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Altar dedicated to St Thomas Aquinas, San Esteban, Dominican priory church in Salamanca.
—Fr. Lawrence Lew, OP (Flickr)
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Dominican Calendar
February
4: St. Catherine de Ricci (om)
7: Anniversary of deceased mothers and fathers
13: Bl. Jordan of Saxony (m)
18: Bl. Fra Angelico (Bl. John de Fiesole) (om)
March
No feasts
om - optional memorial
m - memorial
f - feast
s - solemnity
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Important Reminders
- If you are not a member of the Rosary Confraternity, or if you aren't receiving the newsletter, sign up at therosarian.org.
- Send fraternity necrology updates to Pat Kloppenberg (pkloppen@casscomm.com). Download the Necrology at this link.
- It is not permitted to post any of the Central Province formation materials online. Those materials are under copyright. Please contact the Formation Committee with any questions (formationcommittee@layopcentral.org)
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Submit Articles to Veritas
Please consider exercising your preaching apostolate by writing for Veritas. Under the four broader headings of Prayer, Study, Community, and Apostolate, here's a list of topics you might consider:
- book review
- a Dominican devotion or tradition
- reflection from your own prayer, study, and/or formation
- preaching on a specific Scripture passage
- Lay Dominican life or the Rule
- your fraternity's apostolate and your experience of participating in it
- your own personal preaching apostolate
- recommendations for those struggling with an element of the Christian life
- how your Lay Dominican vocation impacts your work
- how your Lay Dominican vocation impacts your family or your parenting
- Lay Dominican leadership
- your experience as a Provincial Delegate
- a roundup of links to good articles you'd recommend everyone read
- what you've learned or are learning in formation
- a pilgrimage you've taken
- a Dominican saint or blessed, especially the lesser-known Lay Dominicans
Articles should be kept to about 300 words, but feel free to submit a multi-part series. You do not have to be perpetually professed in order to submit. Email articles and images, if applicable, to editor@layopcentral.org. Clearly state your fraternity's name and location and your full name along with the text of the article.
(N.B. The Editor reserves the right to edit appropriately and to decide if/when to run the article.)
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Joey Odell
Calling all Formation Directors and all those helping with formation! We will be hosting a Formation Director training on May 31st at 1-2:30 PM ET / 2-3:30 PM CT / 3-4:30 MT. Stay tuned for the link to join.
We will be debuting the updated formation materials for Temporary Profession, going over the revised Formation Director Handbook, and taking your feedback and questions. We hope to have the Handbook and Temporary Profession formation materials to you by April. We look forward to seeing you all then!
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Rebecca W. Martin, Editor
We are in need of good photos for our new website. While we have a number of "posed" photographs from professions, etc., we would like to incorporate photos of meetings, apostolates, presentations, anything that has a little more life to it. Over the next few weeks as you meet, please take and send good-quality photos to editor@layopcentral.org. Photos must be submitted by February 15, 2025.
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Preaching Hope During the 2025 Year of Jubilee | |
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Cathy Lins, Promoter of Preaching
As we think about opportunities to preach as Lay Dominicans, let’s not miss the easy options. Let’s focus our prayer and contemplation, and then our words on Hope and St. Paul, the Missionary of Hope. (Visit the Vatican’s website here.)
Pope Francis stated in his February 2022 letter announcing the Jubilee 2025: "We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire..."
In May, Pope Francis officially declared 2025 a Year of Jubilee with a papal bull, titled “Spes Non Confudit,” meaning “Hope Does Not Disappoint.” The official Jubilee Prayer allows pilgrims to express gratitude to God and request forgiveness. A Jubilee Year is a time of grace, forgiveness, and renewal that happens every 25 years. It's a chance for Catholics to reconnect with God and others.
According to the USCCB website,
“The Jubilee Year will offer the faithful opportunities to participate in various jubilee events at the Vatican and in their own dioceses. The great tradition of opening the Holy Door will begin when Pope Francis opens the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica on December 24, 2024. Other holy doors will be opened at the Rome basilicas of St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls.
For pilgrims who cannot travel to Rome, bishops around the world are expected to designate their cathedrals or a popular Catholic shrine as special places of prayer for Holy Year pilgrims, offering opportunities for reconciliation, indulgences and other events intended to strengthen and revive faith.”
On Sunday, Dec. 29, in every cathedral and co-cathedral, diocesan bishops celebrated Mass as the solemn opening of the Jubilee Year.
The theme of the jubilee is “pilgrims of hope” as the pope is calling on all Catholics to renew in the hope of Christ, using St. Paul the Apostle as a guide for this special year.
- Take turns preaching at your monthly fraternity meetings on hope. You could base your preaching on the General Audience talks that Pope Francis did on hope in 2017, or his book of reflections on hope.
- Prepare a Day of Reflection on St Paul’s writings that focus on hope.
- Hold a parish mission on how the Church looks at hope, based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
- Lead a small group study
- Write an article for your Catholic newspaper or share information on a podcast.
“During the Holy Year, may the light of Christian hope illumine every man and woman, as a message of God’s love addressed to all!” said Pope Francis. “And may the Church bear faithful witness to this message in every part of the world!”
As Dominicans, let’s do our part to build up the Kingdom of God.
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Julie Krogmeier, IN-WLF
Claire Eberle made her temporary profession on Nov. 2nd, 2024 at St. Thomas Aquinas. Julie Krogmeier received her into the St. Mary Magdalene fraternity, West Lafayette, Indiana.
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Kathy Spindle, CO-DEN
Julie Crespin, Victoria Ortega, and Camilla Raymond made their Perpetual Profession during Mass with Fr. Patric Tobin, OP, at our September 7 Day of Prayer.
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Cheryl Riley, CO-GRJ
At the annual retreat of Blessed Mary Mother of Dominic fraternity in Grand Junction, Colorado, this past September, James Blackwell and Elaine O’Neil took temporary profession.
L to R: James Blackwell, Renée Valenzuela, Cheryl Riley, Elaine O’Neil, Helen Hawkins; seated, Catherine Lambert.
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Thomas Dietz, IL-RIV
Final Professions at Saint Pius V Fraternity, River Forest, IL, (L to R): Alejandra Gallegos, Linda Lopez, Father Jose Santiago, OP, Jorge Taylor and Natalia Taylor.
In addition to the Profession Ceremony, there was a baptism and prior to the Mass Father blessed a group of travelers. After the profession the candidates were greeted by the community with over whelming support. Ms. Terri Gaudio, OP from Saint Vincent Ferrer parish accepted the promises.
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IN-CAR
Three members of St. Catherine of Siena Fraternity in Carmel, Indiana made Perpetual Profession on Monday, October 28. The profession Mass was celebrated in the Dominican Rite by Fr. Reginald Wolford, OP.
L to R: Nick Foster (president), Katie Willen, Sonya Shonkwiler, Kara Vandenboom
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On November 16, seven members of the Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati Fraternity in Ann Arbor, MI, made Temporary Profession.
Pictured, L to R: Sr. Peter Thomas, OP (spiritual assistant), Elizabeth Allard, Barbara Kelly-Ferris (president), Terese Gibb, Gwen Weinberger (formation director), Amy Kilbourne, Edd Post, Robert Ddalimura, Joseph Torres, Fr. Peter Kabaggoza (celebrant), Denise Gorski.
In a delightful surprise, Robert Ddalimura and Fr. Peter Kabaggoza were reunited after attending seminary together in Uganda a number of years ago.
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Boxes of Joy
Jamie Gustin, MI-GRP
On Sunday, November 10, 2024, the Rosary Fraternity met for our monthly meeting. We began our meeting with the Dominican Rosary. Lucrezia led us with the Glorious Mysteries. After the Rosary, for our group formation, we discussed Chapter 4: Dominicans and the Key of Knowledge from the book Preachers at Prayer by Fr. Paul Murray, OP. Our meeting continued with Evening Prayer, the Litany of Dominican Saints, and the hymn Family of Dominic.
Following our gathering, we engaged in a productive time of fellowship. Our group enjoyed refreshments and then dedicated ourselves to our annual Advent almsgiving initiative, which focuses on providing Boxes of Joy for children in developing countries such as Haiti and Guatemala. We filled numerous shoe boxes with toys, clothing, school supplies, and hygiene items, and included rosaries from our group apostolate in each box. The process of packing these boxes brings our group great joy, as we strive to bless children each Christmas.
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St. Margaret of Castello Center
JeanAnn Hansen and Kathleen Velardi, CO-DEN
At the monthly Denver Lay Dominican Fraternity meeting on January 6, 2024, we chose by a majority vote, from a list of six potential nonprofits, the St. Margaret of Castello Center, Denver, Colorado as our apostolate.
At the February 3, 2024, monthly meeting one of our members generously and anonymously donated $400.00 to the Castello Center. Another member has generously donated $25.00 a month to the Castello Center. We also have members who volunteer their time at the Castello Center.
Every month we give needed items such as food, baby formula, toothpaste, personal wipes etc. We also give monetary donations quarterly to the Center. In December of 2023, the Denver Lay Dominicans donated several large bags of groceries to the Center.
The St. Margaret of Castello Center was opened by Brother John Steilberg, Fr. Patrick Tobin, and a small group of St. Dominic’s parishioners in April of 2023. The Center is located downstairs in the St. Dominic’s Parish Office building next to St. Dominic’s Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado. The Center is open Wednesdays from 12:30pm to 3pm.
The St. Margaret of Castello Center currently helps between 70-100 families per week. There is a desperate need for both individuals and families. Over half of those we serve are children.
The Center has had a grant through Catholic Charities which helps supply diapers and wipes. On Tuesdays, volunteers unload and stock items from the Food Bank. On Wednesdays help is always appreciated as we assist our neighbors. The Center is always in need of certain foods and personal care items for infants, children, and adults. There is also a shortage of new and gently used clothing and coats (size 18 mo through 5T).
The Center is incredibly grateful to the Lay Dominicans for their interest and support.
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