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Sep 04 2025

Enroll in the Rosary Confraternity: A Grace for Every Pilgrim

On September 27, 2025, the faithful will gather at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage. It will be a day filled with prayer, preaching, and devotion to Our Lady. One of the spiritual highlights of the day will be the chance to enroll in the Rosary Confraternity, a centuries-old association entrusted to the care of the Dominican friars.

Enrollment, however, is not limited to those who can be present in Washington. Anyone, anywhere, can enter into this spiritual family. Members of the Confraternity promise to pray fifteen decades of the Rosary each week, with meditation on the mysteries of Christ. This obligation is not a heavy burden, but a steady rhythm of prayer that keeps one close to Our Lady and united to countless others around the world.

Belonging to the Confraternity brings with it real spiritual benefits. Members share in the prayers and good works of the Dominican Order, and in the intercession of fellow members spread throughout the world. The Church has also granted indulgences to members of the Confraternity, including a plenary indulgence on the day of enrollment and on certain feast days, provided the usual conditions are met. Most importantly, Our Lady herself looks upon Confraternity members with special care and protection.

The Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage is one day in the year when thousands come together to witness the power of the Rosary. The Confraternity is a way of carrying that same spirit into every week of the year. Wherever you are, your prayers become part of a living Pilgrimage that never ceases, uniting you with friars, nuns, sisters, and lay faithful who keep watch with Mary and contemplate the mysteries of Christ.

Whether you are planning to be at the Pilgrimage this fall or are unable to make the journey, you are invited to take this step. Enrollment is a simple act, but one that draws you into the heart of a great communion of prayer.

Obligations of Membership

The only obligation is to pray 15 decades of the Rosary each week, which can be spread out across the week. Members are asked to include the intentions of fellow Confraternity members in their prayers.

Spiritual Benefits

A share in the prayers and the good works of countless thousands of Rosary Confraternity members throughout the world and in heaven.
A share in the good works and prayers of the Order of Preachers (Dominican Order).
Various plenary and partial indulgences
- For members of the Confraternity, a plenary indulgence is granted under the usual conditions on the day of enrollment (the day indicated on the register/certificate) as well as the feast days of Christmas, Easter, the Annunciation, the Assumption of Our Lady, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, the Immaculate Conception, and Our Lord’s Presentation in the Temple.
- A plenary indulgence is also granted, under the usual conditions, to all who pray the rosary in a Church or oratory, in a family (family rosary), religious community, or in a pious association of the faithful. Otherwise, the indulgence is partial.
And most importantly, the intercession and special protection of Our Lady, the Mother of God.

How to Enroll

Joining is simple and open to all. To become a member and unite your prayers with thousands of others around the world, click here to enroll.

Sep 04 2025

Book Signing at the 2025 Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage

At this year’s Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage on Saturday, September 27, 2025, four Dominican friars will be signing their latest works—and you’re invited to meet them! The event takes place from 12:00–1:00 p.m. in front of the bookstore at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Books will be available for purchase on-site.

Meet the Authors

Fr. James Brent, O.P.
The Father’s House: Discovering Our Home in the Trinity

Father James Dominic Brent, O.P., is a Dominican friar of the Province of St. Joseph. Born and raised in Michigan, he completed his doctorate in Philosophy from St. Louis University and licentiate in Theology from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC where he now teaches. He frequently lectures for the Thomistic Institute and Aquinas 101. Fr. Brent’s new podcast Contemplata is born from years of traveling the world lecturing, preaching retreats, and meeting increasingly more people who hunger to know God more deeply in contemplative prayer. He is the author of The Father’s House: Discovering Our Home in the Trinity (Pauline Books, 2023). Fr. Brent was the homilist at last year’s Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage.

Fr. Andrew Hofer, O.P.
Our Father: Our Prayer of Hope
The Power of Patristic Preaching: The Word in Our Flesh

Fr. Andrew Hofer, O.P., is Ordinary Professor and Editor-in-Chief of The Thomist at the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception, Dominican House of Studies and Master of Students for the deacons of the Province of St. Joseph at St. Dominic Priory in Washington, DC. Previously he served as a parochial vicar in Rhode Island, a missionary in Nairobi, Kenya, a doctoral student at the University of Notre Dame, and formator at the Dominican House of Studies. He is an author of many publications including The Power of Patristic Preaching: The Word in Our Flesh, Magnificat’s Way of the Cross and Rosary for a Eucharistic Revival, and he co-authored A Living Sacrifice: Guidance for Men Discerning Religious Life and Our Father: Our Prayer of Hope. He enjoys preaching on the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Fr. Philip Nolan, O.P.
Our Father: Our Prayer of Hope

Fr. Philip Nolan, O.P. is a Dominican of the Province of Saint Joseph. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2022 and serves at Holy Innocents Parish in Pleasantville, New York. He is a frequent contributor to Magnificat and co-author of Our Father: Our Prayer of Hope (Magnificat, 2025).

Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P.
Your Eucharistic Identity: A Sacramental Guide to the Fullness of Life
Prudence: Choose Confidently, Live Boldly

From Pennsylvania, Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH. He previously served as the Assistant Director of Campus Outreach for the Thomistic Institute in Washington, DC, and associate pastor of St. Louis Bertrand Catholic Church in Louisville, KY where he also taught at Bellarmine University. He currently serves as an adjunct professor of dogmatic theology at the Dominican House of Studies and an Assistant Director of the Thomistic Institute. He is a contributor on the Pints with Aquinas show, a co-host of Godsplaining and the Catholic Classics podcast. Fr. Gregory is the author of Prudence: Choose Confidently, Live Boldly (Our Sunday Visitor, 2022) and co-author with Matt Fradd of Marian Consecration With Aquinas: A Nine Day Path for Growing Closer to the Mother of God (TAN Books, 2020). Fr. Gregory was the principal preacher at last year’s Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage.

Fr. Thomas Joseph White, O.P.
Contemplation and the Cross: A Catholic Introduction to the Spiritual Life
The Light of Christ: An Introduction to Catholicism

Fr. Thomas Joseph White, O.P., is the Rector Magnificus of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (Angelicum) in Rome. He is the author of various books and articles including Wisdom in the Face of Modernity: A Study in Thomistic Natural Theology (Sapientia Press, 2011), The Incarnate Lord, A Thomistic Study in Christology (The Catholic University of America Press, 2015) Exodus (Brazos Press, 2016), The Light of Christ: An Introduction to Catholicism (Catholic University Press, 2017), and The Trinity: On the Nature and Mystery of the One God (Catholic University Press, 2022). He is co-editor of the journal Nova et Vetera, a Distinguished Scholar of the McDonald Agape Foundation, and a member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Don’t miss this opportunity! Whether you’ve been shaped by their writings or are just discovering them, the book signing is a chance to meet the friars, share a moment, and bring home a signed copy of their newest work. Join us 12:00–1:00 p.m. in front of the bookstore.

Jul 28 2025

Join the Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage Livestream

Each year, pilgrims from across the country gather at the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, D.C., for a day devoted to the Rosary, the Eucharist, and the preaching of the Gospel. It’s a day of grace and renewal—led by the Dominican Friars and centered on Christ through Mary.

If you aren’t able to attend in person on Saturday, September 27, 2025, you can still be part of the pilgrimage. Join us online through the livestream at rosarypilgrimage.org and follow along throughout the day.

To help you remember, you can add the event to your Google Calendar or download the calendar invite (.ics) to mark your schedule.

A Moment for the Church in America

As the Church begins a new chapter under its first American pope, Pope Leo XIV, many are sensing a renewed call to go deeper in the faith. The Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage has become one way to respond to that call—a moment to return to Mary, to rediscover the beauty of the Rosary, and to draw closer to Christ in the Eucharist.

The livestream allows you to take part in that moment, wherever you are. You’ll be able to watch the talks, pray the Rosary, adore the Eucharist, and unite in the Vigil Mass in honor of Our Lady—all from home, your parish, or with your ministry group.

Ways to Participate from Home

If you’re watching from afar, we encourage you to make the day your own:

- Host a watch party with your friends, parish, or prayer group
- Pray along with the livestream and follow the schedule of the day
- Coordinate adoration at your parish during the pilgrimage’s adoration time
- Offer your day for a special intention or in thanksgiving

However you choose to join us, you’ll be united with thousands of others seeking the same thing: to grow in love for Christ through Mary.

Photo by Timothy Dias, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

Jul 14 2025

Our Lady of Mount Carmel: Mother, Protector, and Model of Prayer

The Blessed Virgin Mary is known to the Church under dozens of different titles. There are titles that describe her attributes, such as “Seat of Wisdom” or “Help of Christians,” which we find in the Litany of Loreto. Then there are titles that refer to her patronage of particular places or peoples, such as Our Lady of Guadalupe or Our Lady of Lourdes. Today the Church celebrates the Mother of God under her patronage of a particular religious order: the Carmelites. But who exactly is Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, and what does this title teach us about Mary?

The feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel was instituted to commemorate a thirteenth-century apparition of Mary to the English Carmelite St. Simon Stock. The venerable Catholic devotion of wearing the Brown Scapular comes from this apparition and Mary’s words that “This shall be a privilege for you and for all Carmelites: whoever dies clothed in this shall not suffer eternal fire, rather, he shall be saved.”

Carmelite tradition tells us that the Order is descended from the prophet Elijah and his followers, who spent a good deal of their time on Mt. Carmel. “Carmel” is said to mean “garden” or “orchard,” and this mountain was known in the Old Testament as a very beautiful and verdant place. It was used by many for retreat and prayer, as the long tradition of Carmelite hermits attests.

However, it was also on this mountain that Elijah did battle with the prophets of the false god Baal (1 Kings 18). Four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal spent hours calling on their god to come and consume the sacrifice they had prepared, but to no avail. Then Elijah prepared his own sacrifice, prayed to God, and was rewarded by having fire come from heaven to consume the sacrifice. The Israelites were inspired by this to return to the Lord and to quit following the false god, even putting the false prophets to the sword. Then, after Elijah went to the top of Mt. Carmel and prayed, God sent rain for the relief of Israel’s drought-stricken land.

Mary’s connection to the fertile mountain of Carmel highlights her spiritual fertility in bearing a rich produce for the kingdom of heaven. She is described in the traditional Carmelite hymn Flos Carmeli as a vine laden with blossoms: the “Flower of Carmel.” Mary is a vine whose blossoms are the souls that she aids by her patronage and prayers. She waters and nourishes them by obtaining the grace they need to grow and flourish in the spiritual life. The Blessed Mother models for all her children, but especially for Carmelites, what it means to live a quiet life of prayer and interior perfection. She “kept all these things and pondered them in her heart,” as St. Luke says.

Mt. Carmel’s history as a place of spiritual battle also reveals something to us about Mary: namely, that she is willing to fight for the salvation of her children, as manifested in her promise to St. Simon Stock: whatever the manner of vice and sin that someone mires himself in, Mary will aid him in breaking free from it.

It is easy to doubt this. Sin gains a powerful hold over us that at times seems impossible to overcome. However, there are countless stories that exemplify the greater power of Mary in winning out over sin. Pope St. John Paul II explains that wearing the scapular is a simple act that nourishes devotion and makes us “sensitive to the Virgin Mother’s loving presence” in our lives. When we thus become aware of her presence, we are able to allow her to work calmly and quietly in moving us to repentance. Mary intercedes for us and, like the prophet Elijah, calls down the fire of heaven. Her fire, though, is the fire of an all-consuming love for her Son, Jesus Christ. It burns up the bonds of sin and frees us to live as children of God.

It was consideration of the goodness of the Blessed Virgin and the power of her maternal care that moved the eminent Carmelite St. Therese of Lisieux to write: “Mary, if I were the Queen of Heaven and you were Therese, I should want to be Therese that you might be the Queen of Heaven.” Let’s rejoice today then with all Carmelites in giving honor to our Queen and Mother.

This article was originally published in dominicanajournal.org and was written by Fr. Joachim Kenney, O.P.

Image: Moretto da Brescia – Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 1522, oil on canvas

Jul 09 2025

Hillbilly Thomists to Perform at 2025 Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage

There’s nothing quite like the sound of banjos echoing across the Catholic University of America Mall after a day filled with grace—and on Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 7:00 p.m., that sound will return once again as the Hillbilly Thomists take the stage to close out the Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage with a concert.

Each year, thousands of pilgrims gather at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., for a full day of prayer, preaching, Adoration, Confession, the Rosary, and Mass. The pilgrimage doesn’t end there. As the day winds down, the crowd will spill out onto the Catholic University Mall for an unforgettable concert with the Hillbilly Thomists.

The Hillbilly Thomists, a group of Dominican Friars whose bluegrass albums have topped the Billboard charts, mix Appalachian roots with lyrics steeped in faith. Their songs are honest, hopeful, and full of longing for God—and they invite listeners into the joy of the Gospel, one toe-tap at a time.

This year, they’re back on stage—and back in the studio. Since releasing their fourth album, Marigold, the band has been writing and recording new material.

Last year’s Dominican Rosary Pilgrimage was an absolute delight for us, and we can’t wait to return to the stage this year. It’s a joy to participate in such a remarkable event in the life of the Church in America. — Fr. Jonah Teller, O.P.

The concert is free and open to everyone attending the Pilgrimage. It’s not just a performance—it’s a joyful finale to a day of grace. After hours of prayer and preaching, it’s a chance to celebrate, to sing, and to be reminded that joy is one of the surest signs of the Gospel.

Mark your calendar. Bring your friends. We’ll see you in Washington, D.C.