Becoming a Lay Dominican

Lay Dominican life is truly a vocation, and so the process of formation is undertaken over a number of years, in the context of a community and with the specific guidance of a formation director.

A member’s formator, council, and brothers and sisters in the Order will all help that person discern whether God is calling them to this particular way of living their baptismal promises.

As part of that discernment, Dominicans also undergo a formal study programme. Here is how the process of formation usually progresses:

Inquiry: Come and see! You are welcome to come to meetings at any time without a commitment.

You will meet with the Chapter members and a formation director and be introduced to study modules in preparation for entering the Order.

You will be received into the Order as a member of the fraternity. Your studies with a formation director will bring you further into the Dominican Way of life as you discern whether to make promises in the Order.

Temporary Profession: This stage is designed to help you discern a life vocation, through ongoing formation in your fraternity life and the practice of each of the Four Pillars.

You promise to live the Dominican Rule for three years, after which time you can choose to leave, to make life promises, or ask for a one-year extension of your temporary promises.

Life Profession: You are fully received into the Order of Preachers for life. You promise to live the rule as an extension of your baptismal mission and assume the privileges and responsibilities that this entails within the Order, which include sharing fully in the communal life of your fraternity through leadership and service.

How do you know?

How do you know God may be calling you to be a Dominican? There is no perfect answer to this question. However, there are a few signs of God’s call. The person called by God experiences:

• An increased awareness of God in one’s life and a developing appreciation of Jesus, the Church, His Body and Blood in the Eucharist, and His Sacraments
• A friendship with Jesus and a longing to share His mission of saving the world, saving people and souls – enjoying being around people and empathetic towards all.
• An increasing desire to give oneself completely to the Lord and normal involvement in Church activities is not enough.
• A growing curiosity about what the life of St Dominic and the Dominican saints entails and a longing to read as much as you can find.
• A sense that there are more important things in life and God is calling one to be part of these deeper mysteries.

A Lay Dominican is called to be the visible presence of Dominic in the world today. That spirit is not something easily caught from a book. Rather, it is something caught from someone and for Dominicans, that person is Holy Father Dominic. Communicating the spirit of St Dominic to others is communicating the love of Jesus in the Church. Dominicans find the Spirit of Jesus through meditating on the life of St Dominic.

What are the Four Pillars of Dominican Spirituality?

This beautiful explanation was adapted from the St Albert the Great Chapter of the Dominican Order in the USA:

“Dominicans, tens of thousands of us, have been around for 800 years. Our rich spirituality binds us together and distinguishes us from other religious orders. The most telling attributes are sometimes characterized as the ‘Four Pillars of Dominican Life’—Prayer, Study, Community, and Preaching—inspired by the example of St Dominic, said to be always ‘talking to God or talking about God’. Other distinctions include those revealed in the lives of our Dominican saints and the place of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the history of the Order.

We seek to balance these four aspects of our lives to serve God in the best possible way. It is this balance that constitutes the ‘Holy Preaching’ through which we most effectively proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.”

The Holy Rosary in the Life of Dominicans

Every October we celebrate Our Lady and the month of the Rosary. Tradition tells us that the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary was given to St Dominic directly by Our Lady.  It is an important devotion for Dominicans and for Catholics.

Praying the rosary is not only part of the daily prayer of a Dominican but essential to the very essence of our spirituality. Meditating on the 20 Mysteries of the Holy Rosary is really a meditation on the life of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Our Lady as always, guides and points us directly to Her Beloved Son.

All Catholics of goodwill who are 18 years plus are eligible to join the Dominican laity. Anyone is welcomed to share in monthly meetings.

For more information on the Dominican Laity, please contact Najette Abraham at 620-7061 and Kathleen Warner-Lall at 727-3556.