Seattle’s New Recording of Liturgical Music
At the beginning of this year, over twenty musicians — including Dominican friars from three different provinces — convened at Blessed Sacrament…
At the beginning of this year, over twenty musicians — including Dominican friars from three different provinces — convened at Blessed Sacrament…
They shall bring gold and frankincense,and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD. (Is 60:6)This verse is found at the end of our first reading…
When will I die, and how? Will it be at the ripe old age of ninety after I’ve lived a full life? Will it be painless? What if I die tomorrow…
It’s fitting that we celebrate January 1st as the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. In her essay The Mystery of Christmas, the philosopher and…
On my first visit to New York City, I had the pleasure of being among the many tourists who flock to Manhattan for the holiday season. New York…
Today, the Church begins to sing the seven, so-called “O Antiphons.” Dating from the early Church, these antiphons are sung at Mass and Evening…
I vaguely remember, as a child, being so proud of the fact that I could tie my shoes. I consciously thought through what my fingers were doing…
Advent has begun!We’ve entered into a pregnant pause. The hope of the world—of our lives—is imminent ! The canticles of Zechariah, Simeon, and…
While millions of Americans gather to give thanks to God for blessings given throughout the year, to many of us, it might be a difficult time…
Every year several young men from all over the country visit St. Albert’s Priory for a Come and See weekend. I will never forget my first visit…
St. Cyril of Alexandria lived between c. 378-444 AD and was the Patriarch (Archbishop) of Alexandria during a very turbulent time in the Church.…
What are comforting words you would give to a couple burying their only child? How would you explain why—after trying to have children for many…
In contemporary public discourse we hear much about “fear,” often with a negative connotation. We hear about “fear based politics,” “fear-mongering,”…
We Catholics praise God. We, as His creatures praise God for many reasons. We praise God to thank Him, to adore Him, and to glorify Him. Praise…
One day, during my childhood, my mother and I were attending daily Mass. During the Gospel reading the priest proclaimed a passage from Matthew…
Introduction: In July 2019, the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) held a General Chapter in Vietnam. A very democratic process, a General Chapter…
Theology can seem far removed from our spiritual life—a cold, dry, clinical exercise—like studying botany textbooks compared to gardening. Theologians…
The diaconate is one of the most ancient offices of the Church, dating all the way back to the time of the Apostles. The Church has always recognized…
One of the biggest difficulties about wearing a white habit is that it is absolutely impossible to keep spotless. In a way, being a sinful, concupiscent…
Here at the house of studies, St. Albert’s Priory, we have started another academic year! Late summer and early fall are always times of transition…
On Thursday August 29th at 7:30pm, in a beautiful ceremony called Vestition, the four young men below will join the Dominicans; receiving the…
Matthew 25:1-12 tells the parable of the ten bridesmaids who went to meet the bridegroom’s wedding feast. Five wise virgins brought extra oil…
At this point in the academic year, I am finishing my year of ‘residency.’ This year – typically a student brother’s fourth year of formation…
When it comes to leisure, many of us tend to associate it with time spent not working or studying, doing what we enjoy. In other words, leisure…
“Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope.” As Dominicans, we pray these words quite frequently, after every Rosary…
When we meditate upon the fourth glorious mystery, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we should be meditating upon love; namely, the…
In the Third Glorious Mystery of the Rosary we contemplate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles at Pentecost. Our meditation on this…
As we continue to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us meditate on the Second Glorious mystery, Christ’s Ascension into…
Exult, let them exult! Having been baptized during an Easter Vigil, these opening words from the Exsultet have a special place in my memory of…
Today, we are entering into the mystery of Holy Week, the most significant week in the liturgical year, the week in which God shows his ineffable…
After meditating on the Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, and the Carrying of the Cross, with the Fifth…
Among the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary, this is arguably the only one that focuses on Christ’s active role in His Passion. Christ…
And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe upon Him, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on His head, and put a reed in His right hand.…
One of the first challenges that we face when meditating on the Second Sorrowful Mystery is that the Gospels only provide a minimal amount of…
We easily see that the Church is wise in her establishment of Lent. We are sinners – selfish, carnal, and earthly-minded – and so it is no surprise…
For you are dust, and to dust you shall return (Gen 3:19).Most everyone agrees with this sentence irrespective of their views or religious beliefs.…
Christians throughout the ages have undertaken strenuous journeys to shrines far and near. Early pilgrimages focused on the Holy Land, on the…
As we draw near to the feast of The Chair of St. Peter it is worth reflecting on what papal infallibility is and is not. People often think this…
Recently, in one of my Scripture classes, we addressed the similarities and differences between St. Paul and the Greek philosophers. The philosophers…
When I say the word morality, what do you think of? Your first thought may be of rules, duties, and obligations - dos and don'ts of what is acceptable…
Dominicans are not especially zealous in promoting the veneration of our saints, a tendency that goes all the way back to our beginnings and…
Every single person is called to love. If we do not experience love, life remains incomprehensible to us. But if we do experience love, then…
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”…
That the twelve-year-old Jesus clearly knew the Law and the Prophets is evident in the fact that the learned men even bothered listening to the…
It seems an unusual requirement that Mary and Joseph should consecrate God’s own Son back to Himself. And yet, in obedience to the Law of Moses,…
Since the earliest days of St. Dominic, the Order of Preachers has been a fiercely democratic institution, embodying the principles of collegiality,…
“Who has performed and done this,calling the generations from the beginning?I, the Lord, the first,and with the last; I am He.” (Isaiah 41:4)Secrets…
As we continue through the season of Advent, almost everyone anticipates the joy of opening presents on Christmas morning. For most people, it…
“We are a ‘touchy’ people, Father… we like to touch.”Dear friends of St. Jude,I was invited for this past St. Jude feast by the devotees of St.…
In my senior year of high school, I took over leading an optional lunchtime Rosary on Fridays in the school chapel. The usual attendees included…
Last month on November 3, the Church celebrated the feast of Saint Martin de Porres, a Dominican brother who cared for the poor and the sick…
In this moment between Thanksgiving and Christmas, while the carols are already playing, our liturgical calendar goes through its transition:…
Assiduous study ranks as one of the most salient features of the Order of Preachers. When one thinks of the Dominican friar, thoughts of great…
On Wednesday, the 21st of November, we celebrate the Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Ancient traditions in the church,…
On November 15th, we celebrate the Feast of a Dominican saint who deserves to be better known in modern times: St. Albert of Cologne (d. 1280),…
Our society likes to forget about death. A common motivation for doing so is to avoid the pain of having to deal with the limitedness of our…
Whether it is in a silly commercial or a John Lennon song, I keep coming across this notion of forgetting Heaven, or of focusing on building…
This past fall, I have often found myself demoralized. There is a seemingly continuous stream of distressing news describing troubles outside,…
The superhero story is a great success and fascination of our time. It holds captive not only children and teenagers, but adults as well. These…
I thank God for the many blessings of living with the Dominican community here in Bologna as I study Italian. I appreciate the robust community…
Every Sunday we celebrate Christ’s victory over evil and sin. We might ask ourselves: what does the victory of Christ mean? What happened after…
Christian sailors joined Pope Pius V (a Dominican) in praying the Most Holy Rosary, and defeated a much larger Turkish force at the Battle of…
Residency year is typically the 4th year of formation for student brothers of the Western Dominican Province. During this…
On August 8, the Solemnity of Saint Dominic, I received the sacrament of Holy Orders by being ordained a deacon alongside my classmate, Br. Cody…
On September 1st, four of my Dominican brothers and I made our first profession of poverty, chastity, and obedience. When I returned to my seat…
Saint Thomas would later be identified with his moment of doubt, but now it is not doubt that captures his mind. Jesus stands before him in the…
The height of winter usually finds the novices of the Western Dominican Province roaming the deserts of the Southwest. This journey takes us…
Over the last 800 years, the Order of Preachers has celebrated the holiness of 103 Saints and 374 Blesseds in the Dominican family. Their witness…
As we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, the titular feast of the Western Dominican Province, Fr. Augustine Hilander, O.P., our promoter…
This year, since Christmas falls on a Monday, many people are asking, "If I only go to a Christmas Vigil Mass on Sunday, December 24, have I…
In 1854, Pope Pius IX declared the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a dogma of the Catholic faith.* In the…
As we finish the month of November, many people are already singing carols and setting up their Christmas trees. But before we celebrate Jesus'…
With the end of the liturgical year fast approaching, Fr. James Disney Thompson, O.P., offers his keen insights as to how we should receive the…
"Within that region where the sweet west wind comes blowing...lies Caleruega, fortune-favored town...There the staunch love of the Christian…
Holy Week is a special time in the life of the Church, beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with Holy Saturday. During this period, we reflect…
While the Christmas creche is often attributed to Saint Francis, credited with making the first living nativity scene in Italy, the Feast of…
The near universal celebration of Christmas on December 25 dates to the early fourth century. It is commonly said that this date was chosen to…
For years Hollywood has portrayed purgatory as something it is not. Instead of presenting it as a process of purification before heaven, movies…
The Blessed Virgin Mary plays an important role in salvation history. She gave birth to the Savior of the world, and because she was so closely…
The sign of the cross has been a part of the Church’s tradition for nearly 2000 years. Constantly depicted in film and art, it has become one…
Saint Dominic de Guzman died on August 6 in 1221, after arriving at the convent of San Niccolò nelle Vigne, sick with a fever. After making his…
Taking a vacation during the summer holidays can be difficult. Long lines at the airport and more cars on the road are often a cause of frustration.…
The Priory of Saint Albert the Great, the Western Dominican Province's House of Studies, has a history unlike any other. The Priory sits…
Priestly ordination is often seen as the climax of one's life as a Dominican friar. But actually it's the profession of solemn vows which unites…
Beginning on the fifth Sunday of Lent (formerly known as Judica Sunday after the first words of the introit “Judge me, O Lord”) and throughout…
Every year the novices of the Province visit each of our communities (except the one in Alaska, due to time and resources). These visits are…
As itinerant preachers, Dominicans are constantly on the go, traveling from place to place in order to proclaim the Gospel for the salvation…
Lent is just around the corner, and as we all know, fasting for 40 days is not easy. In order to make the most out of this holy season, one needs…
“We are called to show mercy because mercy has first been shown to us,” Pope Francis proclaims in Misericordiae Vultus. As we continue our celebration…
Nicholas was born in the village of Patara, on the southern coast of present-day Turkey, towards the end of the third century. When he was a…
On September 3, my five brothers and I were welcomed into a year of discernment with the Order of Preachers as we received the Dominican habit…
For centuries the Church has taught that the rosary is a powerful prayer.Saint Dominic learned this truth almost 800 years ago, when the Blessed…
Michelangelo’s Pietà is probably one of the most famous portrayals of the Virgin Mary known to mankind. Every year millions of tourists, Catholic…
While most Americans think of the first Monday in September as the last day of summer vacation, Labor Day (as the name suggests) is more about…
On Thursday, September 3rd at 7:30pm, in a beautiful ceremony called Vestition, the six young men below will join the Dominicans; receiving the…
Earlier this summer, Fr. Michael Dodds, O.P., one of our professors at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (DSPT) in Berkeley, was…
In December of 1216, Pope Honorius III approved Dominic de Guzman’s plan for an order of contemplative preachers.Tradition holds that shortly…
Although William of Ockham once spoke of freedom as the absence of restrictions, the Catholic Church has always thought of freedom as something…
Bring flowers of the rarest, bring blossoms the fairest...The month of May is full of devotions in honor of the Virgin Mary. In Catholic schools…
Life as a Dominican is rooted in four areas, what we typically call the four pillars: prayer, study, common life, and ministry. Based on these…