“A Cathedral of Constitutional Law”, edited by Br. Anton Milh, OP & Br. Mark Butaye, OP, was presented in Rome at the National Institute of Roman Studies on 15 February 2024 in collaboration with the Belgian Dominican Province, the Historical Institute of the Order of Preachers, and the Brepols publishing house.
On Monday 11 February, during the Office of Lauds, Father Guillaume Lefloc’h began his novitiate within the newly-formed Dominican priestly fraternity at the monastery of Beaufort.
On 11th February, in St Saviour’s Church in Dublin, the Master of the Order, fr Gerard Francisco Timoner III, OP, presided over a Eucharist of thanksgiving for 800 years of Dominican presence in Ireland.
The Master of the Order, fr Gerard Francisco Timoner III, OP, together with the Socius for Asia Pacific, fr Jamshed Albert Gill, OP, conducted canonical visitation of the Vice-Province, Reginae Sinae-Taiwan, from 13-21 January 2024. The friars were visited at the house of formation, Saint Albert the Great Convent-Taipei, Saint Dominic Convent -Kaohsiung and the friars serving in Minor Basilica…
The second meeting for founding a priestly fraternity occurred at Beaufort Monastery in Plerguer, France, from December 3 to 4, 2023. Discussions included the fraternity’s rule, collaboration with the monastery, and integration into the Dominican Family.
The second Intermediate Assembly of Lay Fraternities in the Province of Hispania convened in Madrid. Fraternity leaders discussed community life and formation, and reports were presented by the Provincial Council. The assembly concluded with the update of the lay directory.
From December 27, 2023, to January 3, 2024, Brother Gerard Francisco Timoner III, OP, Master of the Order, conducted a canonical visit to Dominican friars in Iraq, joined by Brother Alain Arnould, OP. The visit emphasized hope amidst challenges.
The Historical Institute of the Order of Preachers, in collaboration with Dominican Sisters Europe, organized a formation course on the ‘History, Tradition, and Spirituality of the Dominican Order’ from November 10 to 15, 2023, in Rome. Attended by twenty-three sisters from eight countries and nine congregations, the conference featured talks on the founding father St. Dominic, Dominican identity, Dominican saints in art, the history of Dominican sisters’ congregations, sanctity in female mystics, and more. The course also included visits to significant Dominican sites, a celebration at St. Peter’s Basilica, and discussions on justice and peace in the Order. The week emphasized unity in diversity, the richness of the Dominican intellectual tradition, and the importance of justice and peace in the mission of evangelization.
In response to the call of the General Chapter of Biên Hòa, co-operator brothers from Europe and Canada gathered at the Convent of Madonna dell’Arco (Naples) from December 11 to 15, 2023. Deepening their understanding of vocation, mission, and challenges, the meeting featured insights from Brother Alessandro Cortesi, OP, and Brother Vivian Boland, OP. Discussions on the vocation’s various aspects, reflections on St. Martin de Porres, and a firsthand account of combating slavery in Brazil enriched the fraternal encounter. Emphasizing the need to promote the co-operator brother vocation, participants departed with renewed fraternal support to enrich the Order’s preaching mission.
On November 30th 2023, brother Jean-Michel Poffet, OP of the Province of Switzerland was awarded the degree of Master in Sacred Theology. After the provincial of Switzerland, brother Benoît -Dominique de la Sougeole OP had read out the decree of the Master of the Order, Br. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, OP, conferring brother Jean Michel his degree, and the regent of studies of the province of Switzerland, brother Gilles Emmery, had pronounced the laudatio, the newly promoted Scripture scholar pronounced his magisterial lecture.