Ordo Praedicatorum

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!

Trackback URI |