Dominican Family Day 2012

Dominican Family Day Dublin: (left to right) Gerard Dunne OP (Dominican friars), Sr Fionnuala Quinn (Dominican sisters), David Kammler OP (guest), Dr Gaven Kerr OPL, Brian Pierce OP, Sr Liz Healy OP (Dominican sisters), Sr Breda Carroll OP (Dominican nuns, Drogheda), Bridget Doherty) Caritas Christi. (click to enlarge photo)

 

The annual Dominican family day took place in All Hallows College in Dublin's northside today - September 29th 2012. This annual event organised and hosted by the Dominican Association of Ireland (an umbrella body representing the Dominican friars, lay Dominicans, Dominican nuns and Dominican sisters) gathered together members of the Dominican family in Ireland to consider the contemplative aspect of Dominican life. The meeting reflected on this topic in line with the themes proposed by the Order in preparation for the jubilee celebrations celebrating 800 years of the foundation of the Dominicans in 2016.

The gathering of Dominican women and men along with guests were treated to two excellent contributions during the day - by Fr Brian Pierce OP (promoter general for the nuns of the Order) and by Dr Gaven Kerr, a lay Dominican from Belfast. In two contrasting talks, both Dominicans gave expositions on the importance of contemplation for the Dominican - as a necessary part of our preaching mandate.

The Dominican Association was delighted also to have David Kammler OP as our special guest. Fr David is the Promoter General of the Dominican laity who is in Ireland for a series of meetings with the lay Dominicans around the country.

Reception of Novices and Professions in other Dominican Provinces

While the Irish Dominican friars are celebrating the reception of five new novices and the first profession of two of our brothers, we extend our prayerful and fraternal good wishes to other provinces of the Order who are also receiving novices and professions. As you will see from the images and videos below, the Order is continuing to attract many men to follow in the footsteps of Saint Dominic. Please pray for them and for their perseverance in our way of life.

The Toulouse province in France receive six novices in Marseille on September 15th

The Western Province in the United States received six new novices into their province on August 30th last. I had the honour of meeting Br Thomas (second from left) during the summer while he was on holidays in Ireland.

 The Western Province in the USA also celebrated the first profession of four brothers on September 2nd.

 The province of England has four new novices - they were clothed in the habit on September 16th

The English Dominicans receive the solemn profession of Bro Nicholas Crowe OP in Oxford on September 16th

The French province celebrated the first profession of four brothers at Strasbourg on September 8th.

Twelve brothers make first profession in the Saint Joseph Province USA at the end of August

The Polish province receive ten new novices on August 19th

The Croatian Dominican friars receive 5 men into their novitiate on September 1st

Video of Clothing Ceremony and First Professions 2012

Video footage of our recent happy events of the receiving of the habit of our five novices and the first profession of our two brothers in Saint Mary's priory church, Pope's Quay, Cork on September 14th and 15th September 2012. With thanks to Br Luuk Jansen OP and Dominicans Interactive for the video.

Vocations prayer initiative moves to Cork

The icon of Saint Dominic at the community Mass in Saint Mary's priory church in Cork.

 

The vocations prayer initiative which began earlier this year having been launched in March in Siena monastery in Drogheda has now moved to Cork. The initiative which uses the specially commisioned icon of Saint Dominic as a focus for prayer for Dominican vocations was warmly received by the many people who atteneded the weekend Masses in St Mary's Cork. There now follows a number of weeks of prayer to which people are invited to participate in the prayer campaign before it moves on to the next Dominican location. Irish Dominican Vocations would like to thank the prior and community for facilitating the vocations prayer initiative in the novitiate community of the Irish Dominican province.

 

Massgoers at Saint Mary's view the icon and take vocation prayer cards with them

The vocations director with some of the people who have promised to be part of the prayer campaign.

 



First Professions for Irish Dominican friars

Fr Gregory Carroll OP (prior provincial), Br Kevin O Reilly OP, Br Murchadh O Madagain OP and Fr Philip McShane OP (outgoing novice master) after the first profession of the two brothers.

 

 

The Irish Dominican friars have received the first profession of two brothers on completion of their novitiate year. During the celebration of the conventual Mass in Saint Mary's Priory church in Pope's Quay, Cork today September 15th (the feast of our Lady of Sorrows), Bro Kevin O Reilly and Bro Murchadh O Madagain made profession in the hands of the prior provincial of the Irish Dominican province Fr Gregory Carroll OP.

 

 

Bro Kevin comes to the Order with a doctoral degree in philosophy and had taught that subject in various institutes and universities. Bro Murchadh who was ordained a priest for the diocese of Galway and Kikmacduagh also holds a doctoral degree - in spirituality.  He has ministered in parishes and hospitals before joining the Order.

 

We congratulate our brothers on their first profession which aggregates them into the Order and pray that they will flourish in the next phase of their Dominican lives.

 

Below are some images of the first profession ceremony. Please click the pictures to enlarge them.

 

The brothers prostrate before the provincial seeking the mercy of God and of the Order

The prior provincial Fr Gregory Carroll OP preaches the homily during the conventual Mass incorporating the rite of profession

Bro Kevin O Reilly makes profession in the hands of the prior provincial

Bro Murchadh O Madagain makes profession

Part of the rite of profession includes the blessing of the scapulars of the newly professed brothers

The prayers of the faithful are read by our student brothers David McGovern and Patrick Desmond

 

With the first profession of our two brothers today and the reception of our five new novices yesterday, the Irish Dominican friars now have 22 in formation at various stages. Please pray for them and those considering joining the Order and the friars who assist them.

 

 

Media outlets are welcome to use the images in this blog post. However, you are asked to credit Irish Dominican Vocations blog.



Five novices join Irish Dominican friars

Br Ronan O Dubhghaill, Br Philip Mulryne, Fr Stephen Hutchinson OP (novice master), Br Jesse Maingot, Br Adam Conroy and Br Matthew Farrell - after the five novices were clothed in the habit of the Dominican Order and began their novitiate in Cork

 

 

September 14th is the feast of the Triumph of the Cross and is also the feast day of the Irish Dominican province. It is also the day when traditionally new novices are accepted into the Order.

 

In keeping with that tradition, today in Saint Mary's Priory, Pope's Quay, Cork - five men were clothed in the habit of the Dominican Order and officially began their year long novitiate. The five new novices are Matthew Farrell from Daingean in Co Offaly, Philip Mulryne from Belfast, Co Antrim, Jesse Maingot from Trinidad, Ronan O Dubhghaill from Gorey, Co Wexford and Adam Conroy from Kilcullen, Co Kildare.

 

The brothers were received into the Order during the conventual Mass in St Mary's priory church today at which the prior provincial of the Irish Dominican friars presided. He warmly welcomed the new novices and asked that for prayers for their perseverance.

 

This is a very happy day for the brothers of the Irish Dominican province and we are very conscious that we have been greatly blessed by God during these past nuumber of years with a consistent intake of vocations.

 

Below are some images of the clothing ceremony today. Click on the images to enlarge.

 

The five novices to be prostrate themselves before the prior provincial seeking the mercy of God and of the Order

The prior provincial fr Gregory Carroll OP preaches the homily

Br Matthew Farrell is clothed in the habit of the Order

Br Philip Mulryne is greeted by the prior provincial fr Gregory Carroll OP

Br Jesse Maingot is welcomed by the prior provincial

Br Ronan O Dubhghaill is clothed in the Dominican habit by the prior provincial

Br Adam Conroy, who is the youngest novice of the group is greeted by fr Gregory Carroll OP, prior provincial

The newly clothed novices

 

Please note that the images above can be reproduced by other media outlets - as long as they credit Irish Dominican Vocations blog.



















Good news on the vocations front!

Amid much of the negative news about religious and priestly vocations in Ireland during the past few weeks, it is great to recount some good news stories on the vocations front as well. Irish Dominican Vocations would like to congratulate our brother Franciscans and Capuchins on their reception of new postulants and novices and also to send best wishes to the Presentation brothers on the occasion of professions recently.

Our Franciscan brothers have three men beginning their postulancy year in Killarney Co. Kerry. They are Denis Ahearne, Ronan Sharpley and Richard Cutting (pictured above with their formation directors).

The Franciscans also have three men beginning their canonical novitiate year in Ennis Co. Clare. They are Adrian McGrath, Vincent Finegan and Dave Connolly (all pictured above).

The Capuchins have two men beginning their postulancy programme in Raheny Co. Dublin. They are Sean Oberc and Antony. They are pictured above with their director of postulants Br Eustace. Irish Dominican Vocations send particularly warm wishes to Sean who has many Dominican connections and friends.

Finally, there was great joy in Killarney, Co Kerry recently as the Presentation brothers received the first professions of Brothers Augustine and Callistus (both from Ghana) who have completed their novitiate. They are pictured above with the congregational leaders of the Presentation brothers Martin Kenneally

If any readers of this blog know of other orders or congreagations are receiving new members at this time, please do let us know so that we can highlight and share the good news. Please pray for all considering vocation to religious life at this time and particularly for those highlighted in this blog post.

Vocations on the rise in England and Wales

With the sudued reaction to the significant decrease in vocations to the national seminary in Maynooth this year, it is worth noting that our neighbours in England and Wales are experiencing a reasonably dramatic increase in vocations.

It is expected that 38 men will be ordained to the priesthood in England and Wales in 2013 - alomost double the number ordained in 2011. A recent report in England's Catholic Herald reported these projections, noting that the number of seminarians  for the diocese of Southwark alone (26) has more than doubled since 2005, when it only had 10.

The Southwark vocations website states that a 'campaign of prayer has coincided with a dramatic increase in the number of men coming forward as potential candidates for the priesthood. That same archdiocese appointed a full-time vocations director earlier this year. This was the first time in 30 years that this had happened.

Irish dioceses might like to take note!