5th Dominican Family Vocations Day
The fifth annual Dominican Family Vocations Day took place on Saturday 2nd March in Dublin.
Twenty men and women attended to learn more about the four branches of the Dominican Order: lay Dominicans (tertiaries), friars (priests and brothers), enclosed nuns and apostolic sisters.
The day-long event took place at St Saviour’s Priory, Dublin, and included a talk by a representative of each of the four branches of the Order.
Sr Cathy Howard OP came from the Dominican monastery near Drogheda town, Co. Louth. Sr Páidrigín McKenna OP represented the Cabra congregation of Dominican sisters. Mr Donal Ryan was the Lay Dominican representative and Br David McGovern OP from the friars gave an input.
Dr Andrew O’Connell, communications director of the Presentation Brothers, gave the keynote address on vocational discernment.
The Dominican Family Vocation Day has been held each year to provide men and women interested in joining some branch of the Order an exposure to the spirit of the Dominican Order that is brief but broad.
It provides young men interested in priesthood with the Order some understanding of the Dominican sisters and laity, and it provides young women interested in becoming sisters or nuns the chance to learn about the friars and the laity.
The vocation day is also a chance for those discerning different vocations and who would not normally meet together to encourage each other in their discernment.
pictured above is Dr Andrew O'Connell speaking at the Dominican Family Vocations Day