Fr. Gabriel Gillen, OP

Christian pilgrimage is a dynamic reality–it is both private and public, a reflection of the Gospel message itself. It is the journey of an individual, transformed by grace, that witnesses to the crucified and risen Lord.

Several years ago I took up running for exercise. I have never been much of an athlete myself and I was not familiar with physical training in any official capacity.  When I arrived at the novitiate, one of the brothers who arrived with me was an athlete. He taught me how to pace myself. Before, […]

Making an Examination of Conscience | Fr. Bonaventure Chapman & Fr. Gregory Pine – Godsplaining Podcast February 15, 2024 [embedded content] Godsplaining is a production of the Dominican Friars of the Province of St. Joseph © 2024. All rights reserved.

The shores of the Gulf of Tonkin in northern Vietnam contain the sites of martyrdom of 22 canonized Dominican friars who laid down their lives between 1745 and 1861. These men—11 from Spain and 11 from Vietnam—are among the most recent of the Order’s canonized saints to have lived and died. One of the youngest […]

This is part of a series entitled, “Pilgrimages: Paths We Tread.” Read the series introduction here. To see other posts in the series, click here. Our Lady of Guadalupe is integral to Mexican identity, to the point that sometimes the name guadalupano can be a substitute for mexicano. She is a cause of great joy for everyone […]

Each saint’s life illuminates in a specific time and place something beautiful about the life of our Lord Jesus. As God shined his light upon his holy daughter from Lisieux, I saw that this light was coming from the face of his Beloved Son from Nazareth, the Light of the World.

 Nearly two thousand years ago, a young man wandered off into the Egyptian desert. Some thought he was crazy. But many others would soon follow in his stead.

Editor’s Note: Today we are delighted to release the online edition of Dominicana 66 (2023), which is distinct from the content published regularly on the blog. This year’s edition of Dominicana considers the place of the Eucharist in the life of the Church.   Please find below the introductory editorial, along with a PDF preview of […]

Amid the vibrantly green and rolling hills of Norfolk, in the most easterly part of England, vestiges of an ancient pastime emerge along a pilgrimage route. The path that led to “England’s Nazareth,” the house would become the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Candles burn. It’s what they are made for. If a candle should sit unburned, forever, we would say that it never achieved its end. You, too, are made to burn. Not in the same physical way as the candle, but in a way that lets the candle act as a sacramental. Like the candle, we […]

“He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord is laughing them to scorn.” (Ps 2:4) Laughter arises when we take notice of absurdity. We are rational creatures, capable of knowing things about the world, other people, and ourselves. Our rationality also means that we develop expectations. We have ideas about reality that can be […]

This is part of a series entitled, “Pilgrimages: Paths We Tread.” Read the series introduction here. To see other posts in the series, click here. While a pilgrimage need not be long and arduous, a shorter journey can seem somewhat diminished in comparison. The thought of a pilgrim (derived from peregrinatio, “foreign travel”) crossing deserts […]