Recent academic awards for Irish Dominican friars

Fr Wilfrid Harrington OP

Fr Paul Murray OP

Two of the brothers of the Irish Dominican province were recently recognised and honoured for their  academic contributions in their respective fields.

On Monday January 30th last, fr Paul Murray OP, of the Irish province was conferred with the STM (Master in Sacred Theology) by the Dominican Order prior to fr Paul's delivery of the annual 'Aquinas Lecture' at Saint Mary's Dominican priory, Tallaght, Co. Dublin. The award of STM is the highest internal honour that the Order can give to one of the brothers for their significant contribution to theology. Fr Paul lives in Rome and is the president of the Institute in Spirituality and professor of spritual thrology in the Dominican university of Saint Thomas (Angelicum) in Rome.

On Thursday February 16th, a book was launched to honour fr Wilfrid Harrington OP on the occasion of his 85th birthday. The event took place in Saint Mary's Dominican priory, Tallaght, Co. Dublin. The book The Word is Flesh and Blood - The Eucharist and Sacred Scripture has been edited by fr Wilfrid's Dominican brethren Thomas MacCarthy and Vivian Boland and is a festschrift to the author of over fifty books - all of them scripturally based. Fr Wilfrid's contribution to sacred scripture and biblical theology has been immense - and the large number of his friends, family, colleagues and members of the Dominican family at the event bears testament to their appreciation of his work in this field.

Irish Dominican Vocations adds congratulations and best wishes to Brothers Wilfrid and Paul on their recent awards and recognition.

Contemplation: An Essential Ingredient of the Christian Tradition - fr Paul Murray OP

Irish Dominican friar, fr Paul Murray OP, recently gave a talk in the English House of Lords - the first time a Dominican friar has done so. His talk "Contemplation: An Essential Ingredient of the Christian Tradition" has recently been adapted by Vatican Radio. The first part is now available. Sincere thanks to our Dominican brothers of the province of Saint Joseph in the USA for providing the link below. It really is well worth a listen!

Dominican Province of St. Joseph | "Contemplation: An Essential Ingredient of the Christian Tradition". Blog | op-stjoseph.org

Irish Dominican friar gives lecture in House of Lords, Westminster, England

 fr Paul Murray OP

In what is surely a first, an Irish Dominican friar has given a lecture in the House of Lords - the upper house of the English Parliament. Yesterday, fr Paul Murray OP, of the Irish province of the Order who is based in Rome and is professor of spiritual theology at the Dominican university of Saint Thomas "The Angelicum", gave a lecture on Contemplation: An Essential Ingredient in the Christian Tradition. Approximately  two thirds of those who were present at the lecture were members of the House of Lords. The event was organized by the Royal Fine Art Commission Trust and Sky Arts. The lecture will be broadcast on Sky TV on January 15th, 2011 at 17.00. Speaking after the event, fr Paul commented: “For me it was a remarkable experience, needless to say, quite unforgettable. And perhaps the greatest joy was the privilege of being able to share, as a preacher, some of the great and sacred texts from the Catholic spiritual tradition. I had been asked from the beginning by Lord St John of Fawsley to speak in particular about the Carmelite mystics, John and Teresa but, of course, I did manage to find space also for a few Dominican voices!”

H/T to Angelicum Newsletter Blog  and the website for the order for this information.

Two New Books by Irish Dominican - Fr Paul Murray OP

Two new books by Irish Dominican Fr Paul Murray OP have recently been published. The first, Door Into the Sacred is a meditation on the Hail Mary. The Hail Mary is a prayer that, with great simplicity and ease, brings us at once into the mystery of God incarnate, the mystery of Jesus, son of Mary. And though it is a humble entrance, it has, again and again, and for countless numbers of people over the centuries, proved to be a privileged threshold of grace, a real opening into the mystery and meaning of God’s love, a ‘holy door’.

The Hail Mary also has a radiance and depth of theological truth. Door Into The Sacred leads into a world in which the strenuous task of thinking and the easeful grace of feeling can both be considered sacred, and where wisdom and enchantment, theology and devotion, are found, at core, to be one and the same thing. The book is published by Novalis.

The second book is Praying with Confidence - Aquinas on the Lord's Prayer. Fr Paul combines a stimulating scholarly study and an ideal introduction for the general reader on the Lord's prayer by Saint Thomas Aquinas. The most important reflections on the great prayer are drawn together and considered in a single book. This gem of a book will certainly have a wide appeal in the exposition of Saint Thomas as a theologian and also as master and guide of the spiritual and moral life. It is published by Continuum. Both new titles are widely available internationally and also in Ireland in religious bookshops.

Irish Dominican Vocations congratulates our brother Paul on these two fine new publications to add to his ever-growing output.

Irish Dominicans celebrate 'Year for Priests'

Saint Mary's Priory in Tallaght was the location for the Irish Dominican friars celebration of the conclusion of the Year for Priests. Yesterday, Monday June 14th over seventy brothers from around the province attended the day-long event. The friars were delighted to be joined by our Dominican brother bishop Anthony Fisher OP from Australia and by Paul Murray OP, of the Irish province based in Rome. Both Bishop Anthony and fr Paul delivered two excellent papers on the Dominican priesthood along with refelections on the Dominican vocation. Both contributions were warmly received by all present. (This blog hopes to have abridged versions of both talks avavilable soon). Four of our brothers also spoke of their experiences of being Dominicans and priests - frs Edward Foley, Brian McKevitt, Michael Dunleavy and John Harris.

Central to the reflective day marking the conclusion of the Year for Priests were Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and the celebration of the Eucharist. Bishop Anthony presided. The event was organised by the Provincial Council of Formation of the Irish Dominican province - a body that advises the Provincial on all matters pertaining to formation.

Below are some images from the event:

Bishop Anthony Fisher OP delivers his talk

fr Paul Murray OP

Lauds

Dominicans and World Youth Day in Australia

I am very pleased to see that the Australian Dominican friars have put up a blog on their contribution and involvement in World Youth Day 2008. You can access the blog here. It looks like an excellent resource for anyone attending or thinking of attending this great event in the life of the Church in 2008. I would love to be there but for other commitments during the month of July.

I notice that one of the friars of our own province, Fr. Paul Murray OP, who lectures in spirtuality in the Dominican University of Saint Thomas in Rome is to give one of the talks at the Dominican Youth Gathering in Sydney on July 16, 2008 entitled 'Seek His Face: Knowing the One You Witness'.

We should pray for the success of World Youth Day, for all the paricipants and for all the Dominicans attending and involved.

Reading Material (Part 2)

An often asked question is: What is the spirituality of the Dominican Order? And it is difficult to answer. However, I have found the following three books helpful - as indeed have enquirers who wish to open up their minds to the spirituality of Saint Dominic and the Dominicans in general.


Firstly, '15 Days of Prayer with Saint Dominic' by Alain Quilici OP (Liguori Publications, Missouri, USA) is a spiritual journey into the life of the founder of the Order of Preachers. The reader is invited to spend fifteen days contemplating various aspects of Dominic's life with practical guides to focus the reader and some questions for reflection. It's an excellent introduction to the spirituality of our founder.


Secondly, 'The New Wine of Dominican Spirituality - A Drink Called Happiness' by Paul Murray OP (Burns and Oates, London). Paul Murray is an Irish Dominican. This book explores Dominican spirituality as one that '..... from the beginning has a sense of openess to the world.' Paul continues in this vein with a very interesting take on our sptirituality that is bound up in happiness and joy. I could not put it down on my first read of it. I have returned to it many times since. A great resource.


Thirdly and finally in this section I would recommend 'The Dominican Tradition' by Thomas C. McGonigle OP and Phyllis Zagano (Liturgical Press, Minnesota, USA). This book is in the 'Sprituality in History' series and it is an excellent exposition of Dominican spirituality through the great figures of the Order - Saint Dominic, Eckhart, Catherine of Siena, Martin de Porres, Lacordaire to name just a few. Highly recommended.


More to follow in Part 3.