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14 men entered our novitiate on August 8.

Dear Friends,

On August 6, the Order of Preachers celebrated the 800th anniversary of the passage of St. Dominic into eternal life, his Dies Natalis. Before he died in Bologna, Italy, at age 51, he preached his final sermon to the brothers at his bedside in these words:

“Do not weep. I shall be more use to you and bear more fruit for you after death than I ever did in life.”

We Dominicans refer to this promise as his Spem Miram, his wonderful hope. In the course of this anniversary summer, I had several occasions to witness the fulfillment of St. Dominic’s promise.

On August 7, I received the solemn vows of Bro. Paul Marich, O.P. Bro. Paul will be ordained to the diaconate on September 4 and will then serve a pastoral year at St. Patrick’s Parish in Columbus, Ohio, before his ordination to the priesthood.

Bro. Paul Marich, O.P., makes solemn profession.

On the Solemnity of the Assumption, at St. Gertrude’s Church in Cincinnati, I received the first vows of our six brothers who completed their novitiate year. They are now beginning their studies for the priesthood at our seminary in Washington, DC.

While I was at St. Gertrude’s, I met our 14 new novices who were clothed in the habit of St. Dominic on his feast day, August 8. One of the novices, Bro. Matthias Knox, was a monthly donor to the Dominican Friars before he entered!

Please keep our recently professed brothers, our new novices, and all our student brothers in your prayers.

Thank you for helping us realize St. Dominic’s Spem Miram eight hundred years after he entered eternal life!

St. Dominic, pray for us.

Very Rev. Kenneth R. Letoile, O.P.
Prior Provincial

With nearly 70 men in formation, we have the most successful men’s Catholic vocations program in America. YOUR support is needed to train these men to preach the Gospel as Dominican Friars!

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