TRUMBULL—The Our Lady of Fatima Affiliation of the Saint Mary’s Chapter of the Lay Fraternities of St. Dominic which meets at St. Theresa’s Church in Trumbull had a joyous celebration on April 29, 2021. That evening, three new members were received into the fraternity as novices, and four other members advanced in their formation by making a public profession to live by the Rule of the Dominican Laity for three years. A fifth member made the temporary profession in June.
Lay Dominicans are fully incorporated members of the Order of Preachers who live their Dominican vocation while living in the world. We are nurses, builders, mothers and husbands yet we all felt called to a deeper expression of our Catholic faith and found the charism of the Dominican order as an answer to this call. After an inquiry period we can be received into the order to continue the discernment process through study and formation. This novitiate phase is followed by making a public promise to live by the Rule of the Lay Dominicans for three years after which time the candidate may choose to commit to these promises for life.
The Lay Dominican’s life is grounded by the four pillars of the Order of Preachers. These are prayer, study, community and apostolate. This way of life was instituted more than 800 years ago and is bound by community, enlivened by prayer, enriched through study and made manifest in apostolate. We join the Universal Church in praying the Morning and Evening prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, as well as the Holy Rosary. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is central to Dominican life and lay members strive to attend daily if possible. This life of prayer is enhanced through studying the history of the Dominican Order and its many saints and by gaining a deeper understanding of the teachings of the Magisterial Church. While we do not live in community with each other, we come together regularly for formation, prayer and retreats. These regular meetings provide the opportunity to grow in our prayer life and by studying together we are made ready to go into the world and make known the Good News of Christ. Apostolate is the expression of our chapter’s communal desire to engage with the world as Christ would have us. Each chapter or affiliate has a communal apostolate, and each Lay Dominican has a personal apostolate.
The Dominican Family is fortunate to have many Saints and Blesseds and the lay members of this family are no less blessed in this regard. The great Doctor of the Church, St. Catherine of Siena was a member of the Dominican Laity, as was St. Rose of Lima, St. Martin de Pores and countless others. Join us along with Father Brian Gannon, STD, pastor of St. Theresa’s Church and religious assistant of the Our Lady of Fatima Affiliation on Thursday August, 26 at 7 pm at St. Theresa Rectory Hall, 5301 Main St Trumbull CT, 06611, to learn about this vocation.
(For more information, email, call or text Michelle Rowe, at: orapronobis20@gmail.com or 203.218.6882, Peter Reichenberger at: peter.LFSD@gmail.com or 203.892.1734, or Joan Cuomo at: richardcuomo939@comcast.net 203.215.0438.)
By Mr. Peter Reichenberger O.P.
