Lay Dominicans of the Holy Rosary
Who We Are
"To praise, to bless, to preach."
“The Laity of St. Dominic are those faithful who, baptized in the Catholic Church or received into her, confirmed and in full communion of faith, sacraments and ecclesiastical governance, are called by a special vocation to progress in the Christian way of life and to animate temporal things through the charism of St. Dominic.”
Members of the Lay Dominicans are fully incorporated into the Order of Preachers and live out their vocation in the world. Along with the friars, nuns, and sisters, lay members of the Dominican family have a special charism to preach for the salvation of souls. Dominican life is distinctly flavored by four key areas which are essential to our charism and our vocation. These areas are called the Four Pillars, since they work together to “hold up” our lives as Dominicans.
Four Pillars
Prayer The foundation of a Dominican's prayer life is the Eucharistic celebration of the Mass, daily if possible. Upon that firm foundation we endeavor to sanctify our day through the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office), the contemplation of Sacred Scripture, and the recitation of the Rosary, which holds a privileged place in Dominican tradition.
Study In the Bible, love and knowledge go hand in hand. For Dominicans, study is a part of our life because through it we seek to know more about God, which means we come to love Him better. Study enriches our prayer, community, and apostolate because it helps us understand and better articulate the Truth.
Community Lay Dominicans come together to share their common vocation within a local fraternity. Frequent and regular participation in community life enables us to grow in love, patience and understanding. We are strengthened and supported by our brothers and sisters, as we seek to grow in holiness together in the Dominican Family.
Apostolate The apostles were the men "sent out" by Jesus to share in His mission. Likewise, an apostolate is the work we are "sent out" to do in the world. Dominicans have individual apostolates, as well as communal apostolates. This work is undertaken for the salvation of souls, and because we are Dominicans, it usually contains an element of preaching.
Priorities for Mission
Orientation Meeting with Fr. Augustine Hilander.
Preaching As members of the Order of Preachers, Lay Dominicans make a commitment to create and nurture a lifestyle that allows us to preach the Good News to the world. We do this in many and varied ways: as speakers at retreats, through the arts and music, social media, and our interactions at school and in the workplace. In every aspect of our lives, Lay Dominicans "proclaim the Good News to all creation" (Mk 15:16) and are prepared to "make our defense to anyone who demands an account of the hope that is in us."(1 Pet 3:15)
Fraternity We often speak of the Dominican Family, and call our lay communities "fraternities" to highlight our identity as brothers and sisters in Christ. Though many Lay Dominicans live with family, we also embrace our community as "family" as a sign of unity with one another, the Church, and God. Our world today desperately needs to be reminded that we are all called to be united to God as a family, to find friendship and love in community.
Encounter Dominicans seek genuine encounter: with God and with other people. We follow the example of St. Dominic, who knew that the most effective form of preaching is to help another person encounter God through bringing them to the Truth.
Upcoming Events
Lay Dominicans Community Meeting
Are you searching for deeper communion with Jesus and are inspired to follow in the footsteps of St. Dominic de Guzman, founder of the Order of Preachers?
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