From August 13 to 23, 2025, the Master of the Order, accompanied by the Socius for Fraternal Life and Formation and the Socius for Latin America and the Caribbean, conducted the Canonical Visitation of this Province.
The presence of the Order of Preachers in Brazil dates back to 1881, with the arrival of the first missionaries from the Province of Toulouse, France. Later, in 1936, a second group arrived from the Province of Bologna, Italy, followed in 1960 by a third group from the Province of Malta. Each of these groups brought different forms of preaching: from the evangelization of native communities, to the promotion of social engagement projects, and the academic presence in major urban universities. In 1998, these three entities were united into a single Province under the name Fray Bartolomé de las Casas.
The Master of the Order, fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, O.P., accompanied by the Socius for Fraternal Life and Formation and the Socius for Latin America and the Caribbean, conducted the canonical visitation of the Province. Their itinerary included the Convent of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rio de Janeiro—dedicated to theological formation—, the Convent of Saint Jude Thaddeus in Goiânia, the Convent of the Holy Family in São Paulo—for philosophy students—, and the Convent of Saint Albert the Great, also in São Paulo.
Several brothers traveled from their own communities to join the visit: the friars from the Salvador de Bahia house went to Rio de Janeiro; those from the Santo Domingo house in Uberaba and from the Our Lady of the Rosary house in Goiás gathered at the Convent of Saint Jude Thaddeus in Goiânia; while the friars from the Saint Anthony house in Curitiba joined the prenovitiate brothers at the Saint Catherine of Siena house in Santa Cruz de Rio Pardo.
The Province offers multiple spaces for preaching, reaching diverse audiences: parish communities, through the celebration of the sacraments and lay formation programs in mission, theology, and leadership; the academic world, through university teaching; and consecrated life, by offering retreats and conferences to priests, men and women religious of other communities. Together with the other branches of the Dominican Family, the Province also fosters spaces for reflection on justice, peace, and care for creation.
The Province looks to the future with hope, strengthened by the entrance of new vocations in the initial stages of formation. The presence of these young men, together with the dedication of the training communities and all the friars, highlights the vitality of Dominican preaching in Brazil, a country with more than 200 million inhabitants and the largest Catholic population in the world.
