1844 – Missionary work
On the 22nd April, 1844, the schools at Stone were inaugurated and Fr. Dominic said Mass there on St. George's day, the 23rd.
The Fathers, of whom there were 3 capable of speaking passable English, began on this year the work of our Institute, as Fr. Dominic's one attempt last year may be considered as a trial-trip. There was a Mission given in our own place - one of a week in Manchester. On Sunday, 11th May, Fr. Dominic
began a week's Mission in Swinnerton. On the 21st May we find him in Oscott giving the retreat to the students. On June 16th he gave religious exercises for a week in Heythorp, Oxfordshire, and the next week he did the same in Radford. He took occasion from this last place to go to Littlemore and make the acquaintance of Mr. Newman's community. The next week he began a retreat for the Benedictine Nuns near Tixall. He began a retreat for the people of Tixall on the 21st July and immediately afterwards he gave the retreat to the clergy of the district in Oscott College. On the 6th August
he began a retreat for the Sisters of Mercy in Birmingham. At the same time Fr. Amadeus was occupied in giving a retreat in Stone. On the 22nd August Fr. Dominic gave a renewal of his last year's mission at Lane End. On Sep 7th he is giving the retreat to nuns in Caverswall Castle and on Sep 22nd he is engaged with the secular congregation in Stafford. Fr. Caudentius is in Stoke-upon-Trent in October, Fr. Dominic in Wolverhampton in November, Fr. Gaudentius in Cheadle during the same month, Fr. Dominic in Creswell in December. Thus has Dominic given 20 retreats in less than a year and the other Fathers 3. The work was very heavy, for retreats were new things then and people came from great distances to get the mission blessings. On a rough calculation some 10,000 people must have come under the spiritual influence of these poor sandalled foreigners during those months.