Vigil of All Saints at the Dominican House of Studies

On the evening of October 31, I had the pleasure of attending the 2009 Vigil of All Saints at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC, with a few friends from the West Chester area. On this annual event the Dominican House chapel is packed to capacity with young adults and religious from other communities in the area. It is a special service derived from the ancient Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours. It includes selected readings from, or about, several Saints, Dominican chant, a sermon preached by a student brother relating to the lives of the Saints, and closes with a candlelight procession inside the cloister hallways while chanting the Litany of the Saints. A light reception follows. [For more info, including an audio of the sermon preached by Br. Jordan Joseph Schmidt, O.P., see the Dominican vocation web site here]

Here is a short video giving some highlights of the evening, accompanied by the Dominican brothers chanting in the background. The Dominican friars web site includes this in its introduction to the video:

This year, the Vigil of All Saints was a beautiful celebration of the Church’s witness throughout the ages. Dominicans friars throughout the country hosted their own vigils from the Dominican Studentate of the Western Province in Oakland, CA (where the All Saints Vigil Originated) to the Aquinas Center at Dartmouth College to the Church of St. Mary in New Haven, CT right here to the Dominican House of Studies in Washington. Moreover, the All Saints Vigil has started to spread elsewhere. A[t] least two convents of the Little Sisters of the Poor are offering it for their residents. And even students in Gaming, Austria have started it this year.

Attending this Vigil is a wonderfully Catholic thing to do. I greatly appreciated, as well, the opportunity to spend a little time with several of my former classmates and brothers who are now outstanding young Dominican priests.

Grace Abundant; Five New Dominican Priests

By the grace of God there are five new Dominican priests in the world, ordained last Friday, May 29. They are: Fr's. Gregory Schnackenburg, Bruno Mary Shah, Anthony Mary Giambrone, Thomas Petri, and Jonah Pollock.

I attended their ordination to the holy priesthood at St. Dominic's Church in downtown Washington, DC. It was awesome. I've been to a number of ordinations. But when it is men with whom you have lived and know well who are being ordained it is even more special than ordinations always are.

I am very happy and excited for them, the Dominicans, and the Church, for they are excellent men and I'm sure will be excellent priests. I pray for abundant blessings upon their priesthood, and that they all become holy in the exercise of their priestly ministry. All praise and thanks be to God for this great gift to the Church!

Dominican Ordinations this Friday

This Friday, May 29, four Dominicans of whom I was formerly a brother and classmate are being ordained to the holy priesthood of Jesus Christ.

Please pray for Bros. Bruno, Thomas, Anthony, and Jonah (and Br. Gregory, also, who was in the class ahead of ours). I was a novice with these men at the Dominican novitiate in Cincinnati and lived with them for almost five years. They are truly excellent men of God, and remain, praise God, my friends and brothers.

Please pray for abundant graces to shower upon them on their day of ordination and throughout their lives as Dominican priests. May they all become holy Saints!

Saint Dominic, ora pro nobis.

Br. James Brent, OP, Conversion Story

Br. James Brent, OP, is a Dominican of the Eastern Province and one of my former brothers in religion. He is currently a deacon and will be ordained a priest probably next year in 2010.

Br. James grew up Catholic, but left the faith while in college. He came back to the faith in a very strong way and eventually entered religious life on track to become a priest. He was recently interviewed about his story at a blog called Conversion Diary. I highly recommend reading his story, "From Agnosticism to the Priesthood." It is in two parts and begins here. God bless Br. James for opening his heart to God's grace!

Evangelization, Polish Dominican style

Some reading this blog know that from the Summer of 2003 to February, 2008, I was a Dominican--a member of the Order of Preachers. I was a student brother in simple (temporary) religious vows until God, through a painful discernment process, let me know that what I had originally thought was a lifelong calling to Dominican life, was in fact a temporary calling. I departed the community on good terms in 2008 and am blessed to count my former brothers as friends. In a different though still significant way I see us as continuing brothers in St. Dominic. I will always be deeply stamped by my 4 1/2 years as a Dominican and consider this time of my life as a great blessing for which I am very grateful to God. Though I am no longer a Dominican brother, I still love the Dominicans and much about Dominican life! [My former classmates--truly excellent men--will be ordained to the holy priesthood next month (but for one who was ordained last year)! Please pray for them.]

The charism of the Dominicans is to go out into the world and preach the truth about God and man for the salvation of souls. So, on the topic of things Dominican, here is an excellent example in video form of how the Polish Dominicans (wonderful men of God, and blessed with vocations) approach evangelizing the contemporary culture. Even if you don't speak Polish (I don't), you can still get a very good idea of what the Polish brothers want to communicate with this creative and thought-provoking music video.