Video of the Diaconate Ordinations 2018

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Brothers Matthew Farrell and Jesse Maingot OP, members of the Irish Dominican Province, were ordained deacons in St Saviour’s church, Dublin, yesterday, 2 April, by Bishop Denis Nulty.

Matthew Farrell is a native of Daingean, Co. Offaly. Jesse Maingot is a native of Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies. Bro. Jesse does his formation as a Dominican in Ireland as the Dominican Priories in Trinidad and Tobago are part of the Irish Province.

Both men joined the Order in 2012, making profession of solemn vows (lifelong commitment) in 2017. Brother Matthew and Brother Jesse will continue their studies in theology as part of the journey towards being ordained priests in the summer of 2019.

The photos of the event can be found by clicking here.

From Ireland to Nashville!

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The friars of St Saviour’s were recently honoured to be visited by a young Irish woman who is joining the postulancy of the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia, in Nashville, Tennessee. Clare Kavanagh (pictured with some of the brothers) first came across the Nashville Dominicans on the blog of our vocations director, showing the value of the internet apostolate!

The sisters in Nashville have, in recent years, experienced something of a vocations boom – the average age of the sisters is in the mid-30s! Their apostolate is teaching, and they teach in schools all over the States, and are beginning to establish a presence in Australia. Fittingly for a congregation under the patronage of St Cecilia, music is also a major part of their lives, and they sing the Divine Office beautifully. If you want to find out more about the life and mission of these sisters, check out this video.

In the meantime, please pray for Clare, and pray for vocations to all branches of the Dominican family!

Signs of a Vocation

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Many people during their lives consider the possibility of priesthood or religious life and fail to do anything about it.

Sometimes people feel inadequate or ill-equipped to take on the task of following God in this special way. This is quite normal!

Indeed, one does not have to be a theologian or philosopher or indeed to have reached the great spiritual heights.

What is very important, though, is to be open to the call of God in your life. This means that, to be truly open to God’s call, those considering the Dominican way of life should be people of prayer and faith.

It is only when we are receptive of God’s word and action in our lives that we can begin to be open to His call to us.

It is said of Saint Dominic that he always spoke to or about God during his life. This remarkable aspect of our founder’s life could be the springboard to understand God’s call in your life.

It is very important that we make an attempt at answering this call – and not just leave it to others, because you are called by God personally.

Remember, you will have many reasons for join the Order, but it is vital to ensure that your reasons are grounded in prayer and faith

Dominican Vocation

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The call to become a Dominican friar comes from God. People seek to serve the Lord in varied ways, but when a person is really passionate about the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and bringing people closer to God by spreading that same Gospel, then the question of serving as a Dominican becomes a real one.

For more information about the Dominican Vocation, please go to Dominican Friars

How do I know that I am called?

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This is a difficult question to answer!How do I know that I am called?

We are all familiar with the story of Saint Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts of the Apostles, chapter 9) where he encountered God and was called.

It is the story of a truly inspiring and dramatic calling, one that is out of the ordinary. And perhaps it is that word ‘ordinary’ that we should focus on here. Remember, when Jesus called the first disciples, they were ordinary men going about their ordinary business. But called by the Lord, they certainly were.

The Irish Dominicans are a group of approximately 180 men from various backgrounds and locations. Ask any one of us how we were called, and you will find many different answers. But there is one common thread that links us together – the desire to preach the Word of God!
All through history, God has been calling ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

If you feel that you have a strong desire to share your faith with others, to open up the mystery of God for people, a willingness to be on the side of those who are oppressed and a passion for justice through preaching the Gospel, then perhaps God is inviting you to follow in the footsteps of Saint Dominic.

All of us are called to proclaim the Gospel by the nature of our baptism, but living it in faith and trust and mutual support of others who share that same ideal could prompt you to understand that God is calling you in a unique way – the Dominican way.

Dominicans in the World Today

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Dominicans are preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.Dominicans in Today’s World

The motto of the Order is veritas (a Latin word meaning “truth”).

We are therefore charged by the Church with preaching the truth of the Gospel message. Since the Dominican Order was founded almost 800 years ago, Dominicans have been at the forefront of this mission of searching for the truth.

All the great names of the Dominican tradition including Thomas Aquinas, Albert the Great, Catherine of Siena, Meister Eckhart, Martin de Porres, Bartolomeo de las Casas, Henri Lacordaire and many more, have shown by their lives and legacies that the mission of the Dominican Order throughout the centuries has sought, and continues to seek this truth, in order that people might more fully understand the mystery of God in their lives.

In our modern world, this constant search for truth and goodness and right is as essential as it was in St. Dominic’s time – perhaps even more so.
We live in the era called the intangible economy. Our Western society is consumption driven and it is becoming less and less clear to people from where their desire to consume is coming.

In the midst of all this, the search for God continues …

There is a great yearning to understand, document and use the complexity of life in all its forms – and a great yearning to understand God as well.
The Dominicans in Ireland and throughout the world are at the forefront in this search. To this end, we are active in various ministries in third level institutes of learning, engaged in pastoral ministry in parishes and local communities, involved in teaching the disciplines of philosophy, theology and scripture, in dialogue with new religious movements and sects and involved in the areas of justice and peace and many other ministries besides.

We have a missionary dimension to our lives also. Ultimately, we are where the people need to hear the Word of God most!