DOMINICAN connect VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 7 March 2014 From the Vocations Office of the Irish Dominican Friars Why do we preach the rosary? A parishioner in Dublin once told me in an uncomfortable tone that he really didn’t understand the point of the rosary with all its repetitious prayers and that, perhaps, it was time for the Church to drop it completely. He didn’t realise, I think, how fervently our Order promoted the rosary in times past and that we were even charged with doing so by a Pope! Tradition has it that the rosary was given to St Dominic by Our Lady and that from then on the “new” prayer was promoted and preached by us. Various forms of repetitive prayer certainly existed before St Dominic founded our Order in the thirteenth century and it took some time to standardise the rosary we have today with its groups of five decades. Repetition of prayers as if they have no deep sense or meaning is definitely not the point of the rosary, however. In being a simple repetition of short but meaningful prayers well known by Catholics it is certainly accessible to all and it gives us a concrete pattern to follow and a typical length of time to pray, not too long, not too short. Being predictable in its spoken prayers, it gives us a period of time, it even pushes us into a period of time, where our mind naturally wanders. We are free and even encouraged to bring what is on our mind before the Lord and Our Lady without putting our petitions or praise into words. The name “rosary” comes from its role as being an offering of a kind of spiritual bouquet of roses to Our Lady (the German name “Wreath of Roses” makes the point better – “Rosenkranz”), a bouquet which we can offer without a lot of complex cultivation of words. But it is much more than this which the Dominicans have preached in the centuries gone by. We preach the meditative side of the rosary, the part nobody can see and which takes place in hearts, souls and minds. We preach meditation, just imaginative thinking about the so-called “mysteries” of the rosary while we say the simple and In this issue... ● Rosary Vigil in Kilkenny ● Book Launch in Rome ● Dominican Family Vocations Day ● Aquinas Institute Summer School ● Featuring... Fr Stephen Tumilty OP ICON OF ST DOMINIC The icon of St Dominic is at St. Dominic’s Parish church, Tallaght for the next number of weeks. repetitive prayers. The mysteries are simply the more important events in the life of the Lord Jesus and his Mother, events which are “mysterious” because they had significance for all people although it did not seem so at continued on page 2 an 6th Annual Dominic Day Family Vocations Like to know more about the Dominicans? day April 5th, join us on Satur Then come and inick St., our's Priory, Dom 2014 in Saint Savi out more about... Dublin 1 to find n Friars ● The Dominica Nuns n Contemplative ● The Dominica n Sisters ● The Dominica inicans ● The Lay Dom mation contact For further infor a place, and to reserve 524 h OP at 041-9838 m contact Sr Niam [email protected] .voca mily opfa il or ema ment to avoid disappoint Book by March 28th limited! places Dominican Family Vocations Day Saturday 5th April, at St Saviour’s Priory, Dublin, from 9.30am to 5.00pm. If you are interested in learning more about the different branches of the Dominican Order with a view to joining one (friars, contemplative nuns, apostolic sisters, lay Dominicans), contact our vocations director (see back page). 2 continued from page 1 the time and it might not seem to those who do not reflect upon them. What are these mysteries? First there are the events around the birth of Jesus: the announcement to Mary that she would conceive and her acceptance of it (“Be it done unto me”); Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist; the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem; the presentation of the baby Jesus in the Temple and encountering the prophets Simeon and Anna; the finding of the child Jesus in the Temple when he was about 12 years old. These are significant because they are concerned with the mystery of our faith called the “Incarnation” – that God became man in Jesus, living among us, taking on human nature to heal and save us. Then there are the events around the death and resurrection of the Lord which we know so well. The DOMINICAN connect suffering and death of the Lord before Easter (The Agony in the garden, the Crowning with thorns, the scourging at the pillar, the carrying of the cross, his crucifixion and death) and his resurrection and related events following Easter Sunday (Resurrection, Ascension, Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven, her Coronation as Queen of Heaven and Earth). The death and resurrection of the Lord is the central mystery of the Christian faith – the “paschal mystery” – through which eternal life is made accessible to us. In Our Lady assumed into heaven we see what we are called to – full life with God. In meditating on these events while saying the rosary we can grow in appreciation of their significance for us and even change our attitudes and lives accordingly. Dominicans have preached the rosary because it’s a simple way of praying which brings our hearts and minds close to the central events in the life of the Lord Jesus, the events which were key in how God choose to make eternal life open to us. In recent times, and encouraged by Vatican II, the Church has sought “to return to the sources”, the Bible, the liturgy, the teaching of the early bishops and theologians of the Church. But the rosary is also a “return to the sources” because it has the same centre – Jesus Christ and the key events of his life, death and resurrection. The question which began this reflection has been answered I think. Now I would like to pose a second: “Would you preach the rosary?” Fr Fergus Ryan OP is a member our community in Rome and is pursuing doctoral studies at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute. NEWS... Book launch in Rome Cork readers will be especially interested to learn of a book launched at our priory in Rome, Italy, in February. Canon Sheehan of Doneraile 1852 - 1913: Outlines for a Literary Biography, by Mongisnor James O’Brien, was launched at Collegio San Clemente by Cardinal Pell, the archbishop of Sydney, Australia. Monsignor O’Brien, a priest of the diocese of Cloyne who works at the Holy See, had his first book on Canon Sheehan published in early 2013 called The Collected Letters of Canon Sheehan of Doneraile, 1883-1913 and a third is due to be published in the not too distant future. At the booklaunch Fr John M. Cunningham OP, prior of San Clemente, Cardinal George Pell, Monsignor O'Brien. Courtesy of Fr Pius Pietrzyk OP. Rosary Vigil @ Black Abbey A rosary vigil was held for road crash victims and their families at our church in Kilkenny, the Black Abbey, on Saturday 9th February last. The Kilkenny Gospel Choir participated in the event. Biblical Institute Achievement Sr Mary T. O’Brien PBVM was conferred with a doctorate from the University of Limerick on 24th October last. Dr Mary’s doctoral thesis on St Paul’s Letter to the Romans was written under the direction of Fr Tom Brodie OP, former moderator of the Dominican Biblical Institute, Limerick. Students at the Institute are attending lectures on the Gospels of Matthew and Mark by the new doctor who also teaches at St Patrick’s College, Thurles, County Tipperary. DOMINICAN connect Upcoming Events Forthcoming Priestly Ordinations Dominican Connect has the joy of announcing the priestly ordinations of three of our brothers this coming summer: on 5th July at St Saviour’s Church, Dominick Street, Dublin 1, of Brothers Luuk Jansen OP & Colm Mannion OP, and on 2nd August at St Finbar’s Church, Port of Spain, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago. Please pray for the ordinandi as they approach ordination. Imposition of hands at ordination of Fergus Ryan OP, Easter Saturday 2010, by the bishop of Cork & Ross, John Buckley. PILGRIMAGES Lourdes (11th-16th June 2014) staying at the Hotel Padoue. Ex-Dublin. Cost €719. Director: Fr Frank Downes OP. Telephone: 08720.59.092. Fatima (2nd-9th Oct 2014) staying at the Hotel Tres Pastorinhos. Ex-Dublin. Cost €799. Director: Br Michael Neenan OP. Telephone: (01) 40.48.100. 3 Aquinas Institute of Ireland Summer School From 21st to 28th June, participants in the summer school will study the moral theology of St Thomas in the Irish Dominican Summer Camp at Knockadoon, East Cork. While the week will include a small number of lectures, most study will be done together by students and tutors in two morning sessions of 75 minutes each. The only requirement for attendance is willingness to participate; the course is not reserved to students of philosophy and theology. The full board rate for the week (single rooms) is only €200 (family rate of €420). Mass will be celebrated daily in the camp oratory and there will be ample opportunity for personal prayer time. Consult the institute’s website for further information and to apply to attend the course. Applications should be made as soon as possible, certainly before the beginning of April. The Aquinas Institute was founded by a group of young Catholic Christian academics wishing to promote the study of the writings of St Thomas Aquinas. The goal of the Institute is to introduce the thought of Aquinas to a wider audience, towards a deeper study of his texts by students of theology and philosophy, and also to introduce his works to others interested in exploring these areas of human knowledge. The specific area of study for this year’s summer camp is St Thomas’ Summa Theologiae, Prima Secundae, questions 1-21. Website: http://www.aquinasinstitute.ie/ Email if website application is problematic: [email protected] Monastic Vocations Weekends At the Dominican nuns’ monastery, County Louth, have been organised as follows: March 14th - 16th May 9th - 11th September 12th - 14th October 17th - 19th November 14th - 16th Other times are possible by arrangement. http://www.DominicanNuns.ie continued on page 4 4 DOMINICAN connect featuring... Events continued from page 3 Fr Stephen Tumilty OP I was the first-born into a family of five in Chapel Street in Newry in March 1945. I can remember vividly at around the age of five preaching to an imaginary congregation and by the age of twelve I made a solemn promise to God that I would study hard and pass all my examinations in order to become a priest, and by age thirteen I had written to the vocations director for the Dominicans indicating that I wanted to join the Order because I wanted to become a preacher. He wrote back saying that to become a preacher was a very good reason for wanting to become a Dominican. A little earlier than this I had summoned up the courage to ask Fr Stephen Murphy OP to ask if I could become an altar server in the Dominican church of Saint Catherine in Newry. This request was granted. Fr Murphy and another Dominican, Br James Philips OP, subsequently played a large part in the formation of my vocation to become a Dominican. Both were inspiring and gifted men. I concluded my academic examinations on June 21st, 1963 (the day of the election of Pope Paul VI) and shortly after I made the journey to the Dominican novitiate in Cork. I received the habit of the Order on September 14, 1963 and given the name Stephen. After the year-long novitiate, I spent six years in the studentate in Tallaght, County Dublin and I was ordained a priest in Saint Patrick’s College in Drumcondra on July 5th, 1970. My first assignation was to San Clemente in Rome where I studied for a degree in theology in the University of Saint Thomas, ‘The Angelicum’. I particularly liked celebrating the weddings of Irish couples in the church of Santa Anna in the Vatican. From there I was assigned to Saint Mary’s priory in Cork where I Residential Vocations Events Remaining Vocations Weekends of 2014 for men interested in becoming Dominican friars (priests and lay brothers) 11th – 13th April – Cork 16th – 18th May – Cork Contact the Vocations Director – Fr Gerard Dunne OP - see below for details. Fr Stephen Tumilty OP completed a degree in English, Italian and psychology. I began a ‘folk Mass’ in the church and between 700-800 attended each Sunday where I took the opportunity to preside and preach. It was a great joy to minister in this way to so many young people. I became involved in working with the Simon community, the Saint Vincent de Paul society and did a lot of church work along with being assistant novice master for two years. Having finished studies in Cork I was then assigned to Newbridge College as teacher, dean of students, subprior and other duties. It was exceptionally busy there. I was then transferred to Dundalk with its busy apostolate in the church and youth centre. During my time there I was struck down with a severe form of clinical depression which hospitalised me on many occasions. It was a cause of intense suffering for approximately fourteen years, during which time I ministered in Waterford city. Thankfully I have been stable now for the past sixteen years – wonderful years, most of which have been fruitful and happy in Newry, my native town. As I look back on my life, I find myself crying out a resounding ‘Thanks be to God.’ Like Edith Piaf who sang with great gusto, ‘je ne regrette rien!’ I too regret nothing (except my sins!). Maybe you too could have a life of no regrets! Please pray for Dominican Vocations Lord Jesus, as once you called Saint Dominic to preach the Gospel, so now send new preachers into your harvest. Give them courage, wisdom and grace to make them witnesses of your death, resurrection and return in glory. Through the intercession of Mary, patroness of the Order, may they bring true faith and light to brighten the darkness. You who live for ever. Amen. Easter Triduum Retreat Ennismore Retreat Centre, Montenotte, Cork 17th - 21st April (Thursday to Monday). Telephone: (021) 45.02.520 http://www.Ennismore.ie Holy Week & Easter Triduum Retreats Variety of options Tallaght Retreat Centre http://www.goodnews.ie/tallaght Telephone: (01) 45.02.307. Interested in the Dominican friars? Contact the vocations director Address: Fr Gerard Dunne OP, St Saviour’s Dominican Priory, 3-11 Upper Dorset Street, Dublin 1. Email: [email protected] Telephone: (01) 889 76 13 Twitter: @frgdop Blog: http://IrishDominicanVocations.blogspot.com Website: http://www.DominicanFriars.ie Facebook: Irish Dominican Vocations Other branches of the Dominican Order Contemplative Nuns: www.DominicanNuns.ie Apostolic Sisters: www.DominicanSisters.com Dominican Laity: www.LayDominicans.ie All design and content, text and images, unless otherwise stated, are copyright, the Irish Dominican Province. Media may reproduce the text of articles on condition that they be fully credited to both the author (if given) and to Dominican Connect – from the Vocations Office of the Irish Dominican Province.
© Copyright 2024