St. Agnes and the Women’s March

“Jesus Christ was recklessly charitable,” a wise friar told me after hundreds of people lined up to use the restroom at a Dominican priory. There were not enough restrooms set up for the Women’s March that took place in Washington, … Continue reading

Your Saint Too

On Saturday, we Dominicans celebrated the feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas with special solemnity. For us, the feast is always accompanied by a certain sense of fraternal pride. After all, this great saint and Doctor of the Church, held … Continue reading

The Long View

The Dominicans are almost 800 years and 1 month old. Tomorrow the Order of Preachers officially concludes its 800th Jubilee Celebration on the anniversary of the second bull issued by Pope Honorius III concerning the friars, which granted additional privileges … Continue reading

What are you?

“So, what ARE you, anyway?” This is a question Dominicans get asked frequently. People don’t expect to see a bunch of young and joyful men wearing 13th-century garb—who are not play actors. I typically give the answer that we are … Continue reading

Tradition Old, Tradition New

The opening number of the Broadway classic Fiddler on the Roof contains a striking line: “Because of our traditions, every man knows who he is and what God expects him to do.” A modern viewpoint may well suspect the customs … Continue reading

A New Christmas Album

Christ Was Born to Save: Christmas with the Dominican Friars Nearly seven hundred years ago, a Dominican friar named Henry Suso had a vision of angels singing and dancing with joy about the birth of the Infant Jesus. The German … Continue reading

Becoming a Saint

Saints drive me crazy at times. Praying The Litany of Dominican Saints and Blesseds or reading Saint Dominic’s Family by Sr. Mary Jean Dorcy is both very inspiring but also depressing. The saints we rightly celebrate accomplished many great works … Continue reading

Godly Speech

It was said of our Holy Father Dominic that he always spoke either with God or about God. Likewise, Blessed Jordan of Saxony tells us that “he dedicated the day to his neighbor, but gave the night to God.” Now, … Continue reading