You are invited to our 2013 ordinations to the Priesthood in Washington DC!  We do have limited accommodations for those traveling greater distances. Contact Fr. Benedict OP for details.  Our Next Vocation Weekends at the Dominican House of Studies are already starting to fill.

2013 SUMMER VOCATION EVENTS - JOIN US!
Thursday, May 23 at 7PM at the Dominican House of Studies there will be a special holy hour for the ordinandi to which everyone is invited.

Friday, May 24 at 9:30AM Ordination
at St. Dominic's Church, Washington DC
(reception follows at the Dominican House of Studies)
-more evening events are scheduled for vocation candidates after reception

          First Mass (next day) with our Newly Ordained Priests
          at Dominican House of Studies chapel w/families, friends and friars on
          Saturday, May 25, 2013 at 8AM

          SUNDAY, May 26, 2013: 
                     FIRST MASSES schedule (click here)
The Dominican Friarsof the Province of St. Joseph
joyfully announce theOrdination of their BrothersDominic Joseph Bump, O.P.Bernard Marie Timothy, O.P.Matthew Carroll, O.P.Albert Duggan, O.P.Reginald Mary Lynch, O.P.Ambrose Mary Little, O.P.

2013 Ordination class - click photo to enlarge
to the Priesthood of Jesus Christthrough the Imposition of Hands and Prayer of Ordination byThe Most Reverend Christopher Cardone, O.P.Bishop of Auki, Solomon Islands
ORDINATION: Friday, May 24, 2013 at 9:30 AM

FIRST MASSES (SUNDAY MAY 26, 2013)

Bishop Chris Cardone OP - click to enlarge
Saint Dominic Church630 E Street, SouthwestWashington, District of Columbia 20024

Here is a video from last year's priesthood ordinations. Check it out!
You are also invited to the August 10 Solemn Professions at the Dominican House of Studies and the August 15 Simple Professions at St. Gertrude Church in Cincinnati. Here is our last official vocation video made recently: 

Our Next Vocation Weekends at the Dominican House of Studies

Priesthood Ordinations are Friday May 24, 2013at 9:30AM at St. Dominic's Church in Washington DC
Today many of our student brothers left this morning on an annual Pilgrimage of walking about 8 miles, praying for our ordinandi and visiting various churches throughout our nation's capital to coincide with the feast of the Translation of our Holy Father St. Dominic.  I wrote about this last year here.  This year, the feast day will also include our priesthood ordinations at 9:30AM at St. Dominic's downtown Washington DC. Everyone is invited!

2013 SUMMER VOCATION EVENTS - JOIN US!Our Next Vocation Weekends at the Dominican House of Studies
Yesterday the brothers in our schola prepared the ordination booklets and had another schola practice.
(click on image to enlarge)
Fr. James Moore OP of the Western Province is directing them:
Then did priests make offering of incenseand loaves of finest wheat to Godand therefore shall they be holy to their Lordand shall not defile his most holy name. Alleluia.
Yesterday about 15 of our student friars went onto the National Mall with guitar and banjo and sang and passed out prayer cards to hundreds of people.  It was a chance to engage all the visitors to Washington DC and to share the Good News of our Lord! It is amazing what a smile and greeting can accomplish for the New Evangelization!
(click image to enlarge)
Below here is the image on the prayer card, and the text further down: Come Holy Spirit, Creator blest, and in our hearts take up thy rest.Come with thy grace and heavenly aid to fill the hearts which though hast made.Lord, we praise you for creating us and for restoring us in Christ.Thank you for sending us your Holy Spirit to be our advocate and guide.May this same Spirit comfort us in our affliction, sanctify our souls, provide for our needs(include your personal request) and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Here is a major address to the Church from our great Pope Francis.  May the Holy Spirit inspire the Church in the New Evangelization!
Starting from his own conversion story, the Pope laid out the full spread of his impressions on the state of the Church, and his vision for the road ahead, tying together in the process the threads which have marked his two months on Peter's chair.  (source)


Summer 2013 Vocation Events

One of the great joys I have had as a Dominican Friar was being novice master for our East African Dominican Vicariate.  Our mission (Nyumba ya Mtakatifu Martino de Porres, "St. Martin de Porres Priory") is close to Lake Victoria in Western Kenya in a town called Kisumu.

Our current student master, Fr. Andrew Hofer OP, was there at the same time. He served as our Regent of Studies for our vicariate and he taught Theology to our student friars and many other religious in Nairobi at the Catholic University of East Africa and Tangaza College.

During our time in Kenya, we had young men in our novitiate from the countries of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Southern Sudan, Angola, Mozambique & Zimbabwe (at the time other OP vicariates would send their men to us).

Three of these friars (Bros. John Baptist Ssemugabi OP, Leo Simon Itabara Mwenda OP, Thomas Nicholas Odhiambo OP), for whom I was novice master, will be ordained to the priesthood and transitional diaconate on Saturday, May 18 at St. Theresa's Cathedral (Kibuye) in downtown Kisumu, Kenya.  I made a quick call to them this morning and wished them every blessing.

(click image to enlarge)
Each of these young men are very talented. From the moment they entered the novitiate, years ago, they wanted to give everything to the Lord and to preach the Gospel for the salvation of souls.

I wrote about our vicariate's ordinations last year when another two of my former novices were ordained, Fr. Cleophas OP and Fr. Gideon OP.

This has proven well when they preached during a Eucharistic-centered retreat that we have been doing in our vicariate called "UZIMA" which is the same retreat as YOUTH 2000 internationally. This retreat has been led by our friars in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda about 15 times for thousands and thousands of young people.  A number of young men and women who attended these retreats are now priests, brothers and sisters in religious life in East Africa. The Lord planted deep seeds of conversion in their hearts. For some amazing photos click here.

YOUTH 2000 was taken to East Africa with the huge support and translating expertise of a great missionary priest from Poland, Fr. Wojciech Adam Kościelniak (his FB page) as well as generous parishioners from our parish, St. Gertrude in Cincinnati, where our novitiate is located.




MORE PHOTOS FROM UZIMA
This was one of my favorite songs that all the youth"sang like there was no tomorrow" in perfect harmony (my rough translation below).
~rough translation Nimeonja Pendo Lako(fixed by my good friend, Fr. Wojciech)*check out his excellent blog: Kiabakari Snippets
Nimeonja pendo lako, nimejua u mwemaI have tasted your love, I have known your kindness
Nitakushukuru nitawainua wote wakusifu weweI will thank you, I will lift up everyone to praise you
Nitawaongoza vyema waimbe kwa furahaI will lead well everyone to you with joy
Nitakushukuru nitawainua wote wakusifu weweI will thank you, I will lift up everyone to praise you
Ukarimu wako (Bwana) na huruma yako (wewe)Your generosity, oh Lord, and Your mercy
Msamaha wako (Bwana) na upole wako (wewe)Your forgiveness Lord and your gentleness
Umenitendea wema usiopimikaYou have done unmeasurable goodness to me
Nitakushukuru nitawainua wote wakusifu weweI will thank you, I will lift up everyone to praise you
If you want to see the Swahili words with the song:

Professor Edmund Husserl*see also:
Introduction to the Phenomenology of the VowsPhenomenology of the Vows: Poverty
Phenomenology of the Vows: Chastity
As Virgil and Beatrice were to Dante, so Edmund Husserl has been our guide to the three evangelical counsels. We have seen how his notions of intentionality and givenness enrich our understanding of what the vows offer to us and how we relate to them. Along the way we have also discovered other parts of Husserl’s philosophical project, such as the phenomenological reduction and the process of transcendental bracketing—the removal of all that is contingent and inessential in search of what is true. It is finally time to turn to obedience, the counsel according to the Dominican Constitutions that is pre-eminent among the counsels:

“By obedience a person dedicates himself totally to God and his actions come closer to the goal of profession, which is the perfection of charity. Everything else too in the apostolic life is included under obedience (LCO 19.1).”

And yet what seems more counter-intuitive to today’s culture than obedience? Isn’t that something for children and young people living at home? Why do grown men, Dominican friars, make this promise of obedience, including poverty and chastity under its yoke? Once again, Husserl can be of help.
What in Husserl’s thought would correspond to obedience, the pre-eminent counsel? This must be his principle of all principles:

“No conceivable theory can make us err with respect to the principle of all principles: that ever originally preventive intuition is a legitimizing source of cognition, that everything originally offered to us in 'intuition' is to be accepted simply as what it is presented as being, but also only within the limits in which it is presented there (Ideas I, section 24).”

Everything given to us in intuition, everything perceived, is presented according to its own mode of disclosure: we do not dictate terms to the objects we find in the world. This is not a form of naïve realism: what you see is what you get. To see things as they are in themselves requires hard phenomenological work; we must follow the difficult and delicate steps of the phenomenological reduction. Husserl offers an example:

“I have a particular intuition of redness, or rather several such intuitions. I stick strictly to the pure immanence; I am careful to perform the phenomenological reduction. I snip away any further significance of redness, any way in which it may be viewed as something transcendent, e.g., as the redness of a piece of blotting paper on my table, etc. And no I grasp in pure ‘seeing’ the meaning of the concept of redness in general, redness in specie, the universal ‘seen’ as identicalin this and that. No longer is it the particular as such which is referred to, not this or that red thing, but redness in general (The Idea of Phenomenology, 44-45). 

Seeing something as it is in itself means stripping it of all the contingent and non-essential elements. It means looking close at the thing as it is given to consciousness as an intentional object. Seeing in this way is no mean feat, nor is it a normal daily occurrence!
The vow of obedience is similar: If we want to be free we must obey. The Catechism links freedom with obedience in this way:

“The more one does that is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to ‘the slavery of sin (CCC 1733).’”

The Dominican Constitutions similarly stress the need for obedience in the achievement of freedom:

“Because obedience ‘plants the roots of self-discipline in our hearts’ it is of the greatest benefit to that freedom of spirit characteristic of the children of God, and disposes us to self-giving charity (LCO 19.3).”

Pope Honorius III and St. Dominic
- L. da Ponte
The vow of obedience is an offering of one’s freedom in return for a greater freedom in the service of the highest good: God’s will. When a friar takes the vow of obedience he is offering himself as an instrument of God under the direction of his superiors. We again meet the structure of intentionality: obedience is for something, it is for the apostolic life in fulfillment of the God’s call. Although easily misunderstood, obedience is not a negation of freedom, but a development of authentic freedom in serving the good, serving God in a particular way. Obedience is not against freedom, but for it!
The notion of givennessalso illumines obedience because when the vow is lived out one receives something, or rather, someone:
 “Through obedience, we imitate Christ in a special manner, Christ who always obeyed the Father, for the life of the world. We are thus more closely united to the Church, to whose building we are dedicated, for its common good and that of the Order (LCO 18.1).”


Just as the other vows give the religious Christ in a special way (the poor Christ, the chaste Christ), the vow of obedience gives him Christ as obedient to the Father, the one who St. Paul speaks of when he says:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8).”    

Obedience unites the friar to Christ who always followed the Father’s will. But this obedience is not easy, especially given the assumptions about freedom and maturity in the world today. It is difficult to imagine that others know better than you do about what is right and wrong, yet it is nevertheless true! We do not see the world correctly unless we are trained to see it correctly, with the eyes of faith, and obedience is the primary lesson in the school of vowed learning. With obedience we learn to order our desires and passions rightly towards true and authentic goods instead of fleeting and apparent ones. Like the method of phenomenology, this kind of seeing takes patience and practice; it is by no means an easy task. But the promise of both phenomenology and obedience is surely worth the effort: to see the world as it is and to know one’s proper place in it according to God’s will.
Because Husserl has been our guide on this journey it is appropriate to end with a passage from another journey, Dante’s Paradiso. In Canto III Dante meets Piccarda who inhabits the first circle of Heaven. In response to his question about whether she has any desire to move to a higher place she says: 

Paradiso Canto II.49 - 
G. Doré

“For it is of the essence of this bliss    to hold one’s dwelling in the divine Will,
    who makes our single wills the same, and His,
So that, although we dwell from sill to sill
    throughout this kingdom, that is as we please,
    as it delights the King in whose desire
We find our own. In His will is our peace:
    That is the sea whereto all creatures fare,
     Fashioned by Nature or the hand of God.”

In God’s will is our peace, for obedience gives us Christ, and everything else along with him.


*see also:Introduction to the Phenomenology of the VowsPhenomenology of the Vows: Poverty
Phenomenology of the Vows: Chastity

All Men considering a vocation are invited to an extraordinary event in the life of the Order of Preachers: a Mass of Solemn Profession for our friars when they will consecrate their lives to God "usque ad mortem" (until death). Please let me know if you will join us!

OTHER SUMMER 2013 VOCATION EVENTS

The Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Josephjoyfully announce the Solemn Profession of their Brothers

Bro. Boniface Endorf, O.P.Bro. Innocent Vincent Smith, O.P.Bro. Cassian Derbes, O.P. Bro. Charles Shonk, O.P.
Bro. Vincent Ferrer Bagan, O.P.Bro. Cajetan Cuddy, O.P.Bro. Clement Dickie, O.P.Bro. Philip Neri Jordan Reese, O.P.Bro. John Baptist Hoang, O.P.
Saturday, August 10, 2013 at 10:30am (time tentative)The Feast of St. Lawrence

Priory of the Immaculate ConceptionDominican House of Studies487 Michigan Avenue, N.E.Washington, D.C. 20017
Reception to follow

OTHER SUMMER 2013 VOCATION EVENTS
NEXT VOCATION WEEKEND

You are invited to the First Masses of the Ordination Class of 2013 on Sunday May 26, 2013
(they will be ordained to the priesthood on May 24, 2013)Invitation to Ordination (click here)
+Saturday morning May 25 at 8AMthere will be a special first Mass of Thanksgivingwith ALL the ordinandi & our friars at the Dominican House of Studies at 8AM 
SUMMER 2013 VOCATION EVENTSIN THE PROVINCE OF ST. JOSEPH




"Father" Dominic Joseph Bump OP
Saints Philip & James Church
2801 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD  21218
11:00AM, reception to follow








"Father" Bernard Marie Timothy OP
St. Jane Frances de Chantal Church
9601 Old Georgetown Rd.
Bethesda, MD  20814
10:00AM, reception to follow







"Father" Matthew Carroll OP
St. John the Beloved Catholic Church
6420 Linway Terrace
McLean, VA  22101
10:30AM

All Saints Catholic Church‎ (on Sunday June 2, 2013 at 11:30AM)
9300 Stonewall Road
Manassas, VA 20110





"Father" Albert Duggan OP
Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle
1725 Rhode Island Ave., NW
Washington DC  20036
8:30AM








"Father" Reginald Mary Lynch OP
St. Dominic's Church
630 E Street, SW
Washington DC  20024
10:45AM









"Father" Ambrose Mary Little OP
St. Peter's on Capitol Hill
313 2nd Street, SE
Washington DC  20003
9AM, reception to follow





Ordination Class of 2013 - to be ordained on May 24Invitation
1. The practice of receiving a priest’s “first blessing” after his ordination Mass is a praiseworthy custom, but there is no specific indulgence attached to receiving such a blessing or, for that matter, to attending a cleric’s ordination Mass.

2. There is a specific plenary indulgence attached to attending a priest’s first “scheduled” or “public” Mass (regardless of whether it is designated a “Mass of Thanksgiving”, although it likely will be so designated), and to the first such Mass only.Enchiridion 1999, conc. 27. The celebration indulgenced here is not the same as the ordination Mass itself.

Read more about indulgences: Edward Peters, A Modern Guide to Indulgences (Liturgy Training Publications, 2008).

On Wednesday July 10, 2013 you are cordially invited to a summer vocation event at the Church of St. Joseph in Greenwich Village and The Catholic Center at NYU.
Here is the schedule:
4:45PM - Arrivals5:00PM vespers with the Dominican friars in the church-followed by a cookout on the roof of St. Joseph's with a talk by Fr. Allan White OP, Chaplain of New York University~7:30PM We will conclude by taking a tour of the NEW Catholic Center at New York University on Washington Square Park.

WATCH VIDEO on The Catholic Center at NYUPlease RSVP to Fr. Benedict Croell OP, Director of Vocations


(click image to enlarge)
SUMMER 2013 VOCATION EVENTSIN THE PROVINCE OF ST. JOSEPH

+see also ourSummer 2013 Dominican Vocation Events (for men 19-35)
(click image to enlarge)*for photos of novices click here
2013 High School Boys Dominican Vocation Event
for Ohio & Kentucky
with Dominican Novices & Priests

St. Gertrude Priory, Cincinnati, Ohio4:45-7:30PM on Monday, June 24, 2013

This will be an excellent opportunity for high school boys to meet and talk with our Dominican novices and priests about a Dominican vocation. Fr. Benedict Croell OP, the Director of Vocations for the Province of St. Joseph will also be present for this event. All High School boys are welcome; permission slip is required.Questions? email Fr. Benedict OP*Required PERMISSION SLIP (click here)permission slip deadline: June 214:45PM Arrivals to St. Gertrude Priory 5:00PM Rosary, Solemn Vespers of Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, & Dinner              -followed by a Talk on Dominican Life with Fr. Ezra Sullivan OP, Assoc. Pastor7:30PM Departures*REQUIRED permission slip - print out, sign and send to:Mr. Brad Bursa
Director of Youth Ministry - St. Gertrude Church7630 Shawnee Run Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45243513-527-3975 (office)
(permission slip deadline: June 21)
*if you cannot print out permission slip email Fr. Benedict OP
*or contact:Fr. Benedict Croell OP202-642-3597 (cell)
Don't miss also the Dominican Rite Mass at St. Patrick's on August 4, 2013 in Honor of St. Dominic & the Simple Profession of our current novices on August 15, 2013 at St. Gertrude.

Summer 2013 Dominican Vocation Events (for men 19-35)

EWTN's "Life on the Rock" welcomed Fr. Gabriel Gillen OP to discuss his video of the late, great Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen which is being produced by Kindly Light Media and two other major productions. CHECK THEM OUT!

SUMMER 2013 VOCATION EVENTSIN THE PROVINCE OF ST. JOSEPH
What is Kindly Light media? WHY THE NAME KINDLY LIGHT?

It is often said that filmmaking is the art of "painting with light." Haunted by the beauty of John Henry Newman's "Lead, Kindly Light" and what we feel called to as artists, our name was decided. Amid the encircling gloom of the nihilistic air we all breathe, Lead Thou Us On!



32 minutes into the show, Fr. Gabriel talks about another production of Kindly Light Media, "Five Paths to the Priesthood." That excellent video about last year's ordination class is below:


Around 46 minutes into the show, Fr. Gabriel talks about yet another production of Kindly Light Media, "Icon of the New Evangelization: The Catholic Center at NYU" A GREAT video here below:

~YOU ARE INVITED~
2013 New England Summer Vocations EventsFriday June 7, 2013 at 4PM at St. Pius V Church
55 Elmhurst Ave., Providence, RI 02908
(across the street from Providence College).

This will be an excellent opportunity to meet many friars of our province. For more information contact the Vocations Director.

4PM Tour of St. Pius V & Providence College with Fr. Augustine Judd OP (pastor), Fr. Hyacinth Cordell OP (vicar), Fr. Nicanor Austriaco OP (professor of Biology at PC)

5PM Vespers at St. Pius V followed by dinner

~6:45PM A Talk on Dominican Life with Fr. Nicanor Austriaco OP

+check out the other Summer 2013 Vocation Events

See also
St. Thomas recommends the Dominican life - Part I
St. Thomas recommends the Dominican life - Part II



In this third post, we move from the bird's eye view of the first 412 questions of St. Thomas’s 
Summa Theologiae to his treatment of the diversities of life (active and contemplative). We recall that we are at the end of the Secunda Pars, which covers the ascent of the rational creature (i.e., man) to God. The first five questions of the Secunda Pars give us the goal of the ascent: happiness, or beatitude, in God. After covering the intricacies of that ascent that apply to all men, the last 19 questions of the Secunda Pars cover "acts pertaining especially to certain men." 
Skipping over the "diversity of gratuitous graces" (things like prophecy, rapture, tongues, and miracles), we come to the "diversities of life" in questions 179 through 182 and the "diversity of states of life" in questions 183 through 189. Under "diversities of life," question 179 is about the division of life into active and contemplative, question 180 covers the contemplative life, question 181 speaks of the active life, and question 182 compares the two. In this post, we will cover the first two of these questions. Note that under each question, which is really a topic, there are several articles to which we will refer, which are the real questions, as it were, of the Summa.
In question 179 there are two articles which ask whether the division of life into active and contemplative is fitting (article 1) and adequate (article 2). In the first article, St. Thomas cites St. Gregory, who speaks of the active and contemplative life as "a twofold life wherein Almighty God instructs us by His holy word." As we examine the division, it is important to remember that God's word is accessible to those in both forms of life: both have the same final end of happiness or beatitude in God. St. Thomas defines the division in this way: life is shown by movement or operation, and man's knowledge (his defining characteristic) is directed towards one of two movements: the knowledge itself of truth or external action, the former being contemplative and the latter being active. For Aquinas, this distinction is also
fitting because some are especially intent on the former and others on the latter.
Question 180, on the contemplative life, begins by asking whether the contemplative life pertains wholly to the intellect or to the affections as well as the intellect. While the essence of the contemplative life pertains to the intellect (as it is directed toward "knowledge itself of truth"), its beginning and end, he says, lie in the affections: it is motivated by the love of the Truth, and it ends with the delight experienced when that Truth is obtained. The affections are, therefore, involved in the happiness or beatitude toward which our whole life, especially in its contemplative aspect, is directed.
The next three articles of the question give us the prerequisites of contemplative life, which belong to it dispositively rather than essentially, i.e. they dispose us toward the contemplative life. First, the moral virtues dispose us to the contemplative life by curbing the passions and the outward disturbances that can hinder us from having the peace and cleanness of heart necessary for it. Second, because we do not come to know truth through simple apprehension like the angels but rather "by a process from several premises," other actions must precede our contemplation of God: whether receiving things from someone else, as in prayer, hearing, and reading, or by our own personal study in meditation. Third, contemplation of the divine effects (i.e., creatures) show us the way to contemplation of God himself (Rom 1:20).
Having established both the role of the affections and the prerequisites for the contemplative life, St. Thomas examines, in the fifth article of question 180, just how far contemplation can go in this life. If one is in the state of rapture, a middle state between this life and the life to come that frees man from the use of the body, then St. Thomas argues that the full vision of the divine essence is possible. For those not in the state of rapture, however, the full vision of the divine essence is not possible in this life, as human contemplation requires some reference to the senses and therefore, we could say, cannot be purely spiritual. In the sixth and longest article, St. Thomas describes in greater detail the complexities of the operation of human contemplation using a distinction from pseudo-Dionysius. Though we will not examine this article further in our present discussion, note, if you are reading along with St. Thomas, that the second objection and reply provide the meat of the argument.
If you do not experience rapture and, therefore, felt rather let down after the fifth article, the
seventh and eighth articles help us to go out on a high note. In the fifth article, St. Thomas is not denying that human contemplation can reach divine truth, even if the fullness of the beatific vision is left for heaven. We find, in the seventh article, that even in human contemplation there is delight (Wis 8:16), both because the operation of contemplation is the highest human good and because its object is God, whose divine love both motivates us to contemplation and delights us when God is attained. Even though the delight is less perfect in this life than in heaven, it is still more delightful than anything in this life for two reasons: (1) the delight is spiritual rather than carnal, and (2) the love of God through charity surpasses all other love.
Citing our Lord's statement in Luke 10:42 that "Mary hath chosen the better part, which shall not be taken away from her," St. Thomas ends his treatment of the contemplative life by affirming that it is continuous. It is continuous with respect to its nature both because it is "about incorruptible and unchangeable things" and because there is nothing contrary to it. It is continuous with respect to us both because our intellects are capable of it and because we are more able to persevere in works that are not done primarily with our bodies. While St. Thomas admits that the manner of contemplation in this life is different than in heaven, he says that contemplation in this life is said to remain by the continuation of charity, which is its beginning and end. 
Stay tuned for our next post, in which we will see the other half of the equation in question 181, which covers the active life, and also a comparison of the two forms of life in question 182.

This summer the Dominican Province of St. Joseph is organizing regional vocation events - you are invited!

These are opportunities to meet our friars in houses throughout our province.  If you have not made a vocation weekend yet in Washington DC, you should contact Fr. Benedict OP now to reserve your space. Did you know our vocation weekends next academic year are already starting to fill? It is important to RSVP for each of these events.

Vocation Event for Washington DC
Ordination to the Priesthood of Six Friars (click)
Friday, May 24, 2013, St. Dominic's, Washington DC
(reception follows at the Dominican House of Studies)
-more evening events are scheduled for vocation candidates after reception
          First Mass with All the Newly Ordained
          Dominican House of Studies, w/families, friends and friars
          Saturday, May 25, 2013 at ~8AM, breakfast follows

Sunday, May 26 there are a number of First Masses - click here for the schedule.
PLAN TO JOIN US FOR THESE ORDINATION EVENTS!



Vocation Event for New England (click)
Friday, June 7, 2013 at 4PM
St. Pius V parish & Providence College in Providence, RI
4PM Tour of St. Pius V & Providence College, 5PM Vespers at St. Pius V, dinner, and A Talk on Dominican Life



High School 2013 Dominican Vocation Event for Boys (OH & KY) (click)
Monday, June 24, 2013 - 4:45-7:30PM
  (permission slips required via St. Gertrude H.S. Youth Ministry - CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD, and send to St. Gertrude Priory, Attn: Brad Bursa)
-with Novices & Priests of St. Gertrude Priory in Cincinnati
Rosary, Solemn Vespers of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, Recreation w/Novices, Dinner & Talk on Dominican Life

Vocation Event for New York City (click here)
Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at 4:45PM
St. Joseph University Church at the Catholic Center at NYU
-arrive 4:45PM in time for 5PM Vespers
Cookout "on the roof"
Talk on Dominican Life as a University Chaplain with Fr. Allan White OP, Chaplain of NYU
A tour of St. Joseph University church and the Catholic Center at New York University in Lower Manhattan (New York City)
      WATCH VIDEO on The Catholic Center at NYU

Vocation Event for Ohio
Dominican Rite Mass at 2PM
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Mass in the Extraordinary Form for Holy Father, St. Dominic
On Sunday, August 4, 2013 at 2PM there will be a Dominican Rite Missa Cantata for the Solemnity of our Holy Father Dominic (old calendar) at St. Patrick's Church in Columbus, OH. DETAILS FORTHCOMING. For men considering a vocation there will be a lunch before the Mass with our friars. Please RSVP.
     MORE INFO ON DOMINICAN RITE
    Vocation Event: Mass of Solemn Profession of Vows (click here)
August 10, 2013 at 10:30AM
Dominican House of Studies
Washington, DC - reception to follow

Vocation Event: Simple Profession of VowsAugust 15, 2013 at 11:30AM
St. Gertrude Church & Priory
Cincinnati, OH
-reception follows, with a chance to meet the new novices

It is possible in some cases to stay the night with us if you are traveling a distance, contact Fr. Benedict OP as soon as possible.

"What can I do now to prepare to enter the Dominicans?"
Latest Vocation Videos & Social Media of the Dominicans


NEXT VOCATION WEEKEND

Below is a series of questions and answers regarding the Apostolic Constitution Summorum Pontificum, as further interpreted by the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae, and its application to the Dominican Rite.  This is meant to help explain the legal status of the Dominican Rite and its use by the friars of the Province of St. Joseph.  Additional questions may be submitted through to this blog and they will be forwarded to our liturgical commission.  I. BACKGROUNDQ: What is Universae Ecclesiae?
A: Universae Ecclesiae is an Instruction issued by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesiae Dei, on the application of the Apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum.Q: What is Ecclesiae Dei?
A: Ecclesia Dei is a Pontifical Commission originally established by Bl. John Paul II in 1988. It was originally given the task of "collaborating with the bishops, with the Departments of the Roman Curia and with the circles concerned, for the purpose of facilitating full ecclesial communion of priests, seminarians, religious communities or individuals until now linked in various ways to the Fraternity founded by Archbishop Lefebvre, who may wish to remain united to the Successor Peter in the Catholic Church".Q: But didn't the Pope lift these excommunications in 2009? Does Ecclesia Dei still have a role?
A: Yes and yes. In the 2007 Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum, the Pope expanded the role of the Commission, affirming that "the same Commission, beyond the faculties which it already enjoys, with exercise the authority of the Holy See, supervising the observance and the application of these dispositions." The same Apostolic Letter of the Holy Father provided that the Commission "would have the form, the tasks and the norms which the Roman Pontiff should wish to grant it."Q: What is Summorum Pontificum?
A: Summorum Pontificum is an Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio by the Holy Father in 2007. It affirmed the unity of the Roman Rite of the Church, and recognized the Missal originally promulgated by our brother Pope St. Pius V (and subsequently issued by Bl. John XXIII) as the extraordinary form of the one Roman Rite.Q: What did Summorum Pontificum do?
A: Primarily, Summorum Pontificum granted to all priests the right to say the extraordinary form of the Mass in private (Mass celebrated without the people). It also gave stable groups of the lay faithful the right to request Mass said in the extraordinary form, and encouraged pastors and bishops to accept such requests.Q: Why did the Pope issue Summorum Pontificum?
A: The Pope issued Summorum Pontificum for three reasons: (a) to offer to all the faithful the Roman Liturgy in the Usus Antiquior, considered as a precious treasure to be preserved; (b) effectively to guarantee and ensure the use of the forma extraordinaria for all who ask for it, given that the use of the 1962 Roman Liturgy is a faculty generously granted for the good of the faithful and therefore is to be interpreted in a sense favorable to the faithful who are its principal addressees; and (c) to promote reconciliation at the heart of the Church.Q: Doesn't this detract from the authority of the Second Vatican Council by calling into question its liturgical reforms?
A: As Pope Benedict XVI indicated in the transmittal letter accompanying Suommorum Pontificum: "This fear is unfounded. In this regard, it must first be said that the Missal published by Paul VI and then republished in two subsequent editions by John Paul II, obviously is and continues to be the normal Form - the forma ordinaria - of the Eucharistic Liturgy. The last version of the Missale Romanum prior to the Council, which was published with the authority of Pope John XXIII in 1962 and used during the Council, will now be able to be used as a forma extraordinaria of the liturgical celebration. It is not appropriate to speak of these two versions of the Roman Missal as if they were ‘two Rites'. Rather, it is a matter of a twofold use of one and the same rite."II. UNIVERSAE ECCLESIAEQ: So is Universae Ecclesiae another legislative document like Summorum Pontificum?
A: Not quite. Universae Ecclesiae is an "Instruction", not an Apostolic Letter.Q: What is an "Instruction"?
A: Under the Code of Canon Law, "Instructions clarify the prescripts of laws and elaborate on and determine the methods to be observed in fulfilling them. They are given for the use of those whose duty it is to see that laws are executed and oblige them in the execution of the laws. Those who possess executive power legitimately issue such instructions within the limits of their competence." (CIC, Can. 34§1)Q: Does this mean it has no legal effect?
A: The Instruction is not itself law, but clarifies and elaborates upon the law established by the Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum. It is an authoritative interpretation of the law contained in the Apostolic Letter.Q: Why did the Ecclesia Dei Commission issue this document?
A: When he issued Summorum Pontificum in 2007, the Pope asked for bishops to send an "account of their experiences" to him in three years. This Instruction is meant to respond to some of the difficulties and concerns raised by the original Apostolic Letter.Q: So, what does this new Instruction say?
A: In an accompanying letter, the Commission briefly summarized the Instruction: After some introductory remarks and historical type (Part I, ch. 1-8), the Instruction first makes explicit the duties of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei (Part II, nos. 9-11). Next, in accordance with Summorum Pontificum, it clarifies the rules and regulations (Part III, nn. 12-35), primarily those relating to the jurisdiction of their diocesan bishop (Nos. 13-14). Then, the Instruction discusses the rights and duties of the faithful who make up an coetus fidelium (Nos. 15-19), and how a priest may be considered qualified to celebrate the forma extraordinaria of the Roman Rite (sacerdos idoneus, nos. 20-23). The instruction also regulates some issues pertaining to liturgy and ecclesiastical discipline (Nos. 24-28), indicating in particular the rules governing the celebration of Confirmation and Holy Orders (Nos. 29-31), the use of Roman Breviary (n. 32), of the liturgical books of the religious orders (No. 34), the Pontifical Romanum and the Rituale Romanum (35) which were in force in 1962, and the celebration of the Sacred Triduum (33).III. UNIVERSAE ECCLESIAE & THE ORDER OF PREACHERSQ: Is there anything new in the document?
A: Yes. The instruction clarifies a number of issues, a few which affect the Dominican Order specifically.Q: What does the document say that impacts Dominicans?
A: The primary impact on the Order is seen in this statement in the Instruction: "Members of Religious Orders are permitted to use their own liturgical books in force in the year 1962" (Sodalibus Ordinum Religiosorum licet uti propriis libris liturgicis anno 1962 vigentibus.)Q: How does that affect the Dominican Order?
A: From its very beginning, the Dominican Order maintained its own liturgical customs, rooted in (but distinct from) the prevailing Roman Rite. In 1962, the Order still had its own Liturgical Books, including the Dominican Missal and Breviary.Q: Does this mean that now any Dominican priest may say the Dominican Rite?
A: In the same way as priests of the Latin Church who desire to say Mass according to the Missal of Bl. John XXIII must be qualified (ideoneus) to say Mass in the extraordinary form, Dominican priests who wish to celebrate Mass according to the Dominican Rite must be qualified.Q: What does it mean to be qualified?
A: The Instruction says that any priest not impeded from saying Mass under canon law is considered qualified. He should also have knowledge of the ars celebrandi of the form of the Rite he is celebrating.aQ: Doesn't a priest need to know Latin?
A: With regards to the Latin language, it is only necessary that a priest be able to pronounce the words correctly and understand their meaning. (necesse est ut sacerdos celebraturus scientia polleat ad verba recte proferenda eorumque intelligendam significationem).Q: Does a priest need to prove he is qualified every time he says the Dominican Rite?
A: The priest is under the same obligation with regards to the extraordinary form as he is with the ordinary form.  That is, in most places a visiting priest must show that he is not impeded, usually evidence by a celebret or letter of good standing.Q: What about a priest's qualification regarding knowledge and execution of the rite, need he provide his qualifiation in these areas before he is permitted to say Mass?
A:  With regards to knowledge and execution of the extraordinary form, a priest who presents himself to say Mass in the extraordinary form is presumed to be qualified if he has previously celebrated it. In a similar way, priests who present themselves to say the ordinary form (whether in English or Latin) are presumed qualified with regards to the execution of the rite, and need not evidence their qualification further.Q: Don't we need the permission of our local superior or the Provincial?
A: "The faculty to celebrate sine populo (or with the participation of only one minister) in the forma extraordinaria of the Roman Rite is given by the Motu Proprio to all priests, whether secular or religious (cf. Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, art. 2). For such celebrations therefore, priests, by provision of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum,do not require any special permission from their Ordinaries or superiors."Q: So what about a public Mass (Missa cum populo)?
A: A public Mass would be subject to the same regulations as any other public Mass said in a parish church or priory. Just as the pastor or prior has the right and obligation to oversee public Masses said under his jurisdiction, the same is true with regards to Mass said in the Dominican Rite. Even so, pastors and superiors should not discriminate between the two forms of Mass.Q: Does this mean that a Priory could decide on its own to use the Dominican Rite regularly as its conventual Mass?
A: No. Summorum Pontificum makes clear if a religious community wants to use the extraordinary form "often, habitually or permanently" as its conventual Mass, it must first receive the approval of the Major Superior (i.e., the Prior Provincial).Q: What would prevent a group of friars from separating themselves from the conventual Mass in the ordinary form so that they could celebrate Mass in the extraordinary form instead?
A: Deliberately absenting oneself from the conventual Mass and choir is contrary to the laws and customs of the Order. Our own Constitutions make clear that the brethren are obligated to attend (and priests encouraged to concelebrate) the daily conventual Mass. "All brothers are bound to the celebration of conventual Mass and Liturgy of the Hours in choir. Everyone shall be mindful of this common obligation." (LCO 63)Q: What about the other liturgical books of the Order, may a Dominican priest use those, too?
A: Yes. The Instruction makes clear that the permission extends to all of the liturgical books of the Order in force as of 1962.Q: If Dominican priests are permitted to say the Dominican Rite, may they also celebrate Mass according to the Missal of Bl. John XXIII?
A: Yes. A Dominican priest may celebrate Mass according to the Missal of Bl. John XXIII, so long as he is qualified to do so.IV. THE DOMINICAN RITE AND THE 1969 RESCRIPTQ: Didn't Dominicans already have the right to celebrate Mass in the Dominican Rite?
A: In 1968, the Dominican Rite ceased being the normal liturgical celebration of the Order, and the Order began using the Missal of Pope Paul VI (the ordinary form of the Roman Rite).  In 1969, the Order received a Rescript from the Holy See granting permission for friars to continue to celebrate the Dominican Rite as it then existed.Q: What is a Rescript?
A: Accoridng to the current Code of Canon Law (promulgated in 1983), a Rescript is: "an administrative act issued in writing by competent executive authority; of its very nature, a rescript grants a privilege, dispensation, or other favor at someone's request." (CIC can. 59 §1.)Q: Does this mean all friars may also celebrate the Dominican Rite according to the 1965 Missal as well?
A: According to the terms of the Rescript, the permission to celebrate Mass was not given universally.  It was given at the discretion of the Prior Provincial or the Master of the Order to those who requested the faculties.Q: Did this permission extend to the liturgical books of the Order existing as of 1962?
A: No.  In 1965, the Order issued a revised Dominican Missal.  The Missal significantly changed the Dominican Rite to be closer to the then existing Roman Rite, especially as envisioned by the Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Sacred Constution on the Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council.  The Rescript gave permission for the use of the 1965 Dominican Missal.Q: Does the Apostolic Constitution Summorum Pontificum abrogate the provisions of the Rescript?
A: There is nothing in the terms of Summorum Pontificum or the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae that repeal the permissions given in the 1969 Rescript.  According to the Code of Canon law:  "Rescripts are not revoked by a contrary law unless the law itself provides otherwise." (CIC can. 73)Q: Which Missal is meant to be used according to the Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum and the Instruction Universae Ecclesiae?A: Those documents indicate that the liturgical books in force as of 1962 are to be used.  In the Roman Rite, this refers specifically to the Missal issued by Bl. John XXIII in 1962.  The Dominican Order did not issue a new Missal in 1962.  Rather, the version of the Missal in force in 1962 was the Missal issued by the Master of the Order, Fr. Martin Stanislaus Gillet, O.P., in 1933 (the Missale Sacri Ordinis Praedicatorum).Q:  So under Summorum Pontificum the Dominican Rite should be celebrated according to the 1933 Missal?
A: Not quite.  In 1955, Pope Pius XII issued a major revision to the celebration of Holy Week in the Roman Rite, a revision that is still seen in the celebration of Holy Week in the ordinary form. Shortly after this change, the Dominian Order revised its own celebration of Holy Week.  Also, in 1960, Bl. John XXIII revised the universal calendar, and greatly simplified the ranking of liturgical days.  The Dominican Order followed suit in 1961.  Certain other smaller changes were also implemented in 1961.  Therefore, according toSummorum Pontificum, the Dominican Rite should be celebrated according to the 1933 Dominican Missal, with the changes implemented by the order through 1962.Q: So what does all this mean, practically speaking, with rescpect to the two Missals (1933 and 1965)?
A: Friars who have received permission to celebrate the Dominican Rite under the 1969 Rescript may continue to do so, using the 1965 Dominican Missal.  No friar may use the 1965 Dominican Missal except with permission from his Prior Provincial or the Master of the Order.  All qualified Dominican Friars may celebrate the Dominican Rite using the 1933 Dominican Missal, as subsequently revised through 1962, no additional permission being necessary.V. TRAINING IN THE DOMINICAN RITEQ: Are priests required to learn to say Mass in the extraordinary form (either the Missal of Bl. John XXIII or the Dominican Rite)?
A: No. But the Pope has encouraged all pastors to make Mass in the extraordinary form available to stable groups of the faithful. In addition, one of the Pope's aims in issuingSummorum Pontificum is that the two forms of the one Roman Rite would influence each other, which would seem to require knowledge of both forms.Q: Does the Instruction say anything about training in the extraordinary form?
A: Yes. In the new Instruction, Ordinaries are strongly requested (enixe rogantur) to offer their clergy the possibility of training in the ars celebrandi of the extraordinary form.Q: What about seminarians?
A: The strong request for training to be offered applies especially (potissimum) to Seminarians, which would include our Dominican clerical Student Brothers.Q: But this request only applies to Bishops, right?
A: No. This strong request is made to all "Ordinaries". In canon law, "Ordinaries" include "major superiors of clerical religious institutes of pontifical right ... who at least possess ordinary executive power." Priors Provincial in the Dominican Order are "Ordinaries" under the law, and so this request applies to our Province as well.Q: Shouldn't we wait for guidance from a Provincial Chapter first?
A: Our 2010 Provincial Chapter has addressed this issue. The Chapter stated in an ordination that the Province should provide: "optional education in the celebration of the Dominican Rite of the Mass, for use in private. This is to be done without prejudice to LCO 59, II and CIC can. 902."Q: Have other Provinces done any training with the Dominican Rite?
A: In the Western Province, a for-credit class in the Dominican Rite is offered to the Dominican Students of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology.Q: How will such training be provided in the Province of St. Joseph?
A: In the past, and with the confirmation of the Prior Provincial, matters dealing with the Dominican Rite have fallen to the Provincial Liturgical Commission. That Commission will work to make available training in the ars celebrandi of the Dominican Rite to all friars who may desire such. In addition, this website provides text and videos to explain how to say a low Mass in the Dominican Rite.  The first training session will occur on Thursday, June 23, 2011 at St. Gertrude Priory.  It is open to all friars interested in learning more about the Dominican Rite.Q: Are there any plans to celebrate the Dominican Rite on a regular basis in the Province of St. Joseph?
A: As of this date, there are no current plans to celebrate the Dominican Rite on a regular basis in any of the Priories or parishes of the Province.  Currently, however, the Priory of the Immaculate Conception (Dominican House of Studies) celebrates a monthly Mass in Latin in the ordinary form.

LIFE OF ST. DOMINIC

1170 Dominic de Guzman is born in Calarogo, now Caleruega, Spain.
1184 Dominic attends the university in Palencia.
1190 Dominic is appointed to the canonry at Osma.
1203 Dominic accompanies his holy bishop to the Marches of France.
1206 On the feast of Saint Mary Magdalen, Saint Dominic has a vision.
1207 Bishop Diego dies and Saint Dominic takes charge of the small band of preachers.
1208 Servants of an Albigensian count murder a papal legate, giving the heresy more political significance.
1211 Saint Dominic prayers save drowning pilgrimages.
1215 Dominic goes to the Lateran Council.
1216 Pope Honorius III succeeds Innocent III. Dominic set out for Rome to complete the foundation.
1217 The Founder is allowed to return to Toulouse in May of 1217.
1218 By January 1218, Dominic had walked back to Rome.
1219 Dominic then travels through France to his Spanish homeland, and then as far as Paris by June of 1219.
1220 The first General Chapter of the Order is held in Bologna around Pentecost, 1220.
1221 Death of St. Dominic - Friday, August 6, 1221, about 6 o'clock in the evening.

1170
Dominic de Guzman was born in Calarogo, now Caleruega, Spain. As the Middle Ages were approaching their peak, the pope grew in prominence beyond any king in Christendom. The spiritual life of the Church was in the process of renewal, but there was still ignorance and division that threatened to get worse. In the year 1170, the same year in which Saint Thomas Becket was martyred in England, Dominic de Guzman was born in Calarogo, now Caleruega, Spain, about 20 miles from the Cathedral in Osma.

Before his mother conceived him, she saw in a vision that a dog with a burning torch in its mouth would come forth from her womb and set the world aflame. Later, she saw the moon on his forehead, yet at his Baptism, his godmother perceived it as a star. The boy was christened probably after Saint Dominic of Silas whose nearby shrine was a favorite of his mother.

His parents were Blessed Jane or Joan of Aza, renown for her charity to the poor and her miracles, and a nobleman named Felix de Guzman. They lived in a tower in the little village of which they were the royal wardens. Their eldest son Anthony would become a Canon of Saint James, and their second, Mannes, would eventually follow his younger brother in the Order of Preachers. Mannes was later beatifide. Two nephews of Dominic would also join the Order, sons most likely of his sister. As a boy, Dominic was sent to his mother's brother to receive instruction for seven years. His uncle was a parish priest in Gumiel d'Izan. Even as a child, Dominic avoided games and denied himself the comfort of a bed to sleep on the floor.

» Back to top

1184


1184 Dominic went to the university in Palencia. At the age of 14, he went to the university in Palencia, in the kingdom of Leon. Around that time, there was a terrible famine. To give alms to the poor, he sold his possessions, even his precious annotated books, thinking that the living skins of the famished were more important than the dead skins of his books. Music was studied in the quadrivium. Consequently Dominic loved to sing, particularly the Ave Maris Stella and the Veni Creator. His study of the arts lasted six years.

» Back to top
1203
Dominic accompanied his holy bishop in 1203 to the Marches of France, in the Languedoc region, because of a royal wedding. It was there that they were struck by the spread of falsehood. People were adopting Albigensianism which considered all material things to be evil. While at Toulouse, Dominic stayed up all night until he had persuaded the innkeeper to accept the true faith. About that time, the pope had called upon the Cistercian abbots to preach against this heresy. At Montpellier, Bishop Diego convinced them to abandon their ostentatious retinues. He himself put on the Cistercian habit and joined the mission, taking Dominic with him. From then on, the subprior was called “Brother Dominic.”

The preachers held disputations from town to town, attended by the lowly and the noble alike. At Fanjeaux, arbiters held a trial by fire for the manuscripts written by Dominic and his adversaries. The one written by Saint Dominic flew out of the flames three times. A similar miracle took place at Montreal.

The Albigensians were extremely austere, but Dominic surpassed them all by his charitable sacrifices. He might eat a bit of dried fish or a little bread and soup. Women who often fed him testified that he never ate more than two eggs, and his wine was about two-thirds water. Dominic wore an abrasive hairshirt, and had an iron chain forged around his waist. He slept very little, and when he did, it was always on the floor, preferably in the chapel. There, the fire of the Holy Spirit even dried his rain-soaked habit better than those of his companions who spent the night by the fireplace. Exhausted from his vigils, he sometimes napped on the side of the road. It was his practice to carry his shoes until he got to town. Once when he needed directions, people maliciously sent him along a path of briars, but he was always happy to bear a little more for the love of God.

Dominic once told a pompous bishop, “... heretics are more easily won over by examples of humility and virtue than by external display or a hail of words. Should we not rather arm ourselves with devout prayers and, carrying before us the standard of true humility, proceed in our bare feet against Goliath?” As hard as he was on himself, nevertheless, Dominic was easy on others.

» Back to top
1206
On the night of July 22, 1206, the feast of Saint Mary Magdalen, on a hill of Fanjeaux overlooking the little town of Prouille on the plain, Saint Dominic saw what appeared to be a globe of fire descending upon a shrine of Our Lady. The sign from Our Lady (or sign of God, “Seignadou” in the local dialect) occurred again the next two nights. From this, he understood that he was to establish a monastery of nuns at Prouille. In the months that followed, Dominic converted nine young women. Consequently, the first “Dominican” convent opened on the 27th of December. Saint Mary Magdalen, the penitent Apostle to the Apostles, therefore, would become the patroness and mother not only of the converted nuns of Prouille but of the Order of Preachers about to be born.
» Back to top

1190
In 1190, Dominic was appointed to the canonry at Osma, while pursuing theological studies. Around five years later, he was ordained to the priesthood. The Canons Regular were essentially clerics who customarily followed the Rule of Saint Augustine. He continued with this life for another nine years. During his nightly vigils, Father Dominic grew in holiness as he wept for sinners. Of the many books he read, he was particularly fond of the Conferences of the Desert Fathers by Cassian. When Dominic was 31 years old and the subprior of his community, his prior, Diego d'Azevedo, succeeded the Bishop of Osma.

» Back to top

1207
Bishop Diego returned to his diocese in 1207, but died soon after. Saint Dominic then took charge of the small band of preachers. Already at Prouille, there was a double monastery or priory next to the monastery, but the brothers were not yet bound to Dominic canonically.

» Back to top

1208
Unfortunately in 1208, servants of an Albigensian count murdered a papal legate, giving the heresy more political significance. As a result, the mission turned into a bloody crusade in the hands of aristocrats and their armies. In the course of the war, Churches were burned, and the preachers disbanded. Dominic, often alone, continued at the task for years, all the while serving the victims of violence.
Brother Dominic always hoped to be martyred but thought himself unworthy. So, he fled places of honor and drew near to mistreatment, to where people would spit and throw filth at him. Aware of looming ambush, he approached singing in plain view. His courage and faith, however, intimidated assassins.

At Muret, the Catholic force was vastly outnumbered, but they broke through the enemy line, killed the heretical King of Aragon and won a great victory, just as Dominic had foretold.

» Back to top

1211
In 1211, while the war continued , a group of English pilgrims were on their way to Saint James of Compostela in Spain. While crossing the River Garonne, the overloaded boat capsized. Dominic, in a nearby church, heard the cries of bystanders and soldiers. Many of the pilgrims were already underwater. Dominic prostrated himself, prayed and loudly commanded their safety in the Name of Jesus Christ. Immediately, the pilgrims emerged near the shore and were pulled to the riverbank. One of the pilgrims, named Lawrence, would be one of the first members of the Order of Preachers. In another incident, a ferryman demanded payment from Dominic, who then prayed and picked up a coin at his feet. Later, eyewitnesses would testify to these and many other miracles at his canonization process.
At Castres, Dominic was praying in the church. The prior sent one of the canons to fetch him for dinner. Seeing Dominic floating in the air, he returned to tell the prior who went to see for himself. So moved was he by the phenomenon, the prior, Matthew of France, became another of Dominic’s first followers. Eventually, a new group of preachers gathered to support his mission.

» Back to top

1215


Peter of Seila gave Dominic large stone buildings at Toulouse, and became his follower. While in this city, the small fraternity attended lectures in theology. Toulouse was the see of Bishop Foulques, who greatly supported the preachers. In 1215, Dominic accompanied Foulques to Rome for the Lateran Council.

While in Rome for the Council, it is believed that Saint Dominic met Saint Francis of Assisi. Both of them would establish a new kind of religious life,which is mendicant and apostolic. At a later time, one or the other founder got angry at his sons for extravagant buildings and held up the other Order as an example of simplicity. Members of both Orders call both saints "Holy Father." For centuries, it has also been the custom for Friars Preachers to invite a Friar Minor to preach on the feast of Saint Dominic, and vice versa. Pope Innocent III was inspired to approve these new Orders because he saw in a dream one or the other of these saints reaching up to support the tottering Church, lest it fall to ruins. Today in Saint Peter's Basilica, colossal statues of Saints Francis and Dominic flank both sides of the Chair of Saint Peter.

In Rome, Bishop Foulques and Saint Dominic petitioned Pope Innocent III for the right to establish a new Order of Preachers. Until that time, preaching was the proper function of bishops. The bold prospect of having an order whose priests cross diocesan boundaries to preach as needed would be a great privilege, yet clearly the time had come for such a development, and Dominic was worthy of the responsibility. So, the pope told him to return to his brethren, and with them, to choose an existing rule. Hence, after the council, Dominic and his companions chose the Rule of Saint Augustine. To this short monastic rule, constitutions were added. Therefore, the preachers would be generically monastic, yet specifically "friars" not always bound to a particular cloister nor to manual labor. For the friars, even the monastic elements of their life acquired an apostolic thrust; for instance, the Liturgy of the Hours was celebrated more succinctly so they could get on with study and the preaching of truth. Bishop Foulques then gave them charge of three Churches, to each of which priories were added. The first was Saint Romain in the cathedral city of Toulouse, and its priory was a model of simplicity. It was the summer of 1216 and the friars had grown in number to sixteen.

» Back to top

1216


Pope Honorius III succeeded Innocent III. Dominic set out, nevertheless, for Rome to complete the foundation. He arrived in September, but did not receive the papal bull of confirmation until December 22, 1216. In a second bull issued the same day, Honorius said, "We, considering that the brethren of the Order will be the champions of the faith and true lights of the world, do confirm the Order in all its lands and possessions present and to come and we take under our protection and government the Order itself, with all its goods and rights."
The pope wanted Dominic to stay at the Lateran for awhile, so Honorius appointed him to be the Master of the Sacred Palace, that is, a theological advisor to the pope, a teacher of the papal court and a censor of books. Since then, the position has traditionally been held by a Friar Preacher. While in the Eternal City, Dominic made pilgrimages to the great Christian shrines.

Once, while praying in the old Saint Peter's Basilica, Saint Dominic saw a vision. The Apostle Peter handed him a staff, and the Apostle Paul handed him a book. Together, they spoke to him, saying, "Go and preach, because you have been chosen by God for this work." Immediately, it seemed to Dominic that he saw all his children preaching two by two throughout the world. From then on, Saint Dominic was often seen on the road carrying a walking stick and the Epistles of Saint Paul. He also carried the Gospel of Saint Matthew, and could recite these Scriptures by heart.

» Back to top

1217
The Founder was allowed to return to Toulouse in May of 1217, but the reunion was short. By August, our Holy Father planned to send his sons far and wide on the feast of the Assumption. They protested because it seemed that their small number would be too diffuse, but Dominic replied, "Do not oppose me, for I know very well what I am doing. The seed will molder if it is hoarded up; it will fructify if it is sown." In time, his prophecy proved true. Instead of dissipating, the Order grew rapidly, and its fruit likewise multiplied.
Consequently, before the great dispersion, the whole Order gathered for the last time at Our Lady of Prouille. The congregation was stunned by the unusual severity of his sermon, for on that day, he had inspired fear in them all. It was probably on that occasion that the brothers professed their vows in his hands; hence the custom of making profession on the Assumption is still common. Coincidentally, Saint Dominic appears today in the painting of the Assumption in Saint John Lateran. When the time had come, he sent most of the friars to the universities at Paris and Bologna. This emphasis on study has always been an integral component of Dominican formation. In fact, many professors soon entered the Order. Dominic, the first "Master" of the Order, sent other friars to Rome and to Spain, while the remainder continued the mission in southern France. About this time, our Father let his beard grow in hopes that he would be allowed to preach among the Tartars and receive martyrdom, but the opportunity never came.

To his brethren, Dominic was exemplary in mortification, doctrine and contemplation. Three times each night, he would whip himself to blood, once for his own salvation, a second time for sinners, and a third for departed souls. Later, other Dominican saints would do the same. Dominic habitually wept for sinners, in the towns he passed, while celebrating Mass, and during his vigils. He was heard crying: O Lord, what will become of sinners? Often on the road, he would either instruct his companions or wander off to pray. His most evident characteristic was that he always spoke to God in prayer or about God to others.

» Back to top

1218
By January 1218, Dominic had walked back to Rome. Around that time, an important canon lawyer, Blessed Reginald of Orleans, wanted to follow Dominic but became bedridden with sickness. Our Lady came to anoint him and to show him the full habit of the Order of Preachers. Reginald recovered and the Order soon adopted the addition to its habit, which was probably the scapular. Saint Dominic too had seen visions of Our Lady. Once he saw Her in the dormitory sprinkling the brethren with holy water as they slept. Therefore, today, the prior or prioress in every Dominican convent sprinkles the community at night prayers (Compline) during the Hail, Holy Queen (Salve Regina).

Due to the generosity of Pope Honorius, a Dominican priory was established at San Sisto (Pope Saint Sixtus II, Martyr) on the Appian Way. Dominic, having received a revelation from God, called the brethren to the chapter room to announce the proximate deaths of four friars, two physically and two spiritually. Soon thereafter, his prediction proved true, for two men died, and two others left the Order for worldliness.

The community at San Sisto had grown very numerous. One day, Dominic was informed by the procurator that their begging had produced almost no food. He ordered the brethren, nevertheless, to gather at table for their meal. He then prayed and suddenly two young men or angels, looking mysteriously alike, came into the refectory to dispense a portion of bread and wine to each friar. The same procurator told of a similar miracle on another occasion.

» Back to top

1219
Dominic then traveled through France to his Spanish homeland, and then as far as Paris by June of 1219. For a few days, German pilgrims, who traveled on the same road, fed him, so he prayed for the ability to speak their language, and the gift was given to him. Neither language nor locked doors could obstruct him. More than one porter wondered how he got beyond their gates. After establishing houses along the way, Dominic returned to Italy, stopping at Milan, Bologna, Florence and Viterbo. He was in Rome for Christmas.
The pope then asked Dominic to reform and organize the more or less independent nuns of the city. By February of 1220, he gathered many at San Sisto. The diplomacy he exercised to overcome protests and achieve this unfavorable organization must have been inspired. He called Mother Blanche from Prouille to take charge of the monastery. The friars meanwhile moved to the ancient Basilica of Santa Sabina, another donation from the pope. For centuries, the Masters of the Order have managed the Order from there.

Dominic is a saint because of his great charity, not because of his miracles, yet the greatness of his miracles is a sign of his love. Of all his well attested prodigies, the most remarkable are the resuscitations of the dead. Our saintly Father once rescued a workman who was crushed by a fallen wall at San Sisto. Another time, the nephew of a cardinal fell from his horse and suffered mortal injuries. Almost immediately, Dominic celebrated Mass. Hours passed before he raised the man to life, with all his wounds healed. In another case, a woman went to hear Dominic preach at San Marco in Rome, but later she returned home and found her little boy dead. She rushed the child to Dominic who brought him back to life. When the pope expressed his desire to publicize the miracle, Dominic threatened to leave town. People were already clipping bits of his habit for relics.
» Back to top

1220
The first General Chapter of the Order was held in Bologna around Pentecost, 1220. Centuries later, the democratic principles of the Constitutions of the Order of Preachers would influence nations. The Founder recommended that all economic matters be handled by the lay brothers, but the Chapter Fathers voted against him. Dominic preached throughout Italy for a year until the second General Chapter, once again in Bologna. By then, his health was declining, yet he continued to walk from town to town preaching. By mid summer, he had spent his strength. Heaven had warned the “Athlete of Christ” that his life was about to end. His work was bearing fruit. Already the Order had grown to eight provinces: Spain, Provence, France, Lombardy, Rome, Germany, Hungary, and England. By the time he reached Bologna in August, it was very hot and humid.

» Back to top

1221


The heat compounded his fever. He could no longer stand, but refused to be put on a bed. He lay on the floor of a borrowed cell, in a borrowed habit, for he had none of his own. He had bequeathed to his children this testimony: “Have charity one for another; guard humility; make your treasure out of voluntary poverty.” He then emphasized poverty, saying, “May my malediction and that of God fall upon him who shall bring possessions into this Order.” When asked about burial, he expressed his wish to be “under the feet of the brethren,” that is, under the feet of those who bring Good News. He assured them, “Do not weep, my children; I shall be more useful to you where I am now going, than I have ever been in this life.”
Near the end, he told the elders, “Till this day, God, in His mercy, has kept my virginity pure and unstained. If you desire this blessed gift of God, hold yourselves apart from everything that can conjure up evil, for it is by watchful care in this that a man is loved by God and revered by man. Be eager in your service of God; strengthen and widen this newborn Order; increase your love of God and your keen observance of the Rule; grow in holiness.” Only a few more words were exchanged. After his confession, he directed his sons to begin the Commendation of the Dying. During its recitation, he stretched his arms upward and died. It was Friday, August 6, 1221, about 6 o’clock in the evening: fittingly the Transfiguration, a feast regarding prophets and apostles. Saint Dominic had lived 51 years.

Miracles followed and devotion to the saint grew, so the church building needed to be expanded and Dominic’s body moved. Hundreds of people of every rank attended the Translation on May 24, 1233. When the stone covering his remains was lifted, a gentle aroma, like a sweet perfume, filled the air to the delight of all. The sacred relics have since been revered in a sepulcher befitting his glory. Within a year after the Translation of the Body, after collecting depositions and testimonies, Dominic was canonized a saint. His feast is celebrated on the eighth of August.

» Back to top

Blessed Pier Georgio Frassati was son of the founder of La Stampa newspaper in Italy and a Third Order Dominican. This young man was enamored of the liturgy and spent many hours in Eucharistic Adoration. His parents wondered where he was!  They were so alarmed and asked their local priest to help him. The priest reassured them he was fine. Many times he had been praying at an all night vigil!

He was a serious mountaineer and loved the outdoors. He frequently signed his name: "Verso l'Alto" meaning "To the Heights!" He was a young man always oriented towards things of heaven. He had a deep love for the poor even though he was from a wealthy family in Turin. While he spent himself helping the poor, he contracted polio and within five days, he died tragically at age 24. The poor came out in huge numbers to give him homage, carrying his casket.

As a young man considering a vocation to be a friar preacher, we suggest you have the concrete experience of building up the Body of Christ around you.  In our aspirancy guidelines we suggest you do that by getting involved with other strong Catholics around you.  Frassati Fellowships around the country are a great way to put your faith into action.

The Frassati Fellowship follows in the footsteps of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, seeking to bring the whole person to Christ through adoration, study, community, charitable activity, and love of the outdoors. Young adults ages 21-35 are welcome to join.
The Dominican Province of St. Joseph are chaplains to three Frassati Fellowships and assist with a fourth:
DC Frassati FellowshipBaltimore Frassati FellowshipCharlottesville Frassati Fellowship (FB page)NYC Frassati Fellowship (run by the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal meets in our church St. Vincent Ferrer, and we frequently help them)
Here is a great commentary on the life of Bl. Pier Georgio by Fr. Barron:

More about Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
Next vocation weekend at the Dominican House of Studies

OUR PROVINCIAL WEBSITE (and many links to it) IS BEING TRANSFERRED/UPDATED AND WE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH EMAIL.

PLEASE DIRECT ALL EMAILS TO: CROELL@OP.ORG

SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

Fr. Benedict Croell OP
202-642-3597
croell@op.org


INFO ABOUT UPCOMING VOCATION WEEKEND:

April 5-7, 2013 Vocation Weekend Schedule

Aspirancy Guidelines for the Men wishing to prepare themselves to enter

There are a few excellent events being sponsored by the Dominican House of Studies and our Thomistic Institute in the upcoming months.



Advancing a Culture of Life Conference
The Catholic Center at New York University
April 5-6, 2013  (MORE INFO)  (FLIER)
Speakers include: David Novak, Rusty Reno, Angela Knobel, Fr. Thomas Joseph White OP, Carter Snead, Yuval Levin, Fr. Allan White OP, Paige Hochschild, Anna Halpine, Francis Beckworth, Ryan T. Anderson, Mary Eberstadt, & Ashley McGuire








Thomas Aquinas: Free Will & Virtue Workshop
Mt. St. Mary College, Newburgh NY
June 13-16, 2013 (MORE INFO)
Speakers include: Fr. James Brent OP, Alfred Freddoso, Jennifer Frey, Michael Gorman, Russell Hittinger, John O’Callaghan, Fr. Michael Sherwin OP, & Candace Vogler







The Priest as Teacher of the Faith Conference (for Priests only)
Cathedral, Nashville TN
July 16-18, 2013 (MORE INFO & BROCHURE)
Speakers include: Fr. Romanus Cessario OP, Fr. Jeremy Driscoll OSB, Fr. Paul Scalia, Fr. Michael Sherwin OP, & Fr. Tom Weinandy OFM Cap

SUMMER 2013 VOCATION EVENTS - PLAN TO JOIN US!

All of these events would be excellent opportunities to meet friars of our province.  For info on our next vocation weekend, CLICK HERE.

EASTER VIGIL 2013Dominican House of Studies, Washington, DCJ. Augustine Di Noia, O.P.
     Brothers and sisters in Christ. “O happy fault. O necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so great a Redeemer.” Thus sings the soaring anthem the Exsultet in this solemn Easter Vigil tonight. 

     But we must confess that these two words—“happy” and “fault”—do not seem to belong together. To what depths of faith does their conjunction point us? To know the answer, we must adopt a divine perspective. A daring move, no doubt, but one to which faith itself invites us. When we take the God’s-eye view, what do we see?  (...)

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL HOMILY AT DOMINICANFRIARS.ORG

Next "Come & See" Vocation Weekend at the Dominican House of Studies

Dear Brothers and Sisters, This morning I have the joy of celebrating my first Chrism Mass as the Bishop of Rome. I greet all of you with affection, especially you, dear priests, who, like myself, today recall the day of your ordination.

The readings of our Mass speak of God’s “anointed ones”: the suffering Servant of Isaiah, King David and Jesus our Lord. All three have this in common: the anointing that they receive is meant in turn to anoint God’s faithful people, whose servants they are; they are anointed for the poor, for prisoners, for the oppressed… A fine image of this “being for” others can be found in the Psalm: “It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down upon the collar of his robe” (Ps 133:2). The image of spreading oil, flowing down from the beard of Aaron upon the collar of his sacred robe, is an image of the priestly anointing which, through Christ, the Anointed One, reaches the ends of the earth, represented by the robe.
The sacred robes of the High Priest are rich in symbolism. One such symbol is that the names of the children of Israel were engraved on the onyx stones mounted on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, the ancestor of our present-day chasuble: six on the stone of the right shoulder-piece and six on that of the left (cf. Ex 28:6-14). The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were also engraved on the breastplate (cf. Es 28:21). This means that the priest celebrates by carrying on his shoulders the people entrusted to his care and bearing their names written in his heart. When we put on our simple chasuble, it might well make us feel, upon our shoulders and in our hearts, the burdens and the faces of our faithful people, our
saints and martyrs of whom there are many in these times…
From the beauty of all these liturgical things, which is not so much about trappings and fine fabrics than about the glory of our God resplendent in his people, alive and strengthened, we turn to a consideration of activity, action. The precious oil which anoints the head of Aaron does more than simply lend fragrance to his person; it overflows down to “the edges”. The Lord will say this clearly: his anointing is meant for the poor, prisoners and the sick, for those who are sorrowing and alone. The ointment is not intended just to make us fragrant, much less to be kept in a jar, for then it would become rancid … and the heart bitter.
A good priest can be recognized by the way his people are anointed. This is a clear test. When our people are anointed with the oil of gladness, it is obvious: for example, when they leave Mass looking as if they have heard good news. Our people like to hear the Gospel preached with “unction”, they like it when the Gospel we preach touches their daily lives, when it runs down like the oil of Aaron to the edges of reality, when it brings light to moments of extreme darkness, to the “outskirts” where people of
faith are most exposed to the onslaught of those who want to tear down their faith. People thank us because they feel that we have prayed over the realities of their everyday lives, their troubles, their joys, their burdens and their hopes. And when they feel that the fragrance of the Anointed One, of Christ, has come to them through us, they feel encouraged to entrust to us everything they want to bring before the Lord: “Pray for me, Father, because I have this problem”, “Bless me”, “Pray for me” – these words are the sign that the anointing has flowed down to the edges of the robe, for it has turned into prayer. The prayers of the people of God. When we have this relationship with God and with his people, and grace passes through us, then we are priests, mediators between God and men. What I want to emphasize is that we need constantly to stir up God’s grace and perceive in every request, even those requests that are inconvenient and at times purely material or downright banal – but only apparently so – the desire of our people to be anointed with fragrant oil, since they know that we have it. To perceive and to sense, even as the Lord sensed the hope-filled anguish of the woman suffering from hemorrhages when she touched the hem of his garment. At that moment, Jesus, surrounded by people on every side, embodies all the beauty of Aaron vested in priestly raiment, with the oil running down upon his robes. It is a hidden beauty, one which shines forth only for those faith-filled eyes of the woman troubled with an issue of blood. But not even the disciples – future priests – see or understand: on the “existential outskirts”, they see only what is on the surface: the crowd pressing in on Jesus from all sides (cf. Lk 8:42). The Lord, on the other hand, feels the power of the divine anointing which runs down to the edge of his cloak.
We need to “go out”, then, in order to experience our own anointing, its power and its redemptive
efficacy: to the “outskirts” where there is suffering, bloodshed, blindness that longs for sight, and prisoners in thrall to many evil masters. It is not in soul-searching or constant introspection that we encounter the Lord: self-help courses can be useful in life, but to live by going from one course to another, from one method to another, leads us to become pelagians and to minimize the power of grace, which comes alive and flourishes to the extent that we, in faith, go out and give ourselves and the Gospel to others, giving what little ointment we have to those who have nothing, nothing at all.
A priest who seldom goes out of himself, who anoints little – I won’t say “not at all” because, thank God, our people take our oil from us anyway – misses out on the best of our people, on what can stir the depths of his priestly heart. Those who do not go out of themselves, instead of being mediators, gradually become intermediaries, managers. We know the difference: the intermediary, the manager, “has already received his reward”, and since he doesn’t put his own skin and his own heart on the line, he never hears a warm, heartfelt word of thanks. This is precisely the reason why some priests grow dissatisfied, become sad priests, lose heart and become in some sense collectors of antiques or novelties – instead of being shepherds living with “the smell of the sheep”, shepherds in the midst of their flock, fishers of men. True enough, the so-called crisis of priestly identity threatens us all and adds to the broader cultural crisis; but if we can resist its onslaught, we will be able to put out in the name of the Lord and cast our nets. It is not a bad thing that reality itself forces us to “put out into the deep”, where what we are by grace is clearly seen as pure grace, out into the deep of the contemporary world, where the only thing that counts is “unction” – not function – and the nets which overflow with fish are those cast solely in the name of the One in whom we have put our trust: Jesus.
Dear lay faithful, be close to your priests with affection and with your prayers, that they may always be shepherds according to God’s heart.
Dear priests, may God the Father renew in us the Spirit of holiness with whom we have been anointed. May he renew his Spirit in our hearts, that this anointing may spread to everyone, even to those “outskirts” where our faithful people most look for it and most appreciate it. May our people sense that we are the Lord’s disciples; may they feel that their names are written upon our priestly vestments and that we seek no other identity; and may they receive through our words and deeds the oil of gladness which Jesus, the Anointed One, came to bring us. Amen.

+from Vatican website
Our next vocation weekend at the Dominican House of Studies