Dominican Confraternities

Dominican spirituality is not a method of prayer or a special sort of mysticism. Instead, it is a forma vitae, or ‘way of life.’ What governs the life of a Dominican is the desire to preach the Word. To do this properly one must be open to the grace of the Word.

Catholics may share in the Dominican form of life by developing an openness to the Word of God through membership in the Dominican Confraternities.

CONFRATERNITY OF THE MOST HOLY ROSARY

What is the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary?

The Rosary Confraternity is a pious association of the Catholic Church, under the care of the Order of Preachers, “to praise and honor the Blessed Virgin Mary and to secure her patronage by the recitation of the Rosary for the mutual spiritual benefit of all the members throughout the world.”

They form a union of the Faithful throughout the world who, along with their own intentions, pray for the intentions and needs of all the Confraternity’s members, living and dead. St. John Vianney said, “If anyone has the happiness of being in the Confraternity of the Rosary, he has in all corners of the world brothers and sisters who pray for him.”

Who can join?

To join the Confraternity, one must be a baptized Catholic and voluntarily undertake the obligations of membership in a spirit of genuine devotion. The dead may not be enrolled. To be enrolled one must have their names written in the register of the Confraternity. Any priest of the Order of Preachers can enroll in the register and anyone to whom the Master of the Order has granted authority.

The Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary is an ancient apostolate of the Order of Preachers that has led countless people to repentance and maturation in Christ for centuries through the maternal intercession of His Blessed Mother, Our Lady of the Rosary.

Membership in the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary requires registration, which can be done online. Once registered, you will be officially enrolled in the Confraternity. There are no meetings or membership dues.

What are the obligations for members?

As a member of the Confraternity, you are commissioned to offer at least fifteen mysteries of the Holy Rosary every week. You may offer these fifteen mysteries of the Rosary altogether or separately in three groups of five mysteries.

You are also free to offer more mysteries daily as the Holy Spirit moves you through the maternal intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary. In doing so, you promise to pray for all the Confraternity members every time you offer a Rosary to Our Lady. This is your only requirement as a member of the Confraternity, but the hope and prayer is that you will fulfill this requirement because of your faithful love for the Blessed Mother who directs all her children to her Son, Jesus Christ, through the Rosary. This commission to pray at least fifteen mysteries of the Rosary for all the members of the Confraternity does not bind under sin.

How do I enroll?

If you are a Catholic in the Southern United States who is fully prepared and ready to enroll in the Confraternity of the Rosary after reading this page about the requirements, promises, and benefits of the Confraternity membership, please visit this website of the Dominican Friars of the Southern Province of St. Martin de Porres or click the button below.

Eastern Province | Province of St. Joseph

Central Province | Province of St. Albert the Great

Western Province | Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

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ANGELIC WARFARE CONFRATERNITY

What is the Angelic Warfare Confraternity?

The Angelic Warfare Confraternity is a supernatural fellowship of men and women bound to one another in love and dedicated to pursuing and promoting chastity and purity together under the patronage St. Thomas Aquinas and the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Angelic Warfare Confraternity is an official apostolate of the Dominican Order.

What are the essential practices of the Confraternity?

The three essential practices are:

1) Enrollment and Registration. In the enrollment ceremony, a Dominican priest confers the blessing upon the cord and medal of St. Thomas Aquinas and the person who will wear it. The name of the person enrolled and place of the enrollment ceremony goes into the official Register.

2) Wearing either the blessed cord of St. Thomas or the blessed medal of St. Thomas (or both) as continuously as one reasonably can for the rest of one’s life.

3) Daily prayers for purity for oneself and all the members of the Confraternity. The daily prayers consist of two special prayers for chastity and fifteen Hail Mary’s.

How do I enroll?

1) Order a membership packet from New Hope Publications.

2) Review all the catechetical and informational material in the packet.

3) Make sure you understand the commitments of the confraternity: perpetual wearing of the cord and/or medal; daily prayers for purity, including 15 Hail Mary’s; resolution to lead a chaste life; commitment to pray for others in the confraternity.

4) Find a Dominican priest to enroll you using the ceremony of solemn reception found in the booklet in the membership packet. If there is no Dominican priest near you, find a priest who is willing to do the ceremony, and have him obtain a delegation from the director of your region. He can do this by emailing the Promoter of the Angelic Warfare Confraternity at the email address below:

How to join the Angelic Warfare Confraternity if you live in another Province in the United States:

• awc@opwest.org
  Western Province | Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus

• angelicwarfare@opcentral.org
  Central Province | Province of St. Albert the Great

• director@angelicwarfare.org
  Eastern Province | Province of St. Joseph

5) After the enrollment ceremony, fill out the enrollment form and send it to the appropriate address. If your packet is missing the enrollment for the Province of St. Martin de Porres (Southern Dominican Province), download it here.

Can only a Dominican priest perform the enrollment ceremony?

Ordinarily, the ceremony must be performed by a Dominican priest. However, non-Dominican priests may request permission to enroll new members by contacting the appropriate Angelic Warfare Confraternity promoter. For more information, visit the AWC contact page of the Dominican Friars, Southern Province of St. Martin de Porres.

Have any Saints or Blesseds belonged to the Confraternity?

Various Saints and Blesseds, such as St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, Blessed Columba Rieti, and Blessed Stephana Quinzan (who actively promoted the Confraternity among women) have belonged to the Confraternity.

Southern Province Dominican Friar Contact:
Fr. Carl Joseph Paustian, O.P.
Promoter of the Angelic Warfare Confraternity
504-837-2129
paustian@opsouth.org

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HOLY NAME SOCIETY

The Holy Name Society is a spiritual confraternity within the Catholic Church, promoted by the Order of Preachers, open to lay, religious and clergy. The mission of the Holy Name Society is to promote reverence to the Holy Name of God and Jesus, and help members grow in holiness and obtain salvation.

Begun by Blessed John of Vercelli, O.P., in the 13th century, the Holy Name Society forms and develops the faith and spirituality of its members through devotion to the Holy Name of God and Jesus, and by the intercession of the Dominican saints and blesseds.

The Dominicans in the United States are organized into four geographical regions – call Provinces.  Within each Province, the Promoter of the Holy Name of Jesus works closely with the Holy Name Society to spread reverence and devotion to the name of Jesus.

Dominican Promoters of the Holy Name of Jesus

• Fr. Augustine Hilander, O.P.
  holynamewest@gmail.com
  Western Province | Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus
  
• Fr. James Pierce Cavanaugh, O.P.
  jpcavanaughIV@gmail.com
  Central Province | Province of St. Albert the Great
  
• Fr. Hugh Vincent Dyer, O.P.
  dyer@op.org
  Eastern Province | Province of St. Joseph

Southern Province Dominican Friar Contact:
TBD
Promoter of the Holy Name Society