At the heart of the Dominican charism is the life of the Friars. We are a religious community of men bound together by a common life, the profession of the evangelical counsels, and a shared mission to preach the Gospel for the salvation of souls. Whether ordained as priests or consecrated as cooperator brothers, we live as a single brotherhood of “Holy Preaching.”
Some brothers are called to the ordained ministry to serve the people of God through the sacraments, liturgical leadership, and the ministry of the Word.
As ordained Dominican priests, they are uniquely tied to the sacramental life of the Church, bringing the Truth of the Gospel to the pulpit and the altar.
A primordial taste for the Word of God marks Dominican friars. The Word demands to be meditated ceaselessly and lived without compromise. Never satisfied, the brothers take every opportunity to promote and engage in the study of the Word of God.
Concern for the poorest found in the compassion of St Dominic and of his brothers a never ending response. No element of human existence is foreign to Dominicans. Mercy is the path, the tone and the mystery of the friar preacher. When making his commitment to live as a Dominican friar, a brother’s reply to the question “What do you seek?” is “God’s mercy and yours.”
The original preaching of St Dominic while in contact with Catharism impressed upon the friars that the proclamation of the Gospel could be done only through authentically evangelical means (see the Gospel according to Mark, chapter six, beginning at verse seven). Joining others and understanding them imposes a lifestyle like that of the apostle: a life that is lived in common and one that is itinerant. In practice, such a lifestyle is lived as a “religious life” with its own essential characteristics: the four elements particular to the friars preachers.
Animated by the rule of St Augustine, the friars live together the same call coming from the one person who calls: Christ. Living as brothers, they strive to love each other, to forgive each other and to live the Gospel in community before living it outside the community.
Preaching finds its vitality in a life of prayer which is both personal and in common. Preaching, when at its best, is a truly contemplative act. The brothers are called to be simultaneously contemplative and fundamentally missionary.
Poverty, obedience and chastity make us men who try to consecrate ourselves for the adventure of the Kingdom of God.
All our personal, community, intellectual and spiritual energy makes us useful for the souls of others, whether they be near to us or far away: useful by our word and by our example.
We are consecrated for the proclamation of the Word of God, proclamation which is done using all the means available to us: preaching, confession, teaching, publishing, spiritual accompaniment, humble presence… Preaching animates what we do or what we live, to the point that our communities (“priories” or “convents”) have been called the “holy preaching.”
We live, pray, and eat together in community, finding strength in our shared search for Truth.
Every friar is a scholar of the Word, dedicated to the rigorous study required to meet the complexities of the modern world.
We are ready to go wherever the mission calls, from the university to the mission field, to light the way for others.
Within the Order of Preachers (founded by St. Dominic in the early 13th century) there exists a rich diversity of vocations. While many Catholics are familiar with Dominican priests and Dominican sisters, fewer know about another essential vocation in the Dominican Family: the Dominican cooperator brother.
A Dominican cooperator brother is a fully professed Dominican friar who shares the same vows, common life, and mission as ordained Dominican priests, but does not receive priestly ordination. His vocation is not defined by what he does not do, but by a positive call from God to live the consecrated Dominican life fully as a brother: rooted in prayer, community, study, and preaching in all its forms.
From the beginning, St. Dominic envisioned an Order marked by fraternal unity and evangelical zeal. His earliest communities included both ordained and unordained friars, all called “brothers.” St. Dominic himself preferred the title “Brother Dominic,” seeing it as a proclamation of the Gospel’s promise that in God’s Kingdom we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.
Cooperator brothers, like all Dominicans, are dedicated to preaching the Gospel for the salvation of souls. Their preaching may not always take place from a pulpit at Mass, but it flows from a life steeped in prayer, study, and witness. Dominican preaching takes many forms: teaching, works of charity, evangelization, spiritual accompaniment, art, and the witness of a holy life.
In this sense, the cooperator brother embodies a truth at the heart of the Order: preaching is not merely what a Dominican does—it is who a Dominican is.
A Dominican cooperator brother embraces the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience within the Dominican family. His consecration is his first and deepest identity. In the words of St. Thomas Aquinas, religious life itself “adorns the Church,” testifying to Christ and the hope of the Resurrection.
Cooperator brothers remind the Church that the value of a vocation is not measured by sacramental function, but by holiness, service, and witness to the Gospel. Their life proclaims that God is worthy of a total gift of self, independent of clerical ministry.
Throughout history and today, cooperator brothers have served in a wide variety of apostolates. Some support Dominican communities through essential internal works; others serve in direct ministry through education, catechesis, pastoral service, administration, missionary outreach, and more.
What unites their service is not a job description, but a spiritual identity: they are brothers who preach Christ by their life and labor.
The vocation of the cooperator brother holds a prophetic place in the Order. Their presence calls the entire Dominican family back to fraternity, simplicity, and mission. Often serving close to the poor and marginalized, cooperator brothers embody the Church’s call to go to the peripheries and encounter Christ in the vulnerable.
Their witness reminds Dominicans, and the whole Church, that evangelization requires humility, solidarity, and a deep love for all God’s people.
The Order of Preachers is most fully itself when priests and cooperator brothers live and serve side by side. The Dominican tradition affirms that where both are present, the Order’s identity and mission shine more clearly. Together, they reflect the communion of gifts within the Body of Christ.
The Church today speaks often of missionary discipleship and the baptismal call to evangelize. The Dominican cooperator brother stands as a living sign of this truth: every Christian is called to preach Christ, and consecrated life remains a powerful, beautiful witness.
In a world searching for meaning, community, and hope, this vocation is more relevant than ever.
Other brothers are called to a consecrated life that expresses the “preaching of the hands.” They participate fully in the Order’s mission through a diverse range of professional, technical, and apostolic works.
Cooperator brothers underscore the fraternal nature of our life, reminding the world that our primary identity is rooted in being brothers to one another and to those we serve.
