Fr. William Bonniwell, O.P., one of our deceased brothers (1886-1984), was not only a famous historian of the liturgy, but also served as a military chaplain in World War I. Watch this fascinating interview of Fr. Bonniwell about his service (conducted by Fr. Antoninus Wall, O.P. of the Western Province), filmed in 1982 at our priory of St. Vincent Ferrer in New York City. Fr. Bonniwell was 96 at the time.

The Dominicans will be out in full force again at this year’s Ignite Your Torch 2008 youth conference in Louisville, KY.  Click on the picture above to see a short slide show of pictures from last year.

Ignite Your Torch 2008
Youth Conference
July 24 - 27, 2008
at Bellarmine University
Louisville, Kentucky

 This year Dominican friars from around our Province will be participating, including:

The Very Rev. Dominic Izzo, O.P., Prior Provincial
Fr. Giles Dimock, O.P., St. Dominic’s Church in Youngstown, OH
Fr. Stephen Dominic Hayes, O.P., St. Rose Church in Springfield, KY
Fr. James Cuddy, O.P., St. Louis Bertrand Church in Louisville, KY
Fr. Aquinas Guildbeau, O.P., St. Vincent Ferrer Church in New York City

and in Louisville, KY for the summer, from the House of Studies in Washington:

Rev. Br. Jonah Pollock, O.P.
Br. Bernard Marie Timothy, O.P.
Br. Justin Marie Brophy, O.P.

Along with the friars will be sisters from some of our Dominican congregations of sisters, including sisters from the Congregation of St. Cecilia in Nashville, and the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne in New York.

The conference will be organized by members of the Lay Dominican Fraternities (the Third Order) from New Hope, KY with help from the members of the St. Louis Bertrand Lay Dominican Fraternity.

IGNITE YOUR TORCH is a Catholic Youth conference in the spirit of World Youth  Days, providing an opportunity for young people to discover how they can follow Jesus by deepening their faith.  It is an opportunity to make new friendships in Christ, to receive the sacraments, to meet and talk to young priests and religious, and to worship, pray, learn, and recreate together.  IGNITE YOUR TORCH is Eucharistically-centered, devoted to our Blessed Mother, and catechetical in nature, and teaches youth practical ways to build up the culture of life. 

The French city of Toulouse is the cradle of the Dominican Order. It was in Toulouse and its surrounding towns that St. Dominic and the first friars began to live their new evangelical life as mendicant preachers. Their importance for the city of Toulouse can be measured by looking at the magnificent medieval Dominican church — sadly, confiscated by the French state and now run as a state-owned museum — known as the Jacobin. One of the greatest treasures of that great church was (and still is) the relics of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Every year on January 28, the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Dominicans of the Toulouse Province of France are permitted by the French Government to celebrate a solemn Mass at the (modern) altar over the relics of the Angelic Doctor in the Jacobin church. After the Mass, the friars carry the great reliquary in a procession through the ancient cloister, once inhabited by so many generations of friars preachers.

You can watch a video (5 minutes, in French) about this solemn and joyful occasion here. (The procession begins at about 3:27 into the video.)

abortion stem cell EWTN Audio Library - EWTN: The World Over - 5/2/2008

EWTN: The World Over - 5/2/2008
An episode from EWTN - Hosted by Raymond Arroyo with guest Fr. Joseph Fox, OP Professor of Canon Law at the Dominican House of Studies: Controversy over Communion in wake of recent Papal visit, begin listening at 8:53 for the context of the interview.

Friday, May 2 was the Feast of St. Athanasius, the fourth century bishop of Alexandria and doctor of the Church who defended the Nicene faith in the divinity of Christ. In a homily preached at the conventual Mass at the Dominican House of Studies, Rev. Br. Thomas Joseph White, O.P. preached on the saint’s significance for today.

Continue Reading »

Br. Hugh Vincent Dyer’s latest article is now available on Godspy.com. The first paragraph of the article is below.

A young lady with olive skin, black hair, and black eyes approached us. Her accented voice trembled as she asked us to pray with her there on the street. She explained that her brother had been killed in Baghdad and her father had been kidnapped a year ago. We all closed our eyes and bowed our heads as Monsignor prayed. He prayed for the comfort of this woman’s family, for mercy, and healing. He ended the prayer with a Hail Mary. . . .

As one of the Dominican friars assigned to the Priory of Saint Catherine of Siena, I have had the honor of celebrating Mass for and administering the anointing of the sick to the children of Ronald McDonald House in NYC. The video and article below tells of a surprise visit we had with the Pope.  Continue Reading »

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 30, 2008 (Zenit.org).

I Have Had the Joy of Announcing ‘Christ Our Hope’”

Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

* * *

Even if a few days have already passed since my return, I would like to dedicate the catechesis of today, as I normally do, to the apostolic trip that I made to the United Nations and the United States of America this past April 15 to 21. Before all, I renew my most cordial appreciation to the U.S. episcopal conference, as well as President Bush, for having invited me and for the warm welcome they have given me. And I would like to extend my thanks to all those in Washington and New York who came to greet me and manifest their love for the Pope, or who have accompanied and supported me with prayer and with the offering of their sacrifices.

Continue Reading »

April 16th is a day I will not soon forget. It’s not often that you are with Popes and Presidents all in one day. The day began for well before my usual rising time, we had to get an early start if we were to be on time. Fr. James Cuddy, OP, celebrated the Mass Pro Pontifice in honor of the Holy Father’s presence in our city. I was his deacon and Br. Anthony Giambrone, OP, was our congregation, cantor, and lector. The three of us then made our way – Br. Anthony and I by train, Fr. James by carpool – on a cool but unusually beautiful day in the city of Washington. The train was moderately filled with groggy commuters, most of whom took little notice of the two black-cloaked friars who ventured into their morning routine. Continue Reading »

One of the benefits of a world interconnected through the Internet, with websites like blogs, is that you are able to read comments and even compliments that you might not otherwise hear. In a recent blog interview, Architect Adam Hermanson in describing some of the influences on his own appreciation of sacred architecture mentions our own Dominican House chapel:

Q: What church building has made the biggest impression on you?

A: I would have to name two. The first is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception at Catholic University in Washington, DC. …The second is a chapel within a building - at the Dominican House of Studies adjacent to the campus of Catholic University. While a student at CUA I attended daily Mass very often with the friars who were teaching and studying at the Dominican House. We would join them in the choir stalls and participate in Vespers with them, chanting the psalmody back and forth across the chapel. The simplicity and order of the chapel along with the beautiful wood altar and reredos left a substantial impression on me as an aspiring architect - strengthening my appreciation of the role and value of tradition in the life of the Church.

Some astonishing facts about NaPro are:

• It is more effective than IVF. Success rates are said to range from 40% to 60% vs. the IVF rate of 32.3% per cycle.
• It costs only a fraction of what IVF costs.
• It is almost 80% effective in bringing about childbirth after several miscarriages.
• It is 95% successful in treating premenstrual syndrome.
• It is 95% successful in treating postpartum depression.
• It cuts the rate of premature birth by almost 50%, thus lowering the frequency of birth-related injuries.
• With NaPro, you can have more children after the first without paying the same large cost again

by Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau, OP

During Pope Benedict’s recent apostolic journey to the United States, Dominicans again found themselves doing what they do best—assisting existing institutions understand and appropriate the Gospel. Throughout the papal visit, Dominicans played a major role in assisting the media with their coverage of the visit. Like the medieval university, the broadcast booth found itself both intrigued and assisted by these city-dwelling, preaching friars. In the print media, Fr. Dominic Langevin’s op-ed piece on Benedict’s vision, “The Pope Can Pitch a Fastball,” appeared in papers around the country. Online, Br. Hugh Vincent Dyer, O.P. assisted the excellent coverage given at Godspy.com. On radio, Fr. Gabriel Gillen, O.P. and I co-hosted a special edition of “Word to Life,” the province’s weekly program on Sirius 159, The Catholic Channel. We discussed and explained the events of Saturday April 19 in New York. Fr. Chris Saliga, O.P. hosted a similar type of special on Sunday April 20. On television, Fr. Dominic Legge, O.P. and I assisted WNBC with their coverage of the events in Washington and New York. We served as on-air commentators during their live broadcasts of the papal Masses and other events. The Dominican tradition continues…we know how to strengthen and support what has been built with our presence and our preaching. We use what we find around us to spread the light and love of Jesus Christ.

Fr. Dominic Legge, O.P. assisted WNBC with their coverage of the events in Washington. He served as an on-air commentator during their live broadcasts of the Pope’s arrival to the United States and the White House. Watch the Videos of these historical events: 

Papal Arrival

White House  

Video excerpt from a special edition of “Word to Life,” the province’s weekly program on Sirius 159, The Catholic Channel. Fr. Gabriel Gillen, O.P. and Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau, O.P. discussed and explained the events of the Papal Visit in NYC on Saturday April 19. Full Audio of both hours below: 

Listen Now:

 1st Hour : Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 2nd Hour: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

On the morning of Friday, April 18, ten of our friars attended the 5th Annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC. Keynote addresses were given by President George W. Bush and by Archbishop Robert Finn, of the Archdiocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. Below is a report of the event written by one of the attendees, Rev. Br. Thomas Joseph White, OP.

When the Fifth Annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast took place this last week in Washington, D.C., a contingent of Dominican friars were present and even very involved. The Prayer Breakfast, which takes place each spring at the Washington Hilton, was started by Joseph Cella and Austin Ruse, as an opportunity to promote evangelization, Catholic leadership, and the ethical teachings of the Catholic Church. This year the meeting hosted over 2000 people, including a large number of ecclesial and political leaders, such as Archbishops Charles Chaput and Robert Finn, and Chief Justice John Roberts. The meeting was also comprised of participants from institutions such the Knights of Columbus, Legatus and a broad array of Pro-Life organizations.
For the fourth year running, President Bush addressed the group, speaking warmly of the Pope in the wake of the recent visit of the Holy Father to the White House: “This has been a joyous week. It’s been a joyous time for Catholics—and it wasn’t such a bad week for Methodists, either.” He then went on to thank Catholic charities for their service to the country, to promise aid to Catholic schools, and to reaffirm of the centrality of the human right to life. Other keynote speakers included Archbishop Finn of Kansas City, Michael Novak, the former Templeton Prize winner, and Marcus Grodi, of EWTN.
Amidst these events, the ten Dominican friars present added an additional, visible witness to men’s consecrated life in the Church. Fr. Dominic Legge, OP, began the morning’s ceremonies by leading the recitation of the Rosary, and Fr. David Dominic Izzo, OP, the Provincial of the East Coast Province, finished the ceremonies with a final prayer. Between the two, Austin Ruse, a member of the Dominican Foundation, found the time to speak earnestly of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. as a “powerhouse seminary” that was helping contribute to renewal in the Church. Kind words and a noble aspiration. May God make it so!

Br. Pius Pietrzyk, OP, is interviewed by WUSA Channel 9 news in Washington, DC about his experiences during the visit of the Holy Father to the United States.  This news clip aired on the 9News Now program at 11:00pm on Sunday, April 20, 2008.

Watch Now:

 Online Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 Flash Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Catholic Channel Sirius 159, a Special Edition hosted by Fr. Chris Saliga, O.P. with special guests Fr. John Vidmar, O.P., Students from Quinnipiac University and many others. 

Listen Now:

 1st Hour with Fr. Chris: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 2nd Hour with Fr. Chris: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
 3rd Hour with Fr. Chris: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 Fr. Dominic Langevin wrote an opinion column saluting the Pope, which was picked up by a number of newspapers. Scranton, PA’s The Times Tribune and Fargo, North Dakota’s The Forum. The Freelance Star , Fredericksburg, VA, and The Times Dispatch, Richmond, VA. 

I love baseball. Hearing numerous baseball illustrations in my homilies, my parishioners have been ever so gracious in my sports interests being transferred to the pulpit. But my attraction to baseball and its position as the American sports pastime are not driven by pure rationality; the emotions are involved. All the more ironic that, when Pope Benedict is in America, his largest events will be Masses at baseball stadiums. These settings of sweating and swearing will be transformed into outdoor halls of elevated discourse and prayer. If only he could lift up a prayer for my Chicago Cubs!

This intersection of fandom and faith underscores the paradox that the papal presence causes exuberance but, more deeply, sobriety. We see this especially in Pope Benedict. He is both a pastor and a professor at heart. He is a man of reason. While all Americans may not agree with his theology, Benedict will challenge each of us to think with intelligence.

Continue Reading »

	His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI speaks on Sirius Radio

The Holy Father’s exclusive message, which was recorded at the residence of His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan at St. Patrick’s Cathedral — where Cardinal Egan hosts his weekly Catholic Channel show. The Dominican friars of the Province of St. Joseph have been asked by the Archdiocese of New York to host a weekly radio, called “Word to Life,” in which the friars share with listeners, the fruits of their contemplation from the scripture readings for Sunday. It airs every Friday from 1-2 pm, ET.

Fr. Aquinas Guilbeau, O.P. helped provide commentary, during the Pope’s visit to Yankee Stadium, for WNBC News.

See Slide Show

Continue Reading »

Rev. Br. Hugh Vincent Dyer, OP, waits for the Popemobile along the parade route on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC.  He stands outside St. Stephen Martyr Catholic Church, where he ministers as a Deacon.

In the photo above, Fr. David Mott, OP, is seen in the foreground hearing confessions. Fr. Matthew Rzeczkowski, OP, is in the background and Fr. James Cuddy, OP, is in the back on the right side.

Fr. David Mott, OP, hears confession before the Mass at Nationals Stadium.

As the Popemobile makes its way into the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, you can see the Dominican House of Studies in the background. Hanging from the side of our Priory, you can also see the banner hung welcoming the Holy Father. Continue Reading »

As the Popemobile passed in front of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, you can see the Pope leaning out his window to greet the throng of black-cappa’d Dominicans gathered to welcome him.

Photo by Yuri Gripas, Reuters.

`

Br. Hugh Vincent Dyer was a part of a crowd which gathered at the Apostolic Nunciature on Friday to see the Pope off from Washington, D.C. to New York City, where he will begin the second leg of his apostolic visit to the U.S. He composed a reflection on the occasion for Godspy.com. The reflection is called: “Following Christ in the Footsteps of Peter”

 In this video, you can see the Holy Father stand up to greet the crowd of Dominican friars gathered on the steps of the National Shrine.  He must have liked our banner, “Dominicans Love Our Holy Father”!

As a part of his Apostolic Visit to the United States, Pope Benedict XVI was in Washington, D.C. from April 15 to April 18, 2008. The pope had several engagements during this time. The Dominican community at the House of Studies in Washington, D.C. got to be close-up for several of these events. Below are links to the pictures that we took.

On the morning of April 16, the Holy Father was greeted at the White House, where a number of our brothers attended. Br. Pius, posted about this already. Here are our photos of this event.

Later that evening, the Pope came to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to celebrate Vespers and address the bishops. Our Dominican community had several prominent roles in this event. Br. Pius Pietrzyk was one of the deacons to the Holy Father at Vespers. He took some behind the scenes photographs, and blogged about the experience here. The other members of our community were invited to be present at the Shrine in two places: some of our brothers were on the steps of the Shrine to greet the Holy Father, while others were in the Upper Church of the Shrine in order to usher invited guests to watch the Vespers that was taking place in the Crypt Church below. These latter brothers got very close views of the Holy Father when he entered and left the Shrine. For both groups of people, the ones in and outside the Shrine, some of our brothers put on a preaching program to prepare for the Holy Father’s arrival. Frs. Joseph Barranger, John Corbett, and James Cuddy, O.P. preached inside the Shrine, while Fr. Dominic Legge, Br. Hugh Vincent Dyer, and Br. James Brent, O.P. preached to the people on the steps of the Shrine. Here are photographs of this event.

The next morning, Thursday, April 17, the Holy Father celebrated Mass in Nationals Stadium. Many of the members of our community heard confessions, concelebrated, helped to distribute Holy Communion, or served as deacons. We were seated on the field for the Mass, and so we were able to get a close-up view of the Holy Father. Here are some of our pictures.

A few of the friars were able to obtain tickets to the South Lawn of the White House of the official visit of Pope Benedict XVI to President and Mrs. George Bush. On a beautifully clear day in Washington, thousands were gathered to see the Pope on his first full day in America, which was also his 81st birthday. The program began with the playing of Honors, both “Ruffles and Flourishes” and the traditional “Hail to the Chief” to welcome the President. Afterwards, the President and Mrs. Bush officially greeted the Holy Father. Following that was a sonorous 21-Gun Salute welcome the Pope, followed by the playing the National Anthems of the Holy See and the United States. One of the musical high points was the singing of The Lord’s Prayer by Kathleen Battle to harp accompaniment. Then came remarks by the President and the Holy Father. The ceremony was concluded by the singing of the Battle Hymn of the Republic by the military choir. To see a slideshow of pictures from the event, click on the image above.

One of our brothers was given the great privilege of being able to serve as an assisting Deacon for the Holy Father during his celebration of the liturgical office of Vespers with the Bishops of the United States. While waiting in the sacristy for the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI and his entourage, he took some photos of the papal vestments and other liturgical items. Above is a picture of the Crypt Church set up in preparation for Vespers.

Continue Reading »

The Dominican Friars will lead the Rosary and offer three reflections this afternoon, Wednesday, April 16, from 4:15-5:00 PM on the steps of the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception while thousands wait for Pope Benedict XVI to arrive.  Tune in on any major television network or EWTN to catch a glimpse.

The Dominican Friars of the Priory of the Immaculate Conception have unfurled a banner welcoming the Holy Father to America (watch video below). The banner faces 4th Street in Northwest Washington, DC and will be visible to the Holy Father as he makes his way up the parade route from the U.S. Bishops’ Conference to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 16, 2008

You can also see a slide show of more pictures of some of the preparations for the Holy Father’s visit.

Fr. Bill Garrott, OP, Director of Vocations, preaches on three facets of evangelization in homily for Thursday of the 3rd Week of Easter at the Dominican House of Studies.

During a Theology of Tap gathering in New York City, Fr. Carlton Jones speaks of his conversion to Catholicism. Father Jones is a graduate of Yale University and after fourteen years in the ministry of the Protestant Episcopal Church, Father Jones became a Roman Catholic in 1982, entered the Dominican Order, and was ordained in 1987. He earned his Doctorate in Sacred Theology (STD) from the Angelicum University in Rome. He has served as pastor of three parishes of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph: St. Patrick’s Church in Columbus, OH; St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, CT; and (currently) St.Vincent Ferrer Church, New York City.

 The Dominican Friars of the NYU Catholic Center/University Parish of St. Joseph & Columbia University Campus Ministry cordially invites all students from:Columbia University, Yale University, Quinnipiac University, Vanderbilt University, University of Virginia , Ave Maria University, New York University.Prep for the Pope Night Vigil at NYU A Celebration of the Dominican Campus Ministries to Welcome our Holy FatherFriday, April 18, 20087PM (Dinner) – enter at St. Joseph Rectory, 371 Sixth Ave. at Washington Place in Greenwich Village 8PM (Vigil of Prayer with Mass, St. Joseph Church) University Parish of St. Joseph 371 Sixth Avenue / Avenue of the Americas and Washington Place  Continue Reading »

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the National Workshop on Christian Unity sponsored and essay contest. Theology students were asked to submit papers using the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Theme, “Pray without ceasing.” Students were asked to explain how the theology and practice of prayer promotes and brings about an eschatological reality and promise of Christian Unity. They were also asked to write a prayer that speaks to their own tradition’s understanding of this eschatological reality and promise. Finally, they were asked to explain how the prayer reflects their tradition’s theology, practice, and hope for Christian unity.

One of the prize-winning papers was written by our own student brother, Br. Ignatius Schweitzer, O.P. His essay is entitled, “The Eschatological Mystery of Pentecost and Praying in the Spirit of Jesus.” It can be read below.

Continue Reading »

Fr. John Langlois, OP, Master of Students at the Dominican House of Studies preached the following homily for the 4th Sunday of Easter known as “Good Shepherd Sunday”.  

His message about listening to the voice of Jesus is the necessary ingredient in discerning one’s vocation, espsecially a vocation to priesthood and/or religious life.

In our Gospel today, Jesus makes a very interesting point about sheep and their relationship to the shepherd.  He says that the sheep follow the shepherd because “they recognize his voice.”  On the contrary, they will not follow a stranger, and in fact will run away from him, because “they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”  The implication here is that sheep become habituated to the presence of a particular shepherd and the sound of his voice, and so come to trust him.  They easily follow the shepherd because he is familiar to them and gives them a sense of security.

Continue Reading »

“Jesus Christ is hope for men and women of every language, race, culture and social condition. Yes, Christ is the face of God present among us. Through him, our lives reach fullness, and together, both as individuals and peoples, we can become a family united by fraternal love, according to the eternal plan of God the Father.”
Continue Reading »

In a detailed article on the preparations for the Pope’s visit to New York City, The New York Times mentions the contributions of the Nuns from Corpus Christi Monastery in the Bronx:

The Archdiocese has commissioned 530 specially engraved ciboria for the Mass, each of which will hold no more than 150 hosts. A total of 60,000 whole-wheat wafers, each 1.125 inches in diameter, were produced by the Cavanagh Company of Greenville, R.I., and donated by the Corpus Christi Monastery, a contemplative order of Dominican nuns in the South Bronx.