ROME — The Master of the Order of Preachers, fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, OP, has appointed fr. John Baptist Đoàn Bình Minh, OP, as the new Syndic Ordinis (Syndic of the Order), effective April 5, 2026.
In an official decree addressed to the Vietnamese Dominican, the Master praised fr. John Baptist’s “zeal for the good of the Order” as well as his “prudence and skill in conducting affairs,” expressing great confidence in the appointee’s abilities. Fr. John Baptist succeeds fr. Juan Luis Mediavilla García, OP, who has served in the role dutifully since his appointment in 2019.
Fr. John Baptist is a son of the Vicariate of St. Vincent Liem, sponsored by the Province of the Queen of Martyrs in Vietnam. The province draws its name from the many Dominican martyrs who shed their blood for the faith in Vietnam, including St. Vincent Liêm de la Paz, OP, and his companions.
Fr. John Baptist immigrated to the United States at the age of 22, and upon joining the vicariate, entered the novitiate at St. Gertrude Priory in Cincinnati and subsequently completed his initial formation at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC. Prior to this assignment as Syndic of the Order, fr. John Baptist has served in a variety of pastoral ministries including as a university chaplain and pastor. He was previously assigned in Vancouver, Canada, where he served as pastor.
About the new appointment, fr. John Baptist has shared his joy at living in an international community at Santa Sabina. “We are all in the same Order, of course, but coming from different cultures, we represent the entire Order in the way that we live out the charism together in daily life here.”
The Syndic of the Order assists the Master by overseeing the economic administration of the global Dominican Order, which currently numbers over 5,000 friars working in more than 100 countries. The role involves important responsibilities in governance, representation, and the smooth operation of the Order’s central curia in Rome.
We offer our congratulations and prayerful support to fr. John Baptist as he begins his new assignment.
