In this episode of Word to Life, the recently ordained Fr. Austin Litke, O.P., joins Fr. Gabriel Gillen, O.P., and Br. Innocent Smith, O.P., to discuss the readings for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A).

On July 9th, the Memorial of St. John of Gorcum, about 30 men and women made an eight-mile pilgrimage through the streets of Manhattan, singing and praying along the way. This pilgrimage is part of a growing tradition in the Province of St. Joseph. Organized and implemented by the Dominican student brothers, these pilgrimages seek to foster devotion and fraternal charity amongst the pilgrims and to provide public witness to the faith.

The Manhattan pilgrimage included seven churches: beginning at the Church of Notre Dame near Columbia University, the pilgrimage proceeded to Saint Jean Baptiste, St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Church of Our Savior, and ended at St. Joseph's Church in Greenwich Village for holy Mass and a cookout. The pilgrims prayed the Liturgy of the Hours throughout the day, and received special blessings from the pastors and priests of the parishes. The route chosen took the pilgrims through Central Park, where Cleopatra's Needle provided shade during one of the liturgical hours of the Divine Office.

The pilgrims formed a diverse cross-section of the Church. Six Dominican friars and two Franciscan Friars of the Renewal took part, along with twenty-some lay pilgrims ranging from families pushing strollers to men discerning religious life to a Columbia University professor.

The making of pilgrimages is a tradition as old as religious civilization itself. A long-established act of piety or discernment even in the pagan world, the pilgrimage became a major expression of Christian devotion in the Middle Ages, although one of the first written accounts of a Christian pilgrimage dates from the fourth century A.D.

As the renewal of our Church continues, the Dominican friars hope to continue this tradition of regional pilgrimages to foster the devotion of the People of God and increase the visibility of the Church in our local communities.

-Br. Raphael Forbing, O.P.

For the past several weeks, we have provided a weekly insert on Preparing for the New Translations.  Prepared by Fr. Allen Moran, O.P., these inserts have gone in depth explaining the meaning behind the new translations of the ordinary part of the Mass.  Their purpose is to assist all Catholics in obtaining a deeper understanding of the Mass texts,…  » More

When you entered our front hall, you encountered the portrait of Fr. Lawrence Kearney, O.P., who had this priory built after Cardinal Gibbons invited the Dominican Friars to make a foundation near the new Catholic University of America. Fr. Kearney studied in Louvain, Belgium, after Leo XIII's encouragement of Thomistic studies. Louvain was the place…  » More

A New Translation of the Mass into English: The Liturgy of the Eucharist—Eucharistic Prayer I (Part V)

By Fr. Allen Moran, O.P.

You may download the bulletin insert here: Insert 17

This handout continues with the examination of the new translation of Eucharistic Prayer I, also known as the Roman Canon.

Current Translation                       …  » More

iBreviary, a popular tool for cell phones and devices such as the iPhone and iPod which may also be accessed online, provides the texts of the Liturgy of the Hours for each day of the year. Recently, the English version of iBreviary began including specifically Dominican prayers and readings for Dominican feasts such as Bl. Adrian Fortescue, an optional…  » More

At a certain point in his life, Augustine could hardly imagine himself farther from God. He was single-mindedly in pursuit of an ambitious career as a rhetorician, had mixed himself up with the Manichaean heresy, and had fathered a son out of wedlock. The autobiographical story of how Augustine came around and set out on the road to God has fascinated and inspired readers since the late fourth century up until the present day.

Br. Augustine Reisenauer, O.P., presented this talk on the Confessions of St. Augustine on July 5, 2011 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Zanesville, OH.  Please click above to see the video.

A New Translation of the Mass into English: The Liturgy of the Eucharist—Eucharistic Prayer I (Part IV)

By Fr. Allen Moran, O.P.

You may download the bulletin insert here: Insert 16

This handout continues with the examination of the new translation of Eucharistic Prayer I, also known as the Roman Canon.

Current Translation                       …  » More