The Simple Truth

Joanne Wright is a Catholic wife, mother, grandmother and co-founder of The Station of the Cross Catholic Media Network, striving to live out her Consecration to the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts of Jesus and Mary for the intercession and salvation of souls.

When St. Dominic died in 1221, the future of the newly founded Dominican Order was far from secure—but the man elected to succeed him, Blessed Jordan of Saxony, would prove decisive in shaping its destiny. We’ll examine how Jordan, a brilliant Paris-trained theologian and gifted preacher, preserved Dominic’s original vision while leading the Order through unprecedented growth, expanding Dominican houses across France, Italy, Germany, and beyond. Renowned for his warmth, clarity, and personal holiness, Jordan drew countless vocations—including future saints—by uniting doctrinal precision with genuine pastoral charity, especially among university students. Through his letters, preaching missions, and careful formation of friars, he defended religious discipline against laxity, resisted worldly pressures, and ensured that truth, study, and preaching remained at the heart of Dominican life. His leadership demonstrates that lasting renewal in the Church comes not from novelty or compromise, but from fidelity to tradition, courage in leadership, and holiness lived publicly and persuasively.