WHAT TO EXPECT IF I SEEK A LAY 

DOMINICAN VOCATION

Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati,Lay Dominican (1901‐1925).

If you are considering a Lay Dominicanvocation, you are welcome to come andobserve our monthly meeting. We meet everysecond Saturday morning at St. ThomasAquinas Parish, starting with Mass at 8:30 amand rosary afterward. We then share breakfastand community time, hear talks, and break forgroup study in nearby classrooms.

Websites of Interest:St. Thomas Aquinas Parish:

www.stauva.org

Lay Dominicans at St. Thomas Aquinas:www.stauva.org/dominican‐laity

Province of St. Joseph (Eastern USA) Lay Dominicans:www.laydominicans.org

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)www.usccb.org

The Holy Seewww.w2.Vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html

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If I choose to pursue a Lay Dominican vocation, what will be expected of me?

This is an important question to ask yourself early in the process of inquiry into Dominican spirituality. 

• THE DOMINICAN SPIRITUALITY

• THE FOUR PILLARS

• THE REQUIREMENT TO PRAY

• THE REQUIREMENT TO STUDY

• THE REQUIREMENT OF COMMUNITY

• THE REQUIREMENT TO PURSUE ANAPOSTOLATE

• THE LENGTH OF TIME REQUIRED

• THE REQUIREMENTS OFATTENDANCE AT ALL FORMATIONSESSIONS AND A WILLINGNESS TOSERVE ONE’S CHAPTER

We hope to provide you with some answers to that very important question!    The Lay 

Dominican Fraternity at St. Thomas Aquinas 

prepared this pamphlet to help you discern your 

vocation.

This pamphlet will help you UNDERSTAND:

St. Dominic de Guzman (1170‐1221), founder of the Dominican Order, also known as The Order of the Preachers ( 1216).

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UNDERSTANDING DOMINICAN SPIRITUALITYSt. Dominic exhibited a fully sanctifiedhuman intellect: an intense intellectualcuriosity, exalted by faith; a yearning forpeace of heart, or repose in God; and theneed for action. These are the threedimensions of Dominican spirituality: thelife of the mind in study; the absorption ofthe mind in God by prayer andcontemplation; and the outflow of charityfrom the soul into apostolic action.

The true signs ofDominican life areinward ones of activestudy of the Word ofGod, a thirst for Truth, aprayerful life, and ajoyous giving of oneselfin an apostolate.

St. Thomas Aquinas, Dominican Priest., Doctor of the Church  (1225‐1274), by Sandro Botticelli.

Not all souls growcloser to God bytaking an intellectualroute. For example,Lay Franciscans growin holiness without alot of study; theyfocus upon detach‐‐ment from worldlypleasures, so theypractice voluntarypoverty. Lay Carmel‐‐ites 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 aspirituality that will help one’s soul grow infaith, hope, and charity, and, ultimately,reach eternal beatitude (blessed attitude)with God.

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UNDERSTANDING THE FOUR PILLARSA Lay Dominican takes the challengeseriously to grow spiritually and share thefruits of his or her interior life.

PrayerHe or she contemplates Divine Truth (God)by daily recitation of the Rosary, prayingthe Divine Office morning and evening,frequent Mass attendance, monthlyConfession, an annual retreat, spiritualreading, and frequent visits to the BlessedSacrament.

StudyA Lay Dominican studies the Word andother spiritual materials both individuallyand with his or her fellow members of theChapter.

ApostolateHe or she shares the Divine Love (Caritas)that flows from his or her soul in the formof an apostolate that usually involvesperforming one or more of the Spiritual orCorporal Works of Mercy.

CommunityA Lay Dominican shares this same Caritasin community with fellow Dominicansduring monthly chapter meetings.

So the pillars of Dominican spirituality arePrayer, Study, Apostolate, and Community.

St. Catherine of Sienna, Lay Dominican, Doctor of the Church  (1347‐1380), Sculpted by Francesco Messina (1961, Castel Sant’Agelo)

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UNDERSTANDING THE REQUIREMENT TO PRAY

UNDERSTANDING THE REQUIREMENT TO STUDY

St. Hyacinth of Poland, Dominican priest, (1185‐1257).“St. Hyacinth Saving the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary from the Enemies of the Christian Name”Painted by Nicolas Colombel (17th Century).

Lay Dominicans pray a lot, publicly andprivately. They keep in communicationwith God throughout the day. They obligethemselves to pray daily the Divine Officeof the Church, Morning and Eveningprayer. They pray the Rosary daily. .

They attend Massfrequently and enterinto liturgical prayer.They pray for oneanother, for allDominicans (livingand deceased), fortheir families andfriends, for themarginalized andinfirm, for the dyingand the deceased.

The path from Inquirer to alife‐promised Lay Dominicaninvolves study of 56 modulesover 5 years. To be receivedas a candidate, a personcompletes six modules and aself‐evaluation form within a year’s time. Anovice receives and studies the Rule of theLay Fraternities of St. Dominic andcompletes 14 more modules and a self‐examination form within a year’s time andmay then be accepted to make a 3‐yeartemporary promise. A temporary‐promisedcandidate completes 36 modules and aself‐examination form over a minimum of a3‐year period. If accepted for life‐promisedstatus, the person continues to study theWord and Catholic Church documents andspiritual reading for the remainder of his orher life.

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UNDERSTANDING THE REQUIREMENTS OF COMMUNITY

UNDERSTANDING THE REQUIREMENT TO PURSUE AN APOSTOLATEAs a Lay Dominican, there are certain

obligations to the Chapter and Dominicancommunity that one must accept:• If elected, one must serve the Chapter

as a Council member for 3‐yearassignments.

• One must serve on committees orprojects when requested by the Council.

• One must financially support theChapter with annual dues.

• One must carry out personal andchapter apostolates.

• One must participate in Chapter prayerrequests and communications.

Moving to a new location does not endone’s vocation as a Lay Dominican; LayDominicans locate the nearest chapter totheir new home and request to betransferred to that community.

Left: St. Martin de Porres, Dominican friar (1579‐1639); Center: St. Rose of Lima, Lay Dominican (1586‐1617); Right: Bl. John Macias, Dominican friar (1585‐1645).  Stained Glass at the Convent of St. Dominic in Lima, Peru.

Lay Dominicans pursue personal and chapterapostolates to bring Divine Truth (Veritas)and Divine Love (Caritas) to other souls. Thechapter apostolate is living the rosary bycontemplating its mysteries and bringing thepower of this prayer to the needs around us.Rosaries are made and distributed, they areprayed with and for many souls. Some soulsare seeking Christ, some suffering with Him,some searching for Him, some learningabout Him, some offending Him. All soulsare precious to our chapter and to OurBlessed Mother, so we bring souls to Christthrough the power of her Rosary.

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UNDERSTANDING THE LENGTH OF TIME REQUIREDThe time required before making a life‐promise to live as a Lay Dominican, fromstart to finish is approximately 5 years.Year 1: PostulantAs a Postulant, one begins to learn aboutthe Lay Dominican spirituality and lifestyle.Year 2: NoviceAs a Novice, one is welcomed into a LayDominican chapter and begins to practicethe prayer life and apostolate of the LayDominicans.Years 3‐5: Temporary‐PromisedAfter about the second year, if accepted bythe Council one makes a temporarypromise to live according to the Rule of theLay Fraternities of St. Dominic for threeyears. If the promise is not renewed at theend of the period, no obligation to the LayFraternities of St. Dominic exists, and thecandidate may choose to take another pathtoward spiritual growth.

UNDERSTANDING THE REQUIREMENTS OF ATTENDANCE AT ALL FORMATION SESSIONSA candidate seeking for acceptance into theDominican family must show zeal forprogress in his or her spiritual life by faithfulattendance at all meetings and formationsessions. When formation sessions aremissed, candidates must arrange with theFormation Director to make up the classeven when the absence is excused.

Newly “Final  Promised” Lay Dominicans of the St. Thomas Aquinas Chapter on January 28, 2015.  Photo by Trisha NiermeyerPotter (PointsofGrace, 2015).

Year 5: Final PromisedIf requested by the candidate and accepted by the Council, a member may make a life‐promise to live as a Lay Dominican for the rest of one’s life. He or she continues to live a life encompassing the four pillars.

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WHAT DO YOU DO NOW?

PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!Please pray for guidance from God as towhether or not He is calling you toDominican spirituality. The goal is to saveyour soul, so, if you pray, He will put you inthe right place to accomplish that end.Remain docile to the Holy Spirit, and listento God.

“He will provide the way and the means, such as you could neverhave imagined. Leave it all to Him, let go of yourself, loseyourself on the cross, and you will find yourself entirely.”

‐ Saint Catherine of Siena, Lay Dominican (1347‐1380)

Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, 

conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. 

Amen.by Saint Thomas Aquinas

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”‐ Saint Catherine of Siena, Lay Dominican (1347‐1380)

“Start being brave about everything. Drive out darkness andspread light. Don’ look at your weaknesses. Realize instead thatin Christ crucified you can do everything.”

‐ Saint Catherine of Siena, Lay Dominican (1347‐1380)

“Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my deathand I shall help you then more effectively than during my life.”

‐ Saint Dominic de Guzman, Founder of the Dominican Order (1170‐1221)

“We must sow the seed, not hoard it. One day, through theRosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world.”

‐ Saint Dominic de Guzman, Founder of the Dominican Order (1170‐1221)

Saints Dominic de Guzman and Catherine of Siena. “Madonna with Rosary”, Sculpted by Franz Tavella(1905, Atzwang‐Ritten, South Tyrol, Italy).

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