Traditional Dominican Provinces

[Augustine5]

I am discerning joining the Order of Preachers (first order) and I am looking into the different provinces. I am a rather traditional/conservative Catholic and I am wondering which Dominican provinces are more traditional/conservative and which provinces are more liberal/progressive. Does anyone know which category would the eastern province of St. Joseph or the province of St. Albert the Great fall into? Does this vary within the provinces?

Thank you.

 

[Fauken]

Does anyone know which category would the eastern province of St. Joseph or the province of St. Albert the Great fall into? Does this vary within the provinces?

Lay Dominican here. From what I’ve heard, it does vary within the provinces. I’ve heard St. Joseph is quite traditional, and St. Albert the Great is a mixed bag. I would suggest either the eastern or western provinces if that’s what you want.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

You should focus more on which community you are drawn to rather than what province. The community sets its own tone. You’ll find orthodox and progressive communities throughout the country.

 

[commenter]

Welcome to CAF.
I suggest talking to your Diocesan vocations director and your parish priest, if you haven’t already done so.

Even if they aren’t Dominicans, they can help you sort out what you mean by liberal and conservative, and how that can impact on a potential Dominican vocation, or priestly vocations in general.

You can get some idea by looking at Order websites. If they are mostly interested in the same priorities as the Secular media, consider it a red flag.

The problem is that orders are in flux. By the time you might be ordained people may have moved around, or retired.

 

[Augustine5]

Thank you for the response. Wouldn’t your community change as your assignment changes? I assume you remain in the same province while your community changes. That’s why I was focusing more on the province.

 

[Augustine5]

Thank you for your response. Do you know which category the southern province would fall into?

 

[Fauken]

Thank you for your response. Do you know which category the southern province would fall into?

It’s also a mixed bag. I don’t know if the central or southern is worse, but I know I keep hearing stories of Dominican rite Masses being celebrated in both the eastern and western provinces.

 

[commenter]

Commumities of sisters tend to be more decentralized. They may be affiliated with a larger entity but maintain local autonomy.

For priests the province is the crucial level. You may be living with these other men in a parish over here for 5 years, but the province may send you to live with those other men in a college in another city, always in the same province. Nowadays they tend to offer
some more freedom to choose your job and location but still you need to meet the needs of the province.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

For some reason (I’m not sure why) I assumed the OP was female. My apologies if my assumption was incorrect.

 

[AlbMagno]

I find it bizarre that people are looking at where to go to fit their particular spirituality, even if it’s the same charism.

 

[Augustine5]

For some reason (I’m not sure why) I assumed the OP was female. My apologies if my assumption was incorrect.

I am a male. Does this change anything you said earlier in this thread, since you now know that I would be joining the first order instead of the second order (I assume you were basing your previous responses on the premise that I was joining the second order)?

 

[mrsdizzyd]

mrsdizzyd:

For some reason (I’m not sure why) I assumed the OP was female. My apologies if my assumption was incorrect.

I am a male. Does this change anything you said earlier in this thread, since you now know that I would be joining the first order instead of the second order (I assume you were basing your previous responses on the premise that I was joining the second order)?

Yes! It does. I am only familiar with the west and the east. In both cases, the young friars seem very orthodox. I don’t think you’d go wrong either way. If I were male and had my choice I’d probably go with the east if only because of the Dominican House of Studies in DC! I have been very impressed with the friars there.

Having said that, I think you have to expect that, no matter the province, there will be a bit of a mix of progressive, moderate, and traditionalist friars.

 

[TomH1]

I would very much look at a province if I were you. Mendicants are tied by stability to a particular community unlike monks and canons regular. Therefore, it is unlikely you would spend the rest of your life in the same friary. Mendicants are usually moved within the same province to match the needs of the province.