Ordo Praedicatorum

On Saturday, August 8, 2009, the Solemnity of St. Dominic, 11 men received the habit of the Order of Friars Preachers and began their canonical year of novitiate at St. Gertrude Priory in Cincinnati, OH.  They join the current 9 novices who will make their first profession August 15 on the Solemnity of the Assumption.  Needless to say, there is hardly a spare room in the novitiate with 20 novices living together for another week!  Please pray for each of these men that by growing in holiness, they may persevere and become preachers of Jesus Christ, zealous for the salvation of souls.  View a slideshow here and read their individual biographies here:

Br. John Baptist Hoang, 22

I was born in Lemoore, California but was raised in Woodbridge, Virginia. I am the older brother of my twelve-year-old sister Theresa.

Catholicism was not the most important thing to my family growing up. It was more of an association, and so I hovered my way through the Sacraments. After receiving Confirmation in eighth grade, I fell away from the faith by not going to Mass every Sunday and refusing to go to Confession. I grew in a deep apathetic relationship toward God.

When I was seventeen years old, I underwent a profound reversion experience back to the Catholic faith. Upon entering college at the University of Virginia, I decided to go back to Mass. From day one, I fell in love with the preaching of the Dominican friars in Charlottesville. I was prompted to study the Catholic faith, so I would oftentimes try to find a private space where I could read the Scriptures, read the Catechism, or anything about Catholicism that I could get my hands on. The preaching of the Dominicans also prompted me to confess my sins and to put my trust in the Lord. I made my first confession in over five years since drifting from the Faith.

As I grew in my love for the Catholic faith, an “itch” kept bothering me to look into the holy priesthood. I sought spiritual advice from the Dominicans in Charlottesville who helped me through the process of discerning a vocation to the priesthood by their example and their counsel. The Dominican Order was the best fit for me as I loved reading about the history of the Order, the saints, and writings of Thomas Aquinas. Most importantly, I grew in my appreciation for constant prayer, especially before the Blessed Sacrament. Praying the Rosary daily during my college years, our Blessed Mother has truly led me to love her Son!

I just graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in Religious Studies and Sociology, and I plan to spend time with my family before heading off to Providence College for the Postulancy. I am looking forward to living the Dominican life and am open to whatever our Lord has planned for me as a preacher for the salvation of souls. (Br. John Baptist is a candidate for Dominican priesthood.)
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Br. Thomas Aquinas Traceski, 22

I was born in Rockville, CT, the fourth of six children.  My father works as a Systems Analyst for an automotive supply manufacturer and my mother works part time as a secretary and bookkeeper.  My two older sisters are married with children; the oldest son is unmarried and teaches high school math, and my younger siblings are in college and high school.  I have lived in Somers, CT, all my life and all but one member of my immediate family still live in Connecticut.  All are practicing Catholics, thanks be to God.
I attended local public schools through high school, at which time I first began to research into the religious life.  In 2005 I enrolled at Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida and joined the “Pre-theologate Program,” a discernment program for men attending classes at the university.  We lived on our own floor in the men’s dorm under the charge of two priests and benefited from the many spiritual directors available.  I studied in the liberal arts core curriculum, and this past Spring I graduated with a major in philosophy, a minor in classical languages and several electives in theology.  St. Thomas Aquinas has consistently been my preferred thinker.

I first thought about the Dominicans in High School, having learned of their historical role in the Church through my Catholic upbringing.  In college I began to discern the province of St. Joseph, having recognized my desire to preach and to strengthen theology, especially by the light of St. Thomas.  I look forward to work in parishes and an apostolate to repair poor catechesis and theology.  Years down the road, I would love to do work in missions, apologetics, and the ministry of preaching to priests.
(Br. Thomas Aquinas is a candidate for Dominican Priesthood.)
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Br. Philip Neri Reese, 23

Born on September 22, 1985 in Lawton, Oklahoma, I’ve lived most of my life in Annapolis, Maryland. I have two younger sisters and I’ve been truly blessed to grow up in a wonderful family that takes seriously its Catholic faith. In 2007, I graduated from Dickinson College with a double-major in Philosophy and Religious Studies. Since then I’ve worked as a legal assistant in a DC law firm, been a substitute teacher at my parochial high school, and taken graduate classes in Philosophy at the Catholic University of America.
Philosophy is my passion. Topically, I focus on metaphysics and ontology, though I also enjoy epistemology and ethics, and chronologically I have great interest in both medieval and 20th century continental thought. The ancients are ok too. My non-philosophical interests include literature, poetry, theology, music, liturgy, and generally anything that pertains to cultivating Catholic intellectual culture. I thrive on conversation and discussion. I played tennis in high school and was a fencer in both high school and college. Also, my favorite dessert is hot apple pie, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and coffee.

My path to the Dominicans has been winding – even loopy – but the Lord is wonderful and has never ceased to shower me with His blessings. I first learned about the Order while at World Youth Day in Cologne, only to arrive back at college the next year to find that our new chaplain was a Dominican from Nigeria. Still, even providential encounters are small blessings when compared to the people the Lord has put into my life. I have an incredible group of friends, truly faithful and in love with the Church, who have shown me more love and support than I could have ever imagined. The Lord has placed many good and holy priests in my path to help me along the way, and my immediate family has been outstandingly supportive of my vocation.

So, why the Dominicans? Because of the intellectual life and the mix of contemplation and apostolate? Because of the life in common and the communal celebration of the liturgy? Sure, all of that is important. But the truest answer I can give is something much more basic. As I come to know the Lord better, He is constantly revealing me to myself. He shows me the heart He has given me, and it’s a Dominican heart, already clothed in the habit. Next to that, everything else just feels like a stock answer.
(Br. Philip Neri is a candidate for Dominican priesthood.)

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Br. Clement Dickie, 25

I grew up in Nashua, N.H. with one younger brother.  I was baptized as an infant and, as a child, went to Mass regularly with my family.  By the time I reached high school, however, I had fallen away from the sacraments.

After high school, I studied economics at James Madison University.  While in college, I experienced a longing for God that led me back into the arms of Holy Mother Church.  I came to understand the reality of Jesus in the Eucharist.  It was before the Blessed Sacrament in Adoration that I first felt God calling me to serve him more deeply.

Junior year I joined the Knights of Columbus.  We had a house just off campus.  We had many non-Catholic visitors come through and the conspicuous nature of our Catholicism—we had a large picture of John Paul II and a crucifix on the wall—meant that there was always an opportunity to explain the faith.  I studied the Catechism and read the Scriptures to understand and defend the teachings of the Church.  This experience is what led me to St. Dominic and his Order of Preachers.

For the past three years, I have lived in Philadelphia and worked as an economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Last year, I helped to found a community house in an unused rectory.  There are ten of us, single, Catholic men, living under one roof.  We pray and share meals together regularly.  While some of my house mates are discerning the married life, the experience of living in community has only strengthened my desire to live the common life of the Order.

It is my desire to live the mission of the Order: to praise, to bless, and to preach.  In particular, I want to preach on university campuses.  I want to help my generation and the next understand that the unknown God they long for is Christ Jesus.  (Br. Clement is a candidate for Dominican priesthood.)

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Br. Cajetan Cuddy, 25

I was born in Seoul, Korea on March 25, 1984. An evangelical Protestant couple from Western Pennsylvania adopted me when I was three months of age. Our family is very tight-knit. My father is a mechanical engineer. My mother is a loving and devoted homemaker. I have four younger sisters (two of whom were also adopted). Two sisters (Bethany and Jamie) work for an evangelical book distributor. Jamie got married last summer (2008). My sister Jennifer is currently a student at Geneva College. My mother homeschools my youngest sister, Lisa. The entire family has been very supportive of my Dominican vocation.

While in college, I received many graces that led me to seek full communion with the Catholic Church. St. Thomas Aquinas was my Confirmation patron. In 2006, I received a Bachelor’s degree in philosophy and theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. After graduation I worked as a director of evangelization and youth minister for several parishes in my home diocese. I have also tried my hand at publishing and public speaking on topics related to Catholic life.

Above all, I was drawn to the Order of Preachers because of its commitment to both the contemplation and the preaching of God’s Truth.  Further, I found attractive the Dominican emphasis on communal life as it is centered on the beauty and power of the Church’s liturgy. For my part, I hope eventually to teach theology within a religious environment. More than anything else, however, the thought of being a simple lover of the Truth and a preacher of God’s grace draws me.  (Br. Cajetan is a candidate for Dominican priesthood.)

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Br. Vincent Ferrer Bagan, 25

I am from Waseca, Minnesota, a town of about 10,000 people in southern Minnesota. I am the son of Thomas and Claudette and the brother of my sister Tierney, who is 16 months younger than me. After graduating from Waseca High School in 2002, I attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, graduating in 2006 with a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal music education. As my faith gradually developed during my time there, I started more seriously to discern the priesthood and religious life. I knew that if I experienced God calling me to the priesthood, the time following graduation from St. Olaf would be the time to move toward that calling. Because of this, I spent time in a summer discernment household program offered by the Companions of Christ, a fraternity of diocesan priests in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. As a result of doing this, I was ready to commit myself to studying for the priesthood, and one of the priests recommended that I consider the eastern province of the Dominicans.

The first thing that attracted me to the Dominicans was that many of them taught at colleges and universities, which was the occupation I was considering most strongly during the end of my time at St. Olaf. However, as the Dominicans remained first in my mind throughout the time since then, I have come to be attracted to the semi-contemplative and community life that the Dominicans live as well as the charism of preaching and the emphasis on study and the intellectual life.

After graduating from St. Olaf, I decided to enter the Pre-Theologate program at Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida. I started as a full-time student but have been a part time student for the past two years while being employed as a music director at a local parish. During my second year at Ave Maria, I also taught 5-12 music at the Ave Maria Grammar and Preparatory School, and during my third year, I was an Adjunct Instructor of Music at the University, serving as the assistant conductor of the choirs and the instructor for the first year musicianship class. I graduated from Ave Maria in May of 2009 with the Bachelor of Arts in philosophy.

As a Dominican, I am interested in studying philosophy, theology, liturgy, and music, and though I would still like to teach, most everything that the Dominicans do is of interest to me.   (Br. Vincent Ferrer is a candidate for Dominican priesthood.)

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Br. Charles Shonk, 28

The youngest of four boys, I was raised in Lancaster,  Ohio, a small, semi-agricultural town. After going to an all-boys Catholic high school, I attended Denison University, also in Ohio, and got my undergraduate degree in Philosophy and Latin. Then I came to New York City and started full-time volunteer work, first as a second grade teacher for the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in Brooklyn, then as a high school teacher for the Marist Brothers in Manhattan. During those two years, I lived as a volunteer in religious community with the brothers and, to my surprise, began to discern a vocation to religious life. In 2007, after two more years of teaching and living on my own in New York City, I entered the Dominican Order.

I enjoyed life as a Dominican novice, and my experience at the Novitiate was a positive one; but I felt compelled, before taking simple vows, to leave the Order to test what I believed to be a call to monastic life.  I spent much of 2008 visiting Benedictine monasteries, trying out, as far as possible, the life of a monk.  This was an invaluable vocational experience which,  even as it deepened my appreciation for monasticism, strengthened and confirmed my original calling to the Dominicans.  Thus, when I decided, at the end of 2008, to reapply to the Order of Preachers, I did so with more perspective and a clearer sense of purpose.

My first acquaintance with the Dominican friars was at St. Patrick Church in Columbus, Ohio, where my family attended Mass when I was a teenager.  Later on, in college, I had the opportunity to study the philosophy and natural theology of St. Thomas. Practically speaking, however, it was getting to know Fr. Carleton Jones, O.P., and volunteering at St. Vincent Ferrer Church in New York, combined with visits to the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., which were the most important motivating factors in my initial application to the Order.

Some day, I would like to serve in a parish. Teaching and mission work also appeal to me. My pastimes and hobbies include reading, writing, walking/thinking, listening to classical music, and playing the piano and organ.  (Br. Charles is a candidate for Dominican priesthood.)

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Br. Raphael Forbing, 29

I began discerning a vocation to religious life shortly after I was received into the Church, in 2006 at age 26.  While in the RCIA program at my parish, St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Ann Arbor, MI, our pastor gave the talk on “Holy Orders”, and said to us, “Every young Catholic male needs to ask himself, ‘Am I being called to be a priest?’”  At the same time, the local council of the Knights of Columbus had been formulating a plan to purchase a house for young men, which would work closely with the parish priests, and provide an opportunity to discern God’s will for their lives.  I moved into the Fr. McGivney House, a men’s house of discernment, in the fall of 2007, and have had many opportunities to spend time with great priests and seminarians, attend retreats and conferences, and have abundant encouragement in my spiritual life.  Additionally, I have had the opportunity to live with (up to) 8 other men of varying ages, backgrounds, and stages of life- all under one roof.  Though this has been quite difficult at times, I am frequently reminded by our pastor that “As iron sharpens iron, so too does man sharpen his fellow man.” (Proverbs 27:17).

Most of my relationship with the Church have been the result of several “coincidences” happening at the same time.  When I examine my life, my interests, my friendships, and all the places where I could have gone wrong, I see God’s Hand working in marvelous, miraculous ways throughout.  I believe God is calling me to the Dominican Order, to the Province of St. Joseph, so that I may consecrate myself to him fully, and serve Him with all my skill, with all the gifts He has given me.

My family has been supportive of my vocational discernment.  My two brothers (one older, one younger), my sister-in-law (younger brother’s wife), and my parents have understood that I believe that this is God’s will for my life, and they want me to do what it is that I believe will make me happy.  Since I graduated from Northern Michigan University in 2003 with a BA in Public Relations, I have wanted to do charitable work, and this journey to the postulancy with the Order of Preachers has been a blossoming of my greatest desires, especially of developing a closer relationship with the Lord.  (Br. Raphael is a candidate for Dominican priesthood.)

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Br. Kolbe Reagan, 31

I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and Cincinnati, the oldest of three children.  When I was in fifth grade, my youngest sister died.  While I never doubted God’s existence, I nonetheless became angry with God.  Over time, however, this experience became the catalyst to a deep confidence in the Lord and in His providence.

Upon graduating from Purdue University with a B.S. in Computer Engineering, I worked for IBM for seven years as an engineer and later as a project manager.  Over time, I began to feel the Lord calling me to become a Catholic speaker and a third order Dominican.  With this in mind, I quit my job to pursue my masters in theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Still, the idea of the priesthood had not been a thought to me since my early twenties.  In fact, it was not until completing my masters degree last summer that the thought occurred to me again.  While in Adoration one evening, my meditation led me to realize that while those things that one leaves behind in responding to any vocation are indeed a sacrifice, an even greater aspect of vocational sacrifice exists in the act of giving of one’s self in order to bear fruit for the Lord.

Upon realizing this positive aspect of sacrifice, I began to consider the fruits of being a married man (for I had a serious girlfriend) versus those of being a priest.  Rather suddenly, an idea struck me: “Wait, do You want me to become a priest?”  Still, that wasn’t the idea that startled me.  What startled me was the simple fact that I found myself attracted to the idea.  Thanks be to God for teaching me the lesson of providence early!  (Br. Kolbe is a candidate for Dominican priesthood.)

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Br. Cassian Derbes, 33

I was born and raised in New Orleans. My parents, Fred and Judy, have been married for thirty-eight years. Our family is of French origin. My younger brother, Ryan, works in the financial industry, is married, and lives in Florida with his wife and their one-year-old daughter, Joleigh. My parents still live in New Orleans where my father works as a computer consultant, and my mother works part-time in advertising sales. In the summer, she also teaches young children to swim. My family is supportive and loving.

Though I was not raised Catholic, my parents sent me to Catholic school beginning in the eighth grade. My high school teachers left an impression on me. When I arrived at New York University for college, I undertook pre-medical studies, paying my own way through school. I credit the proximate cause of my coming into the Catholic Church to the great authors of the Catholic tradition: Augustine, Aquinas, and Dante, among others.

I came to know that practicing medicine was not my future. Instead, I began teaching high school. My work experience in education extends to the present, as I have most recently served on faculty at Georgetown Preparatory School in the Washington, D.C. area.  Race car driving has been a hobby of mine.

I was drawn to Dominican life and vocation as a student and as a teacher, and because of an opportunity to take courses in Rome, I have had the chance to meet Dominicans while traveling in Europe.  (Br. Cassian is a candidate for Dominican priesthood.)

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Fr. Martin Bird, 44

I have a younger brother and sister. We grew up in Pennsylvania.  My commitment to study began in high school and grew in college.  During my senior year I worked as a peer tutor in my college’s workshop for writers, the place where students went to get help with their term papers.  Surprised by how much I enjoyed my work there,  I decided to become a teacher.

At the same time I was becoming serious about my interest in the Catholic faith.  The Confessions of St. Augustine gave me my first clue that the search for truth could take a long time.  Soon I had made enough of my own mistakes to know, like him, the meaning of regret and to see the need for repentance.  Then when I read the Gospel of John, I rejoiced to see that the light we desire is a Person, one of whom I had heard much but had known little.  He who is the Way has shown us the path we are to walk if we desire to be happy.  I saw also that the Catholic doctrine on the moral life is the fulfillment and elevation of the teachings of the Greek philosophers I had encountered in my college philosophy classes.  This recognition became one of the motives of my conversion.  I owed it primarily to the little introduction to the Summa written by Walter Farrell, OP, My Way of Life.

I was received into the Church at the age of twenty-eight, and by the age of thirty I was in seminary.  I was sent to Rome for theology and studied at the Angelicum where my favorite subject was ecclesiology. Ordained a priest in 2000, I have served since then in several parishes in the Diocese of Peoria.

There are many reasons why Dominican life is attractive to me.  One is that it seems to be an excellent support for the Church’s work of preaching.  Preaching, to remain vital, needs to be sustained by deep prayer and a regimen of study, neither of which is easily obtained without the guidance of a tradition and the support of a community.  Dominicans are blessed with both of these.  Only a few within the Church have a Dominican vocation but they, if they are faithful to their calling, contribute in a unique way to the building up of the Church as a whole.  (Fr. Martin comes to us from the Diocese of Peoria.)

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