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Feb 15 2023

Join the 2023 Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage

Man is a pilgrim animal. Planted upon earth but destined for heaven, he must chart a path of peace through a perilous world. Classic Catholic devotion has long provided for man’s pilgrim needs by means of pilgrimage itself. What better way, really, to remind ourselves that we are pilgrims—to wrest ourselves free of contemporary comforts and rise to things eternal—than to do the very thing that we are: to make pilgrimage to a holy shrine, a prelude to the heavenly home prepared for us in the Father’s house.

This pilgrim practice has for its exemplar none less than God himself. Christ is the pilgrim par excellence. Son of God, he “came down from heaven.” He pilgrimed his way into and out of Egypt, then in and around Judea and Galilee and even into Samaria, and then—at last—Christ resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51) to offer his life on Calvary. Risen from the grave, he ascended to heaven so that we “might be confident of following where he, our Head and Founder, has gone before” (Preface I for the Ascension).

If pilgrimage is a work of prayer—a lifting of the mind and heart to God through the pilgrim’s arduous travels—there is indeed a prayer properly suited to our pilgrim state. It is both spiritual and material, devotional and contemplative, repetitive and diverse, flexibly long or short. It is the Rosary.

The Rosary lifts our feeble minds and stony hearts, through the medium of beads, to ponder Christ’s own pilgrimage, by which he purchased our heavenly home. Looking upon his joys and lights, sorrows and glories, we see our own in his saving mysteries. There is no situation in life unaccounted for by the Rosary because there is no situation in life unaccounted for by Christ and his grace, given in plenitude to his Blessed Mother. Through his merits and hers, that grace overflows to us, who are now made truly capable of imitating what this blessed prayer contains and so obtaining its promises.

If man is a pilgrim animal, and the Rosary is the paradigmatic pilgrim prayer, it is only right and just to unite the two. Thus, the 2023 Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage. A new initiative of the Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Joseph, the pilgrimage kicks off on January 30 with a nine-month novena to Our Lady. It culminates on September 30—the eve of Rosary Sunday—in our nation’s capital with a full-day, national event at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, located next to the campus of the Catholic University of America.

It is a thoroughly national affair to honor the Queen whose Son, the King of all nations, desires to bring all unto salvation. It is also a thoroughly Dominican affair, uniting America’s friars, numerous monasteries of cloistered nuns, thousands of apostolic sisters, and myriad parishes, apostolates, Lay Dominican chapters, and Rosary confraternities in prayer, preaching, and pilgrimage unto the praise of God and the salvation of souls. Simply, if you love Christ and his Mother—and the prayer of them both—this pilgrimage is for you.

How does one get involved? First, sign up to join in the monthly novena prayer, offered on the thirtieth day of each month from January 30 to September 30. Second, share the novena and its prayer cards with others. And third, inasmuch as you are able, make plans to join us for the main event in Washington, DC on September 30. It promises to be a day full of grace, drawing all who partake of it in any way yet closer to the One seated upon the throne of grace (Heb 4:16) and the crowned Lady (Rev 12:1) who stands at his side.

Photo by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P. (used with permission)

This article was originally published in the dominicanajournal.org and was written by Br. Charles Marie Rooney. Br. Charles entered the Order of Preachers in 2017. Raised in Darien, CT, he graduated from Duke University in 2016, where he completed a Program II major entitled “Markets, Society, and Personalism.” He then earned an M.A. in Philosophy at Maynooth University, Ireland in 2017, writing his thesis on Thomistic Personalism.

Feb 02 2023

Introducing the Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage Spokesmen

Fr. Patrick Briscoe, O.P.
A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Fr. Patrick Briscoe joined the Order of Preachers in 2010. He completed his initial studies in theology at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC, where he earned a licentiate in moral theology. Following his ordination to the priesthood, he was assigned in Providence, Rhode Island. Fr. Patrick served as a parish priest at St. Pius V Church, and as a chaplain and instructor of theology at Providence College. He was formerly the Editor-in-Chief of the English edition of Aleteia.org, the global Catholic news and spirituality website. Currently, he is the editor of Our Sunday Visitor.

Fr. Patrick is a Eucharistic Preacher, a work he has undertaken to support the USCCB-led Eucharistic Revival. Along with his Dominican brothers, he is host of the podcast Godsplaining and a co-author of Saint Dominic’s Way of Life: A Path to Knowing and Loving God. He is also the author of the OSV seasonal devotional, My Daily Visitor.

Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.
Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. is a doctoral candidate in dogmatic theology at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). He served previously as a parochial vicar at St. Louis Bertrand parish (Louisville, KY), an adjunct professor of theology at Bellarmine University, and an assistant director of campus outreach for the Thomistic Institute. Born and raised near Philadelphia, PA, he attended the Franciscan University of Steubenville, and entered the Order of Preachers upon graduating. He was ordained a priest in 2016 and holds an STL from the Dominican House of Studies. He is the co-author of Credo: An RCIA Program (TAN Books) and Marian Consecration with Aquinas (TAN Books) as well as the author of Prudence: Choose Confidently, Live Boldly (Our Sunday Visitor). His writing also appears in Ascension’s Catholic Classics series and in Magnificat. He is also a regular contributor to the podcasts Pints with Aquinas, Catholic Classics, The Thomistic Institute, and Godsplaining.

Fr. John Paul Kern, O.P.
Fr. John Paul Kern, O.P., was ordained to the priesthood in 2019 and served as Catholic chaplain at the University of Louisville before being appointed Director of the Rosary Shrine of Saint Jude and Executive Director of the Dominican Friars Foundation. He grew up in Annapolis, Maryland, where his father taught at the United States Naval Academy. Before entering the Order of Preachers, Fr. John Paul earned degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering from Penn State University and worked as a reactor inspector for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Fr. John Paul currently serves as the Executive Director of the Dominican Friars Foundation as well as the Director of the Rosary Shrine of Saint Jude in Washington, DC, where he raises resources for the formation and work of the Friars and provides for the spiritual needs of the benefactors of the Shrine.

He also enjoys preaching retreats, leading pilgrimages, and serving at the Parish of St. Vincent Ferrer and St. Catherine of Siena in New York City.

Fr. Paul Dominic Marich, O.P.
Fr. Paul Dominic Marich, O.P., is a parochial vicar at St. Patrick Parish in Columbus, Ohio. A native of Youngstown, Ohio, he is a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, and was ordained to the priesthood in 2022. Before entering the Dominicans, Fr. Paul worked as a high school teacher at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School in Potomac Shores, Virginia, where he taught history and religion. In his current assignment in Columbus, he oversees the parish liturgy and youth programs. Fr. Paul is the Promoter of the Holy Rosary for the Dominican Province of St. Joseph. In this role, he is responsible for preaching about the Rosary, enrolling new members, and helping priests establish charters of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary in their own parishes.

For media inquiries, please contact Kevin Wandra:

(404) 788-1276

KWandra@CarmelCommunications.com

Jan 19 2023

The Dominican Sculptor of Fatima

On September 13, 1917, Our Lady appeared for the fifth time at the Cova da Iria (“Irene’s Cove”) in Portugal to three children tending sheep. It is a little known fact that a Dominican friar of our Province of St. Joseph enjoyed a unique encounter with one of these child visionaries. The visionary’s name was Sr. Lucia, and the priest was Fr. Thomas McGlynn, O.P. Before recounting how this encounter took place, a little background must be given.

Fr. McGlynn was a Dominican priest with a gift for sculpture that manifested itself in early childhood and lasted throughout his entire life. Many of his works can be found throughout our province, the country, and even in the Vatican. His legacy is especially remembered in a studio dedicated to his life and work at our own Providence College in Rhode Island. Though he produced many masterpieces, none of his works has a more remarkable history than the statue he crafted under the personal direction of Sr. Lucia herself: the first accurate representation of Our Lady of Fatima.

In the fall of 1946, Fr. McGlynn, fourteen years ordained and forty years of age, found himself teaching oratory at Providence College. During this time, according to his biographer and understudy, Fr. Ambrose McAlister, O.P., Fr. McGlynn continued to apply himself to sculpture. With the permission of his superiors, he rented an old barn in the Olneyville section of Providence to serve as a studio.

The original inspiration to sculpt an image of Our Lady of Fatima actually came from a commission. The story goes that six years earlier, at the first meeting of the Liturgical Society of the United States, McGlynn had come into contact with the Rigali Brothers from Daprato Studios in Chicago. The Rigalis, who were in the business of making plaster replications of original works, approached Fr. McGlynn to commission sculptures that could be copied and then sold with significant savings to churches. McGlynn could not accept their offer at the time; but now, six years later, living at Providence College with his own studio, he was in a different position. He approached the brothers about their earlier proposal, and a formal contract was signed. For the first time, McGlynn was in business as a professional sculptor.

It was agreed that he would produce three pieces for the Rigalis: one of the Blessed Virgin, one of the Sacred Heart, and one of St. Joseph. At the suggestion of two of his classmates, Fr. McGlynn decided that his Marian statue would be a representation of Our Lady of Fatima. He completed his first version of the statue, which the Rigalis approved, but then he began to express concern to his friends that it would not be accepted as an authentic representation of the children’s visions. Fatefully, a woman asked him, “Why don’t you go to Portugal to see Sister Lucy?“

With that idea planted in his mind, Fr. McGlynn called the Rigalis, who gave their approval and even offered to pay for the trip. Having received the permission of his superiors, McGlynn flew to Lisbon in February of 1947 with a letter of introduction from Cardinal Spellman to Cardinal Cerejeira, Bishop of Lisbon.

Cardinal Cerejeira welcomed McGlynn and in turn wrote him a letter of introduction to Bishop Don Jose de Silva, the ordinary of Leira-Fatima. It fell to Bishop de Silva to determine who would have permission to visit Sr. Lucia, who was living 200 miles north of Fatima in a convent at Vila Nova de Gaia. It was a permission rarely given, but Fr. McGlynn was granted his request, and, with the Irish Dominican Fr. Gerard Gardiner acting as interpreter, he finally met Sr. Lucia.

After careful examination of the statue, which McGlynn had brought with him, Sr. Lucia pronounced her verdict: the statue was inaccurate. Up to this point, McGlynn had thought only minor alterations would be necessary, but, confronted with the judgment of Sr. Lucia, he now faced a decision difficult for any artist: stay true to his own artistic intuition or start from scratch and take direction from another. To his credit and with another permission, he remained at the convent to produce an entirely new statue under the direction of Sr. Lucia. The result became the archetype for all subsequent representations of the image of Our Lady of Fatima. A few five foot copies of this original were made by Fr. McGylnn of which one now resides at the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer in New York City.

17592754725 535962ffb3 5k 1 614x1024 1 — A smaller version of Fr. McGlynn’s Fatima statue in the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer, NYC / Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P. / Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

The original would also serve as the model for the 20 foot statue Fr. McGlynn carved especially for the Basilica tower at Fatima.

fat finished 7.5 w 761x1024 1 — Fr. Thomas McGlynn, O.P., standing next to the larger statue of Our Lady of Fatima he carved for the Basilica.

McGlynn presented the opportunity to Catholics in the United States, who were devoted to Our Lady of Fatima, to raise the funds necessary to make the larger version of the five foot statue approved by Sr. Lucia for the niche above the main door to the Basilica as a perpetual symbol of American Catholic devotion to the Blessed Virgin at her newest great shrine. He was confident of American interest, generosity, and love for Mary. His statue now stands, centered, above the entrance to the basilica at Fatima, where it is seen by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year.

49890608897 37d32c90e8 k edited — The Fatima Statue by Fr Thomas McGlynn OP, photo by Fr. Lawrence Lew, OP / Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).

Fr. McGlynn also wrote a book titled, “Vision of Fatima,” in which he recounts his encounter with and privileged access to the last surviving visionary, Sr. Lucia, and how she gave direction as he sculpted Our Lady of Fatima.

The book Vision of Fatima is more than an enjoyable travelogue. “In your writing,” Sr. Lucia had asked Fr. McGlynn, “please stress the spiritual meaning of things, in order to raise minds that today have become so materialistic to regions of the supernatural; so that they may understand the true meaning and purpose of the coming of Our Lady to earth, which is to bring souls to heaven, to draw them to God.”

Fr. McGlynn reminds us that Fatima, like Cana, is a place of miracles. He also points us to the penitential character of Mary’s message. Penance seeks justice and communion with Jesus crucified. The Rosary is a prayer whereby we grow in the virtues of Mary’s contemplative heart.

Fatima has long been an invitation to prayer and Fr. McGlynn’s gifts for sculpture and writing beautifully present this invitation of the Blessed Virgin. His book is again a gift to our life of prayer, honoring Our Lady of Fatima, who enjoins us to pray the Rosary and ask her Son to forgive our sins and lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of his mercy.

The remarkable thing about Fr. McGlynn’s encounter with Sr. Lucia is that every step of his journey was taken under religious obedience. When entering religious life we bring our talents and gifts with us, but we have to be ready to put them aside or use them only as God sees fit. Yet, when we entrust our lives to those whom God has placed in charge of us, our gifts and talents often have a greater impact than we could ever have imagined possible. This was certainly the case with Fr. McGlynn’s sculpture. What began with a superior’s permission became a work of art glorifying God and giving honor to his blessed mother.

Click here to order Fr. Thomas McGlynn’s book Vision of Fatima.

This post contains content adapted from Dominicana journal.

Main image (clockwise from top left): Fr. McGlynn working on a sculpture of St. Martin De Porres, Fr. McGlynn standing next to the completed marble carving of Our Lady of Faitma that now resides in the Basillica tower at Fatima, and finally Fatima visionary Sr. Lucia in Portugal (1947) standing next to the completed image of Our Lady of Fatima that was crafted under her direction by Fr. McGlynn. All images and sources in the text above are from Thomas McGlynn: Priest and Sculptor, written by Fr. Ambrose McAlister, O.P. and published by Providence College Press in 1981.

Jan 03 2023

The Five First Saturdays Devotion

By Father Gabriel Gillen, O.P.

Our Blessed Mother said,

“Look, my daughter, at my Heart encircled by these thorns with which men pierce it at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, strive to console me, and so I announce: I promise to assist at the hour of death with the grace necessary for salvation all those who, with the intention of making reparation to me, will, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, go to confession, receive Holy Communion, say five decades of the beads, and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary.”

First of all remember that the Five First Saturdays devotion simply needs to be done once in your lifetime and our Lady will assist you at your hour of death with the grace necessary for salvation. That is pretty amazing.

The heart of Our Lady’s message is making reparation for others through communions. It is a rescue mission for others. Basically, you are taking the place of someone else (who is not going to Mass) by going to communion for them on Saturday. So you are going above and beyond your Sunday obligation and through a free gift of sacrificial love, with no obligation, you are taking time out of your day on Saturday by receiving communion for someone else in the body of Christ.

So, if you want to answer the call of Our Lady at Fatima to help someone who is in danger of spiritually drowning for all eternity, you would make a “rescue” reparation by receiving Communion, reciting five decades of the Rosary and meditating for a quarter of an hour on the mysteries of the Rosary on the first Saturday of five consecutive months. The Confession may be made during the eight days preceding or following the first Saturday of each month.

The Five First Saturdays Devotion Requirements:

Commit by receiving Holy Communion
Going to confession
Reciting 5 decades of the Rosary
Mediating for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary for 5 consecutive First Saturdays

Dec 15 2022

The 15 Promises of the Rosary

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, recently urged the faithful that “today, in this time of pandemic, it is necessary to hold the Rosary in our hands, praying for us, for our loved ones and for all people.” The Rosary, as St. Dominic witnessed during his mission to the Albigensians, is also a powerful prayer for increasing the receptivity of souls to orthodox preaching.

The benefits of what Pope St. John Paul II called “an exquisitely contemplative prayer” were enumerated in a special way by a 15th century Dominican friar. According to the tradition, Alanus de Rupe received the following 15 promises to those who pray the Rosary devoutly from the Blessed Virgin Mary herself through a private revelation. We hope that they encourage you in meditating on the mysteries of Christ by praying the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

1. Those who faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.

2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.

3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell. It will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.

4. The recitation of the Rosary will cause virtue and good works to flourish. It will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God. It will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.

5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.

6. Those who recite my Rosary devoutly, applying themselves to the consideration of its sacred mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune. In His justice, God will not chastise them; nor shall they perish by an unprovided death, i.e., be unprepared for heaven. Sinners shall convert. The just shall persevere in grace and become worthy of eternal life.

7. Those who have a true devotion to the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.

8. Those who faithfully recite the Rosary shall have, during their life and at their death, the light of God and the plenitude of His graces. At the moment of death, they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.

9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.

10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.

11. By the recitation of the Rosary you shall obtain all that you ask of me.

12. Those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.

13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of their death.

14. All who recite the Rosary are my beloved children and the brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.

15. Devotion for my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.