Stained glass window from St. Dominic’s Church in Washington, D.C.
Photo by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.

A second example of Dominic’s heroic charity occurred while he was still a student in Palencia. To secure the freedom of a man held in slavery by the Moors, Dominic, whose funds had been exhausted during the time of the famine, offered to sell himself as ransom for the prisoner. Although the slave traders rejected his proposal, Dominic’s efforts are a reminder of the profound importance of charity in Christian living and serve as a template for the church today as it conducts its works of charity and social justice.

The above excerpt is from Reflections of Dominican Spirituality: The Windows of St. Dominic Church, Washington, D.C. by Dr. Mary Moran.