St. Dominic understood the Order as a continuation of that same apostolic life and mission. Significantly, he convoked and celebrated the first General Chapters in 1220 and 1221 on the solemnity of Pentecost. By gathering on this feast, the friars entrusted their deliberations to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, sought communion in discernment, and affirmed that governance in the Order is a spiritual act, not merely an administrative one. Dominic’s choice was intentional: it rooted the Order’s identity in an apostolic, outward-looking, and Spirit-led vision. In this light, General Chapters are not simply assemblies, but privileged moments of communal discernment, governance, and renewal; indeed “pentecosts” in their own way, renewed again and again in the life of the Order.
My successor will have the privilege of leading the Order when the Church marks the great jubilee of the Redemption and Pentecost in 2033. Yet I wish to invite you, even now, to reflect on how we might prepare for that day, and to consider what we are called to offer the Church as we journey together toward that momentous event of grace.
— fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, OP
Master of the Order
As Fishers and Shepherds: The Dominican Journey with the Church to Pentecost 2033
Comme pêcheurs et pasteurs : Le cheminement dominicain avec l’Église vers la Pentecôte 2033
Como pescadores y pastores: El camino dominicano hacia el Pentecostés de 2033
