of vocations to the religious life and the priesthood, and the grace we seek [mention your request], if it be according to Your will and for our salvation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

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Important Dates in the Life of Blessed Jordan of Saxony

• c. 1190: Born at Castle of Borrenstrick, Westphalia, Germany
• c. 1210: Travels to Paris to study at university
• c. 1210-1219: Studies at University of Paris; earns Master of Arts
• 1219: Meets Saint Dominic; chooses him as confessor
• Fall 1219: Meets Blessed Reginald of Orleans; vows to enter Dominicans
• February 12, 1220: Receives Dominican habit on Ash Wednesday (age 30)
• April 1220: Sent as delegate to General Chapter in Bologna (after only 2 months!)
• 1221: Elected Prior Provincial of Lombardy
• August 6, 1821: Death of Saint Dominic
• May 22, 1222: Elected second Master General of the Order (age 32)
• 1222-1237: Fifteen years as Master General; extraordinary growth of order
• c. 1222: Begins spiritual direction of Blessed Diana d'Andalò
• 1225: Establishes custom of singing Salve Regina after Compline
• 1229: Confronts Emperor Frederick II on behalf of Pope Gregory IX
• 1231-1234: Writes Libellus de Principiis Ordinis Praedicatorum
• June 10, 1236: Death of Blessed Diana d'Andalò
• 1236-1237: Pilgrimage to Holy Land; visitation of Dominican houses
• February 13, 1237: Dies in shipwreck off coast of Syria (age 47)
• 1237: Buried in Dominican Church of St. John in Acre
• Later 13th c.: Relics dispersed when Turks capture Acre
• 1237-1825: Popular veneration; celebrated by Dominicans as Blessed
• 1825: Officially beatified by Pope Leo XII

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Feast Day: February 13

Patronage: Dominican vocations; university students and chaplains; preachers; those discerning religious vocations; recruiters; Faculty of Engineering of the University of Santo Tomas (Manila); Colegio Jordan de Sajonia (Bogotá, Colombia)

Attributes: Dominican habit (white tunic and black cappa); book (representing his Libellus and learning); crowd of young men (vocations he recruited); ship or anchor (his death by shipwreck); the Salve Regina; writing implements (his letters)

Also Known As: Jordanus de Saxonia; Jordan the Saxon; Blessed Jordan of Germany

Religious Order: Order of Preachers (Dominicans) - O.P.

Titles: Second Master General of the Order of Preachers; Apostle of the Schools; Worthy Successor of Saint Dominic

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May Blessed Jordan of Saxony intercede for all who seek to follow Christ and inspire vocations to the religious life and priesthood!

More Info :
🔎 Blessed Jordan of Saxony, C.O.P.

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