If you are considering a Lay Dominican vocation, you are welcome to come and observe our monthly meeting. We meet the 1st Saturday of every month in our Dominican Private Oratory where we have Dominican formation and activities, and engage in the 4 Pillars of the Dominican Lay Fraternity life, which are Prayer, Study, Apostolate and Community. It is also where we observe some of our daily obligations like the Holy Rosary and the Liturgy of the Hours.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic
"The Woman Clothed With the Sun" Chapter
The higher we go, the better we shall hear the voice of Christ.
St. Pier Giorgio Frassati / Lay Dominican (1901-1925)
LAY DOMINICAN MEETING SCHEDULE:
* All times listed are Central Standard Time (CST)
1st Saturday of every month
- 7:20 – 7:40 AM – Confessions
- 7:30 AM – Rosary
- 7:50 AM – Mass
- FOLLOWING MASS – Meeting
Our Primary Apostolate
One of our chapter’s apostolates is to promulgate the Fifth Marion dogma through the carrying of the Purity Medal. The medal is an expression of Dominic Medals alone and does not represent the endorsement of the Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic or the Order of Preachers as a whole.
Our Public Prayer
We also pray the Rosary live online midday every weekday and offer a variety of other ways to join us in prayer. You can pray with us via livestream and find our complete prayer schedule here.
Understanding the Four Pillars
The four pillars of Dominican spirituality are Prayer, Study, Apostolate and Community.
- Prayer
He or she contemplates Divine Truth (God) by daily recitation of the Rosary, praying the Divine Office morning and evening, frequent Mass attendance, monthly Confession, an annual retreat, spiritual reading, and frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament.
- Study
A Lay Dominican studies the Word and other spiritual materials both individually and with his or her fellow members of the Chapter. - Apostolate
He or she shares the Divine Love (Caritas) that flows from his or her soul in the form of an apostolate that usually involves performing one or more of the Spiritual or Corporal Works of Mercy. - Community
A Lay Dominican shares this same Caritas in community with fellow Dominicans during monthly chapter meetings.
What to Expect if You Seek a Lay Dominican Vocation
St. Dominic exhibited a fully sanctified human intellect: an intense intellectual curiosity, exalted by faith; a yearning for peace of heart, or repose in God; and the need for action. These are the three dimensions of Dominican spirituality: the life of the mind in study; the absorption of the mind in God by prayer and contemplation; and the outflow of charity from the soul into apostolic action
The true signs of Dominican life are inward ones of, active study of the Word of God, a thirst for Truth, a prayerful life, and a joyous giving of oneself in an apostolate.
Not all souls grow closer to God by taking an intellectual route. For example: Lay Franciscans grow in holiness without a lot of study; they focus upon detachment from worldly pleasures, so they practice voluntary poverty. Lay Carmelites pray constantly for the entire Church. Members of the laity who join Opus Dei, sanctify their work as a prayer to God.
One must try to align oneself with a spirituality that will help one’s soul grow in faith, hope, and charity, and, ultimately, reach eternal beatitude (blessed attitude) with God.
What Do You Do Now? PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!
Please pray for guidance from God as to whether or not He is calling you to Dominican spirituality. The goal is to save your soul, so, if you pray, He will put you in the right place to accomplish that end. Remain docile to the Holy Spirit, and listen to God.