Is God Calling You to be a Dominican?
OUr Lady of Peace Lay DOminican Fraternity
Who We Are
“The Laity of St. Dominic are those faithful who, baptized in the Catholic Church or received into her, confirmed and in full communion of faith, sacraments and ecclesiastical governance, are called by a special vocation to progress in the Christian way of life and to animate temporal things through the charism of St. Dominic.”
--General Declarations of the Lay Fraternities of St. Dominic, 2019
Members of the Lay Dominicans are fully incorporated into the Order of Preachers and live out their vocation in the world. Along with the friars, nuns, and sisters, lay members of the Dominican family have a special charism to preach for the salvation of souls. Dominican life is distinctly flavored by four key areas which are essential to our charism and our vocation. These areas are called the Four Pillars, since they work together to “hold up” our lives as Dominicans.
The Four Pillars
PRAYER
The foundation of a Dominican's prayer life is the Eucharistic celebration of the Mass, daily if possible. Upon that firm foundation we endeavor to sanctify our day through the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office), the contemplation of Sacred Scripture, and the recitation of the Rosary, which holds a privileged place in Dominican tradition.
STUDY
In the Bible, love and knowledge go hand in hand. For Dominicans, study is a part of our life because through it we seek to know more about God, which means we come to love Him better. Study enriches our prayer, community, and apostolate because it helps us understand and better articulate the Truth.
COMMUNITY
Lay Dominicans come together to share their common vocation within a local fraternity. Frequent and regular participation in community life enables us to grow in love, patience and understanding. We are strengthened and supported by our brothers and sisters, as we seek to grow in holiness together in the Dominican Family.
APOSTOLATE
The apostles were the men "sent out" by Jesus to share in His mission. Likewise, an apostolate is the work we are "sent out" to do in the world. Dominicans have individual apostolates, as well as communal apostolates. This work is undertaken for the salvation of souls, and because we are Dominicans, it usually contains an element of preaching.
I am not capable of doing big things, but I want to do everything, even the smallest things, for the greater glory of God. - St. Dominic
OUr mission
PREACHING
FRATERNITY
As members of the Order of Preachers, Lay Dominicans make a commitment to create and nurture a lifestyle that allows us to preach the Good News to the world. We do this in many and varied ways: as speakers at retreats, through the arts and music, social media, and our interactions at school and in the workplace. In every aspect of our lives, Lay Dominicans "proclaim the Good News to all creation" (Mk 15:16) and are prepared "make [our] defense to anyone who demands an account of the hope that is in [us]." (1 Pet 3:15).
We often speak of the Dominican Family, and call our lay communities "fraternities" to highlight our identity as brothers and sisters in Christ. Though many Lay Dominicans live with family of their own, we also embrace our community as "family" as a sign of unity with one another, the Church, and God. Our world today desperately needs to be reminded that we are all called to be united to God as a family, and to find friendship and love in community.
ENCOUNTER
Dominicans seek genuine encounter: with God, and with other people. We follow the example of Dominic who knew that the most effective form of preaching is to help another person encounter God through bringing them to the Truth and, ultimately, to heaven.
"Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the whole world on fire."
-St. Catherine of Siena, patroness of the Lay Fraternities of St. Dominic
For More Information
Mr. Fred Thomas
email: fcthomas3@gmail.com or fth5131119@aol.com
Ph: 513-335-1700
*We meet the first Monday of the month - 7pm
St. Gertrude Catholic Church in Madeira, Ohio
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