Dominican Family Vocations Day - April 5th - register now!

The 6th annual Dominican family vocations day takes place on Saturday, April 5th in Saint Saviour's Dominican Priory, Dorset Street, Dublin 1. It is important to register by March 28th if you wish to attend. To do so, please contact Sr Niamh OP (Dominican nuns, Drogheda) on (041)9838524 or by sending her an email with your details to opfamily.vocationsday@gmail.com

As advertised, this day is a great opportunity to find out more about the vocation of the lay Dominicans, the apostolic Dominican sisters (Cabra congregation), the Dominican contemplative nuns at Siena monastery in Drogheda and the Dominican friars. You will get the chance to meet with the various members of the Dominican family and to ask them those burning questions about their Dominican vocation - and yours!

This year, we are delighted to welcome back Dr Andrew O' Connell (communications officer for the Presentation Brothers, journalist and commentator) as our keynote speaker for what will be a lively and informative presentation. A member of each branch of the Dominican family will give reflections and input on their own vocation. Participants will also be afforded the opportunity to pray with us, enjoy the hospitality of the friars at Saint Saviour's and to conclude the day with the celebration of the Eucharist.

So, book now to avoid disappointment!!

Dominican Family Vocations Day - March 2nd 2013

The fifth annual Dominican family vocations day takes place on Saturday, March 2nd in Saint Saviour's Dominican priory, Dublin 1 from 9.30am to 5.30pm

Now in its fifth year, this 'vocations' day is designed to help men and women who have a serious interest in the four branches of the Dominican family in Ireland - the friars, apostolic sisters, the contemplative nuns and the lay Dominicans - and to learn more about our way of life.

Participants in the day will have an opportunity to hear about the vocation of each branch of the Dominican family, to talk and converse about our vocation and ask all the questions that you might have. Central to the day is prayer and celebration of the Eucharist.

The vocations day has grown from strength to strength over the years and participants have found it invaluable in helping in their discernment process.

This year, we are delighted to welcome back Dr Andrew O' Connell, the communications director for the Presentation Brothers in Ireland as our guest speaker.

Since places are limited we encouarge anyone who would like to secure a place to contact us as soon as possible (as per the poster above) or to me, the vocations director for the friars at frgd@eircom.net

We look forward to welcoming you - and remember the event is free!

Dominican Family Vocations Day - March 20th 2010

There are a small number of places available for our annual Dominican Family Vocations Day which will be held in Saint Saviour's Dominican Priory, Dorset Street, Dublin 1 on Saturday, March 20th. The event begins at 9.30 am and concludes at approximately 5.30 pm

Bookings have been brisk and there has been a great deal of interest from men and women who would like to know more about the life of a Domincan friar, contemplative nun, sister and lay Dominican.

The purpose of the Vocations Day is to introduce those interested into the lives of the four branches of the Dominican family in Ireland and to get an opportunity to meet with the Dominican friars, nuns, sisters and lay Dominicans - who will give an insight and some presentations on their life, work and ministry.

As part of the reflections for the day we are very pleased once again to welcome back Dr. Andrew O' Connell (Communications Director for the Presentation Brothers in Ireland, journalist and commentator) who will give an input on the day. We are also very pleased to welcome Joseph Merrick (Communications Director for the St Joseph's Young Priests Society) who will also give a presentation.

As spaces are now very limited for this event, please indicate as soon as possible your interest in this event by contacting me at my email address frgd@eircom.net

Dominican Year of Vocation Event - March 14th 2009

There are a few limited spaces available for the next Dominican Year of Vocation event which will be held in Saint Saviour's Priory, Upper Dorset Street, Dublin 1 on Saturday, March 14th next from 10 am to 4 pm.

The day is designed to give men and women discerning a vocation to the Dominican way of life an opportunity to learn more about discernment and to hear more about the vocation of the various branches of the Dominicans - nuns, friars, sisters and lay Dominicans.

The day begins with morning prayer of the church, followed by an input on discernment by Dr Andrew O' Connell. After this a Dominican sister, friar, nun and a lay Dominican will give some contributions on the nature of discernment in their form of life along with a presentation on their life and work. There will be opportunities for discussion and reflection. Lunch will be provided by the community. The day will conclude with the celebration of the Eucharist.

If you are interested in attending, please email me at frgd@eircom.net or Sr. Breda OP at siena3@eircom.net before March 6th. To look at the Saint Saviour's community website, please click here.

A Prophetic Voice on Vocations...

It is a risk I know to label anyone as a prophet - especially when they are still alive and even more so when they are young! So, I hope that you will forgive me for naming a prophet in this brief post. His name is Andrew O' Connell (pictured), who is the communications director for the Presentation Brothers in Ireland. He is, in my opinion, the most authentic and credible commentator on vocations in Ireland. He rarely misses an opportunity at any meeting, gathering, lecture or article to make a case for vocations to priesthood and religious life. And not only make the case but to challenge, inspire, animate and enthuse others about the subject.

A case in point: this week's Irish Catholic newspaper (edition February 26, 2009) Andrew writes in his comment piece about the negativity of many surrounding the so-called 'vocations crisis'. He says that the 'crisis' is not the work of the Holy Spirit but '...due to a pathology of tiredness within the Church in the West. It is due to half-hearted and poorly resourced efforts to build a culture of vocation in the Church'. He proposes that we get back to basics on vocations and he ends with a mighty challenge: 'In particular, on the issue of vocations, it's time for people to make a choice. Lead. Follow. Or get out of the way.'

For many, these words will be difficult to hear, even unpalatable. But they are crucial and important words - just like the words of the prophets of the scriptures.

I am delighted to announce that Dr Andrew O' Connell will be joining us, the Dominicans, to give some input on discernment, at our next Year of Vocation event which will be held in Saint Saviour's Dominican Priory, Dorset Street, Dublin 1 on March 14th next. Details about the event can be found elsewhere on this blog.

Spotlight on Vocations in Catholic Publications in Ireland.

The upcoming 'Year of Vocation' is obviously exercising the minds of editors of some Catholic magazines and publications in Ireland. This weekend I noticed two articles of interest - and both with very different takes on 'vocation'.

The first was in Reality, the excellent publication of the Irish Redemptorists. The article entitled 'Empty seminaries and the future of priesthood' is by Tony Flannery CSsR. In the article he refers to the comments of a the newly appointed bishop of Ossory about the bishop's desire to attract vocations - and particularly to remind the Christian community in the diocese that it is their duty to nourish priestly vocations. Fr. Flannery doesn't have any great confidence that the bishop will succeed. The article centres on a conversation the author had recently with a group of about 30 people. In asking them about the rapid decline of clergy numbers and the problem this creates for ministry in the Irish church, the group did not think that priesthood was a good career choice because of a number of issues. (1) Fear of life-long commitment. (2) The Church's inability to adapt to modern times. (3) Compulsory celibacy. (4) The exclusion of women from the priesthood and (5) while not explicitly stated, the scandals within the Irish church in recent times.

In the end, I wasn't sure who was the real author of the article. Was it the 30 people or Fr. Flannery? That apart, I was left wondering whether the central issue of vocation was touched on at all - namely, that vocation is a divine call given to all the people of God, but in a particular way to some whom the Lord chooses to work as priests, brothers, nuns, sisters in a consecrated fashion.


The second article was in The Word - another excellent periodical published by the Divine Word Missionaries. Entitled 'A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats' and written by Sarah MacDonald, the article centred on the work of Andrew O' Connell, the Communications Director of the Presentation Brothers in Ireland. Andrew explains his guiding philisophy as the message of John Paul II: 'Let no one, on account of our negligence, lose the beautiful gift of their vocation.' In upbeat terms, the article singles out a number of reasons why vocation to religious life is a real alternative by(1) Opening the doors of religious communities to young people to invite them in and de-mystify the notions people have. (2) Presenting vocation as a real and credible option. (3) Have people work full time on vocation (the real secret!). (4) Use human and financial resources to promote. (5) The importance of personal invitation. (6) God!

Andrew also, rightly, cites other issues of real concern, particularly the lopsided theological notion that the fall off in vocations is attributable to the work of the Holy Spirit and that we should accept this and get on with it. He sees the 'vocation crisis' as the effect of aggressive secularism, post-modern confusion and the inability of the Church in Ireland to come to terms with these realities.

Both articles mentioned are important as part of the dialogue we need around new membership to our way of life. But for realism and hope, it's the artcle in The Word - by a mile!!