At the Central Province assembly In St. Louis this week, 89 Dominican Friars gathered in prayer, formation, and community.
The annual gathering also celebrated the 50th ordination anniversary of Fr. Jim Barnett, O.P., Fr. Jerry Cleator, O.P., and Fr. Jack Risley, O.P., who were ordained together in 1965. Also celebrating their 25th ordination anniversary were Fr. DePorres Durham, O.P. and Fr. Jim Karepin, O.P., while Fr. Dan Davis, O.P., Fr. Thomas Saucier, O.P., and Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, O.P. celebrated 25 years of professed Dominican life.
During the four-day assembly, Friars heard Fr. Paul Philibert, O.P., a Southern Province Dominican lecture on “Celibate Chastity and Prayer”, and Sherry Weddell, author of Forming Intentional Disciples talk about “Dominican Mission: Discipleship and Evangelization”.
The assembly also gave brothers an opportunity to discuss the state of the Central Province, future projects, and prepare for this summer’s Provincial Chapter, meetings of delegates from the province to set a course for the next four years.
In conjunction with the assembly, New Priory Press released “Into the Courtyard of the Gentiles”, a collection of papers presented at last year’s assembly, marking the 75th anniversary of the Central Province. In the book (which can be purchased here), Archbishop Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R of Indianapolis discusses Religious in the Church of the 21st Century; former Provincial currently serving as Socius for Studies to the Master of the Order, Fr. Michael Masacari, O.P. gives A Dominican Vision of Study: Into the Courtyard of the Gentiles, and Dr. Scott Appleby, a professor of history at the University of Notre Dame and Director of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies presents “Globalizing American Catholics [GACs]: The Continuing Relevance of the Dominican Vocation”.
Please return here to www.OPCentral.org throughout the year to stay connected with the Dominican Friars, sign up for our email list here, or ask to receive our DomCentralQuarterly Magazine here. To reach or follow a specific Central Province ministry, click the links below.
Our Ministries
Parishes
St. Pius V-Chicago, Ill.
St. Vincent Ferrer-River Forest, Ill.
St. Albert the Great-Minneapolis, Minn.
Holy Rosary/Santo Rosario-Minneapolis, Minn.
Blessed Sacrament-Madison, Wis.
St. Dominic-Denver, Colo.
Campus Ministry
St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center-Purdue University
St. Paul Catholic Center-Indiana University
St. Thomas More Newman Center-University of Missouri-Columbia
Education/Spirituality
Fenwick High School-Oak Park, Ill.
Aquinas Institute of Theology-St. Louis, Mo.
Dominican Ecclesial Institute-(D+E+I)-Albuquerque, N.M.
Dominican Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus-Chicago, Ill.