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Friarside Chat
The recording and slides are available from Br. John's September Friarside Chat:
Recording
Slides
The next Friarside Chat will be on Sunday, December 15, at 7pm Central.
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Dominican Friars to Host Annual Provincial’s Dinner Honoring the Franciscans of the Eucharist
The Very Rev. Louis S. Morrone, OP, Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of St. Albert the Great (Central Province), together with the Dominican friars, invites friends, benefactors, and all who may be interested to their annual Provincial’s Dinner, where the friars will present their 2024 Great Preacher Award. The event will take place on Thursday, October 24, 2024, at the Union League Club of Chicago. This cherished annual tradition brings together friars and friends to celebrate Dominican heritage, honor exceptional preaching, and strengthen bonds of friendship.
The Great Preacher Award honors those who proclaim, in word and deed, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The friars will present this year’s award to the Franciscans of the Eucharist of Chicago, honoring their tireless service to the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels on Chicago’s West Side. Led by Bishop Robert J. Lombardo, CFR, the Franciscans of the Eucharist have made an indelible impact in one of the city’s most impoverished neighborhoods through their unwavering commitment to both spiritual and material support for those in need.
The full press release is available here.
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Reminder: World Rosary Day
To All the Members of the Dominican Family
Members of Confraternities of the Rosary
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As we approach October, the month of the holy Rosary, we recall the words of our brother Pope Pius V: “And so Dominic looked to that simple way of praying and beseeching God, accessible to all and wholly pious, which is called the Rosary, or Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in which the same most Blessed Virgin is venerated by the angelic greeting” (Consueverunt Romani, 17 September 1569). An important part of our mission to preach the Gospel is promoting and praying the rosary, which contemplates the mysteries of the Incarnate Word.
In preparation for the Jubilee Year 2025, Pope Francis calls the Church to prayer: I would greatly desire that we devote 2024, the year preceding the Jubilee event, to a great “symphony” of prayer. I ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to accompany the Church on the journey of preparation for the grace-filled event of the Jubilee. Let us join the World Rosary Day on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, 7 October 2024, 7:00 pm in your local time zone, by praying at least five decades of the Holy Rosary.
I especially invite the Dominican Family in Rome to join our brother Lawrence Lew, General Promoter of the Rosary, in praying the rosary at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. I will join you in prayer from the Convent of the Holy Rosary of the Vicariate in Spain of the Holy Rosary Province where we will be for a visitation.
Let us pray together for a grace-filled celebration of the Jubilee Year.
In Domino et Dominico,
Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, OP
Master of the Order
Download the official letter below:
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Provincial Council Assembly 2024
Behind the scenes at the annual in-person meeting of fraternity delegates
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What is the Provincial Council, Anyway?
The Provincial Council (PC) is the governing body of the Lay Dominicans within a particular province. It is made up primarily of elected delegates from each fraternity, so that decisions may be made with full representation of the interests of all Lay Dominicans. In addition to the delegates, the chairs of the various committees are also voting members of the Council. The Provincial Executive Council (PEC) leads the full body of the PC, and is made up of the president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and DLIPC delegate. The Provincial Promoter, while not a voting member of the PC, is an essential link between the laity and the rest of the Dominican Family.
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Br. John Steilberg, OP, Prov. Promoter (12)
Colorado — Cedaredge
Cheryl Riley, Prov. Secretary (31)
Renee Valenzuela, Delegate/Prov. VP (21)
Colorado — Denver
Robert Pickering, Delegate (1)
Colorado — Evergreen
Luchie Jones, Delegate (30)
David Peterson, Observer (13)
Illinois — Oak Park
Diana Caponigri, Alt. Delegate (22)
Illinois — River Forest
Michael Gazzolo, Delegate (not pictured)
Illinois — Springfield
Pat Kloppenburg, Delegate (29)
Lynne Stengel, Observer (18)
Indiana — Bloomington
Bob Kravchuk, Delegate (4)
Indiana — Carmel
Dave Powers, Delegate (not pictured)
Katie Willen, Prov. Archivist (17)
Indiana — Evansville
Jessica Goebel, Delegate (3)
Jeremy Goebel, Observer (not pictured)
Indiana — West Lafayette
Julie Krogmeier, Delegate (26)
Jonathan Stahl, Prov. DLIPC Delegate (8)
Indiana — South Bend/Michiana
Don Stelluto, Delegate (14)
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Kansas — Lawrence
Vincent Francisco, Delegate (10)
Michigan — Ann Arbor
Linda Thompson, Alt Delegate (15)
Rebecca Martin, Prov. Editor (25)
Gwendolin Weinberger, Prov. President (27)
Michigan — East Lansing
Tom Weber, Delegate (5)
Michigan — Farmington Hills
Ed Shea, Delegate (7)
Pat Shea, Observer (19)
Michigan — Grand Rapids
Dominique Quintallano, Delegate (24)
Minnesota — Minneapolis
Eric Barczak, Delegate (9)
Joey Odell, Formation Chair (11)
Missouri — St. Joseph
Tom Smith, Delegate, Liturgy Chair (20)
Missouri — St. Louis
Dawn Casey, Delegate (2)
Kathy Gibler, Alt. Delegate (16)
New Mexico — Albuquerque
Marie Levy Ryan, Delegate (28)
Loretta Serna, Alt. Delegate (not pictured)
New Mexico — Los Alamos
Chad Meyer, Delegate (6)
Wisconsin — Madison
Cathy Lins, Delegate/Prom. of Preaching (23)
Wisconsin — Milwaukee
Susan Henderson, Alt Delegate (not pictured)
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National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe at Marytown
As we have done for several years now, the PC spent the weekend of September 12-15 at the National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe at Marytown, Libertyville, Illinois. As it turned out, we were the first retreat to experience the newly-refurbished rooms of the retreat center, and enjoyed new beds, linens, and furniture. The conference room, particularly, had a nice upgrade in the form of a giant tv to plug computers into for presentations. Easiest tech setup ever!
The main chapel of the Shrine has perpetual adoration, and many of us would spend part of the morning or evening in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. We participated in Mass with the Conventual Franciscan Friars, who are excellent preachers (and the music was beautiful!) Our meals were all taken in the cafeteria of the retreat center, and were excellent.
Br. John Steilberg, OP, our Provincial Promoter, joined us for the whole weekend, and we received visits from Br. Joe Trout, OP, the Socius (Prior Provincial Fr. Louis Morrone, OP’s right-hand man) and Fr. James Pierce Cavanaugh, OP, the Promoter of the Rosary Confraternity. PC members were also joined by several observers, of whom some were other fraternity members and some were spouses (or both.)
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On Thursday evening, before the assembly had formally started, we received a visit from Br. Joe Trout, OP, the Socius of the Central Province friars. Fr. Louis Morrone, OP, was unable to attend and sent his right-hand man in his stead.
Br. Joe conveyed the Prior Provincial’s greetings to and support for the Lay Dominicans, and updated us on the work of the friars. He also spent a few minutes speaking to the assembly about Dominican life and governance.
He discussed how Christ is the fulfillment of the law, which in turn produces Love. Law is supposed to guide us into communion with God and each other. Good human law is geared toward good relationships. Quoting from Bl. Humbert of Romans, Br. Joe reminded us that Dominican law does not bind under pain of sin. This is so that we do not feel weighted down or trapped, but we also know it's not optional. The laws we abide by are meant to guide us upward, toward the good and our eternal end.
As Dominicans, we are marked by an ordered communion. There are clear rules that we must follow, and each of us are called to participate according to our talents. We have a superior that we are to follow and practice obedience, while at the same time we make decisions for the good of the community.
Lastly, Br. Joe reminded us of the principle of responsibility. We can distinguish between what is being asked of us, and what we are responsible for.
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St. Dominic
Many thanks to Cathy Lins (WI-MAD) and the whole Madison fraternity who graciously lent us their first-class relic of St. Dominic. A small table, chalice veil, purificator, and candle made a little altar for the relic which remained front and center for most of our sessions. Cathy carefully protected the relic when the room was unoccupied, so St. Dominic traveled with us to lunch and dinner in his waterproof lockbox.
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On Friday, the real work of the PC began — bright and early, with 7:00 AM Morning Prayer and Mass. (The PC weekend is not for the faint of heart...it's long hours and lots of work!) Provincial President Gwen Weinberger officially opened the PC with a brief ceremony, which included the collective renewal of our Profession. The following prayer, full of material for meditation, preceded the renewal:
"Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord: the Word of God calls us out of darkness into the light of Truth. With the confidence of God's children, let us ask the Lord to renew within us the promises we made when we embraced the Dominican way of life, and ask the Lord to strengthen us in our commitment."
The renewal of Profession provided a foundation for our proceedings, a reminder of who we are and why we were present together. It served as a transition from the busyness of our everyday lives and the bustle of travel, into these days of service and conversation.
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The terms of the current PEC all end at the end of 2024, so we held elections over the course of the assembly to determine the new executive leadership. We first voted to add the Alternate DLIPC* Delegate to the PEC, in order to expand the PEC slightly (many hands make lighter work!)
After a straw vote to familiarize ourselves with the process, with two observers and Br. John acting as tellers:
- Don Stelluto of Mary, Seat of Wisdom Fraternity in Michiana was elected Provincial President on the second scrutiny, with a total of 19 out of 29 votes. Chad Meyer received 9, and Marie Levy-Ryan 1.
- Chad Meyer of St. Albert the Great Fraternity in Los Alamos, New Mexico, was voted Vice President on the first scrutiny.
- Joey Odell of Holy Rosary Fraternity in Minneapolis, Minnesota was voted DLIPC Delegate on the third scrutiny.
- Marie Levy-Ryan of Nuestra Señora de las Montañas in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was elected Alternate DLIPC Delegate.
This new PEC will take office on January 1, 2025. President Emerita Gwen Weinberger will remain a non-voting member of the PEC for one year to aid in the transition. Note also that the Secretary and Treasurer will be appointed by the new PEC; they are appointed rather than elected positions.
Please join the PC in prayer for our outgoing officers and our incoming officers!
*DLIPC: Dominican Laity Inter-Provincial Council
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Website and Member Portal | |
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The Provincial Editor, Rebecca Martin (MI-ANN), followed up on several earlier discussions with the PC regarding the planned website overhaul.
At the 2023 PC Assembly, the Communications Committee brainstormed with the PC about the Province's needs. In January 2024, Rebecca initiated contact with 5 Stones, a top-level Catholic web and media company. The PEC approved a contract for Phase 1, during which Rebecca and Renee met with 5 Stones through April, May, and June. We shared the province's needs and current state.
After learning more about how the province works and the needs of individuals and fraternities, 5 Stones connected with a company called MemberLeap to discuss the potential for members-only platform. This opened up the conversation past just an external-facing website, into discussions of a new setup that will provide streamlined communications solutions for fraternities and the whole province. 5 Stones concluded Phase 1 with proposal for Central Province to work with MemberLeap.
This proposal was shared with the PC over the summer, and at the September Assembly, Rebecca and Renee answered numerous excellent questions from delegates about the process, plan, financials, cyber security, etc. After extensive discussion, the PC unanimously voted to pursue the 5 Stones/MemberLeap proposal.
The goal is to complete and launch the external website and member portal by late spring of 2025, followed by training and debugging. Part of that process will also include assembling a website sub-group of the Communications Committee.
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Particular Directory and Commissions | |
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What is the Particular Directory?
The Particular Directory (PD) is the document that establishes norms for the living out of the Rule and General Declarations in a particular province. This document is mandatory for each province to create; Central Province has been without a PD for several decades. It has been the work of the last few years to draft, modify, discuss with delegates, delegates discussing with the fraternities, modify some more, draft some more, discuss some more, share with the fraternities some more, and did I mention discuss and modify and discuss?
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Jonathan Stahl, the DLIPC delegate and past president, organized the PC into five commissions. Each commission, made up of a randomized selection of 4-6 members, was assigned a section of the PD. The commissions were asked to review their paragraphs in light of the previous discussions and with an eye to keeping only the essential elements in the PD. Additional material will eventually be compiled into a handbook resource for the province.
After completing their small-group work, each commission presented their suggested changes with the whole PC, further refining the text until consensus was achieved. Each PC member is to be commended for the dedication, cooperation, and wisdom that were shown throughout this whole process. We shared a communal desire to build on the years-long work of the Governance Committee, and integrate the concerns and questions brought by fraternity members during the review process.
Despite the length and challenges this project presented, we succeeded in discussing and approving changes for the whole document!
Over the past several years, the PD has been created and modified by many people — special thanks to the Liturgy and Formation Committees, and above all to the Governance Committee for overseeing the whole process.
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Next Steps
The changes approved by the PC have been sent to the Provincial Editor. Rebecca will proofread the document, identifying inconsistencies, correcting typos, and highlighting any discrepancies. She will meet with the Governance Committee in October to discuss any outstanding items, after which the final draft will be sent to the PC delegates to take a final look through before the November meeting.
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In Memoriam
On Friday evening, as is our custom, we celebrated a brief memorial service and rosary for our Lay Dominican brothers and sisters who passed away in 2024. Each fraternity delegate brought a candle to the altar in honor of the deceased individual(s) from his or her fraternity.
Right: Kathy Gibler (MO-STL) lectors during the ceremony.
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The Albuquerque fraternity has been working with Cathy Lins, Promoter of Preaching, to prepare a retreat and pilgrimage to which all Lay Dominicans of the Central Province are invited. See below for a flyer with more information, and feel free to download and print the flyer to share with your communities.
Cathy has spent the last year communicating with fraternities, and noted that the question of charisms has continued to arise. She recommended a list of workshops presented by the St. Catherine of Siena Institute.
She also presented the possibility of attending preaching events with the friars and brothers when they go on the road. If you are interested in attending these events, please reach out to Cathy.
As Promoter of Preaching, Cathy also recommends two books for fraternity and individual study: From Christendom to Apostolic Mission and Preachers at Prayer.
Cathy continues to encourage fraternities to reach out to her directly: preacher@layopcentral.org.
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Br. John gave a brief presentation on the status of the various fraternities and groups around the province, and the delegates updated him on their leadership information and religious assistant status. Fraternities who do not have religious assistants, please have your delegate reach out to Br. John.
Gwen gave a few brief closing remarks, and the Assembly ended with a closing ceremony. Those who stayed through the next morning joined the Franciscan Friars in the main chapel for chanted Morning Prayer and Mass.
Below: The PC thanks Jonathan, Gwen, Renee, and Cheryl for all their hard work over the past years.
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NB: The next PC Zoom meeting will be held
on November 23, 2024.
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Veritas Editorial Team
Mrs. Rebecca Martin, OP — Editor
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Ms. Cathy Lins, OP – Promoter of Preaching
Ms. Mary Reinhardt, OP
Ms. Cheryl Riley – Provincial Secretary
Ms. Renee Valenzuela, OP
Mrs. Katie Willen, OP – Archivist
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