To Praise, To Preach, and To Bless

The feast of St. Dominic de Guzman is celebrated in the Catholic Church on August 8. This 13th Century preacher founded the Dominican Order dedicated to preaching the Gospel. This meant that from the beginning, they were "on the road." A contemporary of St. Francis of Assisi, Dominic's vision was to send preachers wherever the truth, justice, and the compassion of the Gospel needed to be heard and lived out.

One of the mottos of the Order was VERITAS (truth), so study was and is an important part of their lives.  One of the other mottos was "Contemplare et contemplata aliis tradere" - "to contemplate and to give to others the fruits of one's contemplation."  Each of these mottos gives impetus to Dominicans in their prayer, their life, and ministry today all over the world.

Dominicans are known as joyful women and men who through their lives, their prayer, and their service, give praise to God, bless all that God has given, and preach God's unending fidelity. They are everywhere. You can find them fighting for justice and peace as well as creating a painting or writing poetry.

 For more information about the Dominicans, the Order of Preachers, visit www.dominicanorder.org. In particular, to learn about the Dominican Sisters of Hope, of which I am a member, go to www.ophope.org.

 

Sr. Jo-Ann Iannotti, OP

Art and Spirituality Coordinator
Wisdom House