Idaho Lay Dominicans
Blessed Margaret of Castello Chapter
- LETTER TO INQUIRERS
To Praise, To Bless, To Preach
To you who are Inquirers:
If you wish to inquire about the Dominicans, this is for you. The Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans, is an Order of the Roman Catholic Church. It was started by St. Dominic, a mendicant preacher of the 13th Century. What is a Dominican? The first, obvious answer is that a Dominican is a follower of St. Dominic, a member of the Order of Preachers, which he founded in the 13th Century to combat the evils of the age by preaching God’s truth in charity. The motto of the Order is Veritas, the Truth that changes not. The purpose of the Order is to praise God, to bless Our Lord in prayer, adoration, and contemplation, and to preach His Truth. A Dominican is faithful to the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church, to the pope, and the local Ordinary, Bishop Michael Driscoll, D.D.
Today, just as in 1215 A.D., the Order of Preachers is called to preach and defend the Faith throughout the world, to revitalize those of dormant faith, lax morality, and heretical wanderings. The First Order, the Dominican priests, preaches Christ crucified (the Way for us all, the Truth, the Life) and teach theology to religious and law, in missions, colleges, seminaries, and parish churches. The nuns of the Second Order study, continually praise God, and pray for us all; it was the Second Order that St. Dominic first established, before he sent for the the first to priests into the world to combat the heresies of the day. The sisters and lay people of the Third Order live in, but are not of, the world, sanctifying their secular vocations by offering all to and for Our Lord, interspersing their daily work with prayer and praise, approaching others with love as they share the Truth which the fathers preach. We are all one family, we followers of the clear-thinking, humble, obedient, most loving Dominic.
The Blessed Margaret of Castello, OP Chapter is associated with the western Dominican province known as the Holy Name of Jesus Province, from St. Albert’s Priory in Oakland, California, and meets at St. John's Cathedral in Boise, Idaho the 3rd Sunday of each month at 1:00 p.m. with a Rosary prayed in the cathedral chapel downstairs, then on to pursue study, to share ideas, and to praise God together. Among the lay family of Dominicans here, many vocations and personal ministries are represented here.
The postulants or Inquirers are those seeking to discern a lay Dominican vocation. Candidates or novices are members who have been received into the Dominican Order as members of the Chapter. Professed members are those members who have professed initially for one or three years, and then are professed for life. Prayer members are life professed members who for serious reason cannot continue to attend meetings.
Our chapter, the Blessed Margaret of Castello, OP Chapter, started its initial formation in 1997, became a chapter-in-formation in 1998, and was fully recognized by the Western U.S. Dominican Province as a full chapter in 2004. The Western Province has since recognized our efforts. At least once a year, the chapter receives either Fr. George Matanic, OP, the lay promoter for the Province, or Fr. Bart de la Torre, OP, as visiting priests to assist and aid in the spiritual formation of this chapter.
If you are interested in the Lay Dominicans, we will ask you to start coming to our monthly meetings, to attend, to pray, to discuss, and to contemplate along with others, the glorious Christ, who was so well exemplified in our spiritual forefather, St. Dominic. We meet on the 3rd Sunday of each month.
Please call the formation director, John Keenan, OPL, if you have any questions. (208)375-2532.
