ORDER OF PREACHERS
The Dominican Family
Trinidad & Tobago

BOLOGNA GENERAL CHAPTER ON DOMINICAN FAMILY

Acts of the General Chapter
of Prior Provincials

Held at Bologna, Italy
July 13th - August 4th 1998

CHAPTER V

DOMINICAN FAMILY

Prologue

146.

The Dominican Family has its roots in the vocation and charism of Dominic de Guzman, preacher of the Good News of Jesus Christ. This charism has been lived in many different forms throughout the centuries. It is incarnated in old and new forms in the lives of men and women, young and old, who upon hearing the call of the Spirit decide to follow the way of the preacher.

It is from the silence of monasteries to the noise of a youth gathering, from the tranquillity of the classroom to the deafening noise of the factory, from the pain of hospitals to the heroic involvement of missionaries, that the charism of Dominic gives unity to the life and mission of those who have followed in his steps.

The positive experience of working together in the areas of formation, prayer and ministries within the Dominican Family and the need to proclaim the Good News encourage us to continue promoting in complementary and mutual collaboration the diverse experiences of the Dominican vocation, while realising the mission in the Church and the world in an attitude of respect for the autonomies and particular characteristics.

Though the Master of the Order plays the same role with all the branches in promoting fidelity to the spirit of Saint Dominic, we have to take into account that his relation with them varies in order and degree. So he enjoys full authority over the friars, according to their constitutions; the nuns, who have their own constitutions approved by the Holy See, profess obedience to him, as their own proper and immediate regular superior (cf. LCM 238); he has a particular relationship with the priestly and lay fraternities but the congregations of sisters and secular institutes are fully autonomous.

At the 1983 Symposium of the Dominican Family in Bologna the different branches acknowledged that, as successor of Saint Dominic, the Master is the principle and sign of unity of the Dominican Family. As such, he grants aggregation to the Order whether directly or through an entity.

On the threshold of the Jubilee year 2000, and in accordance with the proposal of the General Chapter in Caleruega 1995, we acknowledge the need to concentrate our efforts in the next few years on the assemblies, national and regional, of the Dominican Family. Following in the steps of the Symposium of Bologna, these Assemblies will invite representatives from the different branches of the Family so that together they may continue to celebrate and reflect on our Dominican vocation and call to collaboration for the sake of our common mission.

Order of Preachers and Dominican family

147.

In the past years the titles of Order of Preachers and Dominican Family have been used interchangeably. Both concepts describe the Dominican reality from different perspectives. We believe it is time to clarify these realities so that all branches of the Dominican Family arrive at a common understanding and acceptance.

Recommendation

148.

We recommend that the International Commission of the Dominican Family appoints a group of qualified members to:

1)   Study and clarify the difference between Order of Preachers and Dominican Family.

2)   Circulate this study to the national assemblies of the Dominican Family for discussion and feed back.

3)   The General Chapter suggests the following text to the Commission for reflection:

The word “Order” should be understood in a dynamic way as the special task or mission that constitutes a group of persons that is publicly recognised and entrusted with carrying it out. Our Order is sent for the proclamation of the Word of God (Fundamental Constitution, I).

"Order of Preachers" refers to the religious society of all those who, through their public engagement, are incorporated into the Dominican mission as it is recognised by the universal church.

The Order generates a family. This is especially appropriate, since preaching is not merely instruction directed to individuals, but its fruit appears in the creation of community.

"Family" is a metaphor that evokes and expresses the experience of belonging together, sharing the same name and roots, recognising and offering mutual support in a loving relationship as brothers and sisters.

Therefore the "Dominican Family" is that communion of friars, nuns, apostolic sisters, members of secular institutes, fraternities of priests and laity, associations attached to the Order, who, through a shared charism, are ordered to assume a similar mission of preaching and compassion.

The family seeks to establish an Order. In its turn the family seeks to organise itself as an order, through defining the roles and responsibilities of its members and thereby assuring them of their place within the whole. Other persons may consider themselves members of the Dominican Family in the sense that they either individually or through various associations have been attracted by the mission of the Order and continue to look to it for inspiration and support. In this sense the Dominican Family can be considered as a movement, which is open to new forms of life and mission. (Rome 271).

International Commission of the Dominican Family.

149.

The International Commission of the Dominican Family is a consultative body convoked by the Master of the Order and is composed of the Master of the Order, the Promoter of the Nuns, the Promoter of the Laity and a representative of "Dominican Sisters International".

Recommendation

150.

The appointment of an Assistant for the Dominican Family requested by the Chapter of Caleruega was a visionary response to the needs of the Family. New times though present new needs, and the need for a more collaborative approach moves us to propose the following:

We request that the International Commission of the Dominican Family consider the following as their task:

·         To promote collaboration of the Dominican Family in mission projects pertaining to the Order.

·         To encourage and aid all the entities of the Dominican Family world–wide.

·         To co–ordinate the work done by the Secretariats of the Dominican Family in their respective territories.

·         To organize periodical regional and international meetings for representatives and members of the branches of the Dominican Family.

·         To share the work done by the Dominican Family in their respective territories.

General Assembly of the Dominican Family

Petition and Commendation

151.

We petition the Master of the Order to convene an international committee of the Dominican Family — of no more than (10) ten members — to co–ordinate the planning and implementation of the Assembly of the Dominican Family in the year 2000.

152.

We recommend those existing provincials, regional and national commissions/councils/secretariats/assemblies of the Dominican Family and we encourage their creation in the provinces, regions or countries where they do not exist.

153.

The provincial commissions/councils/secretariats/assemblies, regional and national of the Dominican Family and where they do not exist, the Prior Provincials, the Vicar Generals, Regional and Provincial Vicars shall convoke a meeting of representatives of the Dominican Family. In this meeting they shall discuss and prepare suggestions for the Assembly, which they shall send to the International Committee convoked by the Master.

154.

We commend the spirit of collaboration that inspired the creation of new structures and projects, such as Dominican Sisters International, the Commission of the Nuns and, the International Dominican Youth Movement.

155.

We encourage the use of modern means of communication in the planning and implementation of the year 2000 Assembly.

The Nuns

Declaration

156.

In the spirit of number 95 of the General Chapter of Caleruega, we recognize as very positive the presence and participation of the Nuns at the last General Chapters.

Petitions

157.

We petition the Master of the Order to study the question of the authority of the Master and the General Chapter over the Nuns and the real implications in relation to their government in light of the democratic principle "what concerns everyone should be decided by everyone" .

158.

We petition that we continue inviting nuns, representing the different regions of the world, to the General Chapters in no greater number than (10) ten.

159.

We petition the Master of the Order that, respecting the processes established in no 182 of the LCM, he name a commission to study the revision and changes of the LCM.

International Dominican Youth Movement

Declarations and Exhortations

160.

We rejoice at the development of the International Dominican Youth Movement as a sign of the Spirit working in our times. This movement supports the renewal of the Order.

161.

The IDYM is composed of groups of mainly young lay people who are committed to be disciples of Jesus Christ and they assume in their lives the basic Dominican values of prayer, study, community and preaching.

162.

We acknowledge them to be members of the Dominican Family and we encourage all the branches to support this movement. Cf. Caleruega # 97

163.

We exhort all our communities to develop and support this movement, especially our houses of formation and those dedicated to work with youth.

164.

We encourage the members of the IDYM to reach out to the other branches through participation in the diverse ministries of the Order. We exhort the members of the Dominican Family, especially the friars, to welcome the members of IDYM as collaborators in their ministries.

165.

In view of their commitment to the common mission of the Order, we encourage the members of the IDYM to value formation as an integral element of their vocation.

International Dominican volunteer movement

166.

Among the members of the Dominican Family there are lay people who are expressing, ever more urgently, a desire to participate in the mission of preaching given by St. Dominic to his sons and daughters. This aspiration is present in many and diverse groups. Is not this the moment to open to lay Dominicans, especially the youth, the possibility of working in a distant mission, to live their vocation as preachers in "a new world"? To respond to the necessities of these desires of the laity, especially the youth, the project of the Volunteer Dominicans is being developed. The success of this project will depend in a great way on the support it receives from the whole Dominican Family.

Declaration and Recommendation

167.

We commend those Provinces, Congregations and Regions of the Dominican Family who have created and developed Dominican volunteer programmes.

168.

To encourage lay people to share our mission especially in ministries of solidarity and justice with marginalised people, we recommend the foundation of an International Dominican Volunteer Movement. We wish that it reflects the charism of St. Dominic, especially the compassionate way he lived the mission.

169.

We would like this project to be a collaborative experience among the Dominican Family in the recruiting, forming and sending of volunteers towards Dominican mission programmes in various parts of the world.

170.

We encourage the Prior Provincials, General — and Regional Vicars to create and promote the International Dominican Volunteer Movement in their territories. We also invite all branches of the Dominican Family to join in this project. Where our sisters have commenced such programmes, we encourage the friars to dialogue and collaborate with them.

Promoter of the Laity

Recommendation

171.

We recommend that the Master of the Order appoints a Promoter for the Laity, preferably a lay person:

1)   To represent the laity at the international level.

2)   To encourage contact among the different groups within the Dominican Laity.

3)   To encourage the laity to form regional and continental organisations.

Associate Movements with the Congregations of Dominican Sisters

Commendation and Declaration

172.

We commend the development of the Associate Movement with some Congregations of Dominican Sisters. This movement is composed of lay men and women who are committed to the Dominican mission as the sisters experience it. These associates embrace the basic Dominican values of prayers, study, community and ministry.

173.

We recognize that the Prioress Generals of the Dominican Congregations have the right to accept associate laymen and laywomen as members of the Dominican Family.

Laity associated with the Friars

174.

In many places, lay groups have appeared as alternatives to the traditional Dominican fraternities. In general, these lay people do not primarily desire to integrate themselves into a structure, but to participate in the mission of the Order as individuals or a family aggregated to some community of friars and their work.

Recommendation

175.

We recommend to the Prior Provincials and their Council that they use the possibilities offered at the General Chapter of Avila (# 85B, 88,89) to grant these groups admission to the Dominican Family.

176.

We recommend to the Prior Provincials and their Councils and equally to the Prioress Generals, that they establish basic criteria of admission that integrate the four fundamental pillars of Dominican Life: prayer, study, community and ministry.

Proposal of some basic criteria for the aggregation and admission of new groups.

Recommendation

177.

As an explanation of these basic criteria we offer the following suggestions:

1.   Participation in the Dominican mission of preaching and teaching the Word of God.

2.   Active participation and collaboration in the concrete carrying out of the local and universal mission of the Order.

3.   A government that expresses the democratic and communitarian tradition of the Order.

4.   Community of life and prayer, unity in prayer with the whole Order; formation and study for the ministry of salvation and apostolic works to which they have been called.

5.   Knowledge of and acceptance of the history of the Order; its origins and spirituality.

6.   A commitment, at least temporary, to the mission of the Order, expressed as a profession, promise or other form of formal commitment.

7.   As well as being admitted by the Superior Generals in the case of the movements of the associates to the congregations of sisters, and by the Master of the Order, in the case of groups associated to the friars or others who desire to belong to the Order, they should be recognised by the commission/ council/secretariat of the Dominican Family of the area.

Feast of St. Vincent Ferrer

Recommendation

178.

We recommend that the Liturgical Commission of the Order undertake the necessary procedures for moving the date of the feast of St. Vincent Ferrer outside of the Lenten season so it can be properly celebrated.