Communicators: “Proclaim happily and faithfully the Gospel of peace” (Bologna,110) The promotion of peace or for peace refers to the good practices of communicators. That is, communicators in the service of peace promotion. The communicative act is more than a kind of channel through which arguments such as preaching, vocational promotion, etc. pass. Communicating means not ceasing to be human…
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…
On 27 January 2024, in the church of Sankt Andreas in Cologne, 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. The proclamation took place in the presence of numerous German, Austrian, and Hungarian Dominican brothers, sisters, and lay Dominicans, along with representatives from the neighboring provinces of Belgium, France, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
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.
Blessed Eduardo Pironio (1920-1998) maintained a lifelong connection with the Order of Preachers. Ordained in 1943, he joined the Third Order in 1947 and professed in 1948. Later, as Bishop of Mar del Plata, he sought the Order’s guidance for the Catholic University.
On 22 November 2023, the Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome, Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, has appointed Fr Carlyle Fortune, OP, as the new Rector of the Basilica of Santa Sabina on the Aventine, Rome.
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.