Introduction:
St. Dominic was originally a priest, a canon regular, who was already bound to live by the Rule of St. Augustine, and the statutes of St. Norbert. St. Dominic renounced the worldly power that he had been born to, and could have laid claim to even as a member of the clergy, and went around on foot like the ordinary people, living a poor and penitential life. His primary objective was to counter the heresy promoted by the Albigenses/Cathars and eventually founded the Dominican Order Of Preachers to bring the dedication and education of the monastic orders into the active defense of orthodoxy. He believed that parochial clergy were too poorly educated and poorly formed (spiritually) to make their rudimentary preaching effective in such apologetics. St Dominics innovation was to propose a community of priests that would share in the preaching office of the bishop. It was nearly 400 years AFTER Dominic when the Council of Trent began requiring parish priests to preach a Sunday sermon/homily.
After Vatican II, the role of the laity within the Church was significantly increased; each of us has a personal call to holiness. We see this in extraordinary ministers of holy communion (EMHC), religious education teachers (CCD catechist), Lectors, et al. Members of the Fraternities of St. Dominic share in the prayers, merits, and graces of the Order when they become full members of the Order. All the while living out their Dominican vocations and maintaining a nor- mal secular life. A vocation to the order involves a deep- er commitment to prayer and contemplation while living the Gospel and living in the spirit of the beatitudes. Fraternity members share in the prayers, merits and graces of the whole order, and are given a mission from Christ to carry the faith in word and example, to be loyal to the teachings of the Church, to give help and encouragement to the weak and perhaps fallen-away Catholics.
Formation:
This is really just a more structured phase of inquiry/introduction; since the postulant has not yet been received into the order. There isn't much required here before you begin other than a written request. Some fraternities may wait for there to be a group before starting this process, while others might start as soon as able.
Each month a different module is discussed, each with some general information about the title topic, followed by recommended questions. The first two (2) modules are historical background and contemporary spirituality. The remaining four (4) cover the four (4) pillars of Dominican Life: Prayer, Community, Study and Apostolate.
- The Life of St Dominic
- Laity in the Church: Our Call to Action
- Prayer
- Our Chapter, Our Community
- Study
- Apostolate
The six month formation period is also a time for mutual discernment by both the postulant and the fraternity with no commitment by either. After that, there is an application to be received as a novice, along with supporting documentation as well as an interview process.
Community:
Lay Dominican Fraternities meet at least once each month; the St Martin de Porres fraternity meets in the afternoon on the third Sunday of the month and runs for approximately three (3) hours. The meeting begins with a recitation of the "Dominican" rosary (with slightly different beginning than the contemporary version) and the Litany of St Dominic. After that we start our community "study" and discussion (either selected by the Religious Assistant or by majority vote in a previous meeting). A lot of this boils down to a facilitated review of various books (such as St Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle) and church documents ... after a brief break to socialize over coffee and snacks, the business meeting gets underway. This includes updates and information from the fraternity apostolates and may include updates about members personal apostolates. The meeting concludes with the Liturgy of the Hours Evening Prayer (Vespers) in community before heading home.
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Lay Fraternities of Saint Dominic (Province of St Joseph)
BOOK 2: THE PARTICULAR DIRECTORY
PART 1 - LIFE OF THE FRATERNITY
6. Fraternities shall meet at least once a month. The meeting agenda shall be published and distributed in advance of the meeting. In addition to carrying out the usual business for the good of the Fraternity, the meetings shall include the following elements.
- Prayer — All meetings shall include some form of communal prayer (e.g., Rosary, Liturgy of the Hours), preferably before the formal meeting is to begin.
- Study —Because the study of truth is an important aspect of Dominican spirituality, each meeting shall dedicate time for communal study. The study session may take the form of a presentation by the Religious Assistant or a member of the Fraternity, or it may take the form of a moderated discussion on a pre-determined subject that the members would have had time to prepare before coming to the meeting.
- Apostolate —All meetings should include a discussion of the common apostolate of the Fraternity, a review of any possible new apostolates, and/or a sharing of the individual apostolates of the members.
- Community — All meetings shall include time for the members to gather where they may interact with and support each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
PART 2 - ADMISSION AND FORMATION
33. A prospective member must be a practicing Catholic, at least 18 years of age, who has a desire for a deeper spiritual life and willingness to consistently engage in the Four Pillars of Dominican life: Prayer, Study, Community, and Apostolate. [...] He or she should have no permanent impediments to make the serious life commitment as a professed member in the Lay Fraternities and may not promote agendas or demonstrate behaviors in conflict with the teachings of the Church or the principles of the Dominican Order.
34. A prospective member must have received the sacraments of initiation and provided certifications of Catholic Baptism and Confirmation or proof of reception into full communion with the Catholic Church. A letter to verify current good standing within a Catholic parish is required from the prospective member's pastor.
37. A member of another association of the faithful mentioned in can. 303 ("third orders" or equivalents) cannot be admitted to the Lay Fraternities, and members of the Lay Fraternities may not join another such association.
38. Ordained clerics in major Orders, seminarians, and consecrated/vowed religious are not eligible for membership in the Lay Fraternities. An exception is made, however, for permanent deacons, who are eligible to become professed members of the Lay Fraternities of Saint Dominic.
46. The purpose of the postulancy period is to invite potential members into formal study and engagement with a local Fraternity, so that they may begin to discern whether they are called to this vocation.
48. The postulancy period should be a minimum of six months, and not exceed one year. Within this time, postulants should work with a member of the Fraternity ot begin understanding what si required of the life and conduct of a Lay Dominican. They should complete the approved study modules, attend regularly scheduled Fraternity meetings, and demonstrate a desire and ability to grow deeper ni both prayer and an apostolate.
50. Since they are not members of the Lay Fraternity, postulants are not required to pay annual dues to the Fraternity, Region, or Province.
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