In the presence of numerous German, Austrian and Hungarian Dominican brothers, sisters and lay dominicans, as well as representatives from the neighbouring provinces of Belgium, France, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, the Master of the Order, fr Gerard Francisco Timoner III, OP, proclaimed the erection of the new province of Saint Albert the Great in Germany and Austria on 27 January 2024 in the church of Sankt Andreas in Cologne.
From now on, the provinces of Saint Albert the Great in Upper Germania and of Teutonia with its vicariate in Hungary will be united in the new entity. In the same decree, the Master of the Order appointed brother Peter Kreuzwald as the first provincial of the new province. He will preside over the first chapter which started on 28 January 2024.
In his homily during the Eucharistic celebration which followed the proclamation of the decree, the Master of the Order insisted on the vocation of Dominicans not only to be shepherds who look after their flock, but also fishermen who tirelessly go to the high seas in search of new fish.
At the end of the celebration, the brothers descended into the crypt where the tomb of Saint Albert the Great is located, in order to entrust the future of the new entity of the Order to the intercession of its patron saint.
