John Church
Br John is a deacon in his final year of studies at Blackfriars Oxford, preparing for priestly ordination. He is the Promotor of the Dominican Youth Movement. He first encountered the Dominicans while studying Classics at Oxford, and entered the noviciate in 2018. An attraction to religious life initially grew out of time spent working with the Missionaries of Charity, which then crystallised into a Dominican vocation through a desire to integrate the contemplative life with preaching and study.
john.church@english.op.org
Burning Presence
Has Jesus come to bring peace or consuming fire? Reading: Luke 12:49-53 The following homily was preached during compline. You can watch
DYM Advent Retreat: The Hope that is Within
About the retreat In his first letter, St Peter says we must always be ready to give an account of the
DYM Study Day: Liturgy and Life
About the day Our tendency to compartmentalise life can perhaps mean that for some the Liturgy ends when we say “Thanks
Diaconal Duty in Jamaica
As a newly ordained deacon, Br John spent July and August working in our parishes in Jamaica, and here shares
St Athanasius and Gospel joy
St Athanasius was an impassioned theologian of the Incarnation of the divine Logos. How does his theology illumine Our Lord's
Where is my Damascus moment?
As he is on the road to Damascus, God intervenes dramatically in St Paul's life. It might make one wonder:
DYM Advent Retreat: Silent in His Love
About the retreat Advent is a time of waiting for the Lord. St Bernard taught that we ought not to think
The pitfalls of the student
Jesus rebukes the lawyers for taking away the 'key of knowledge'. How might this rebuke help students, particularly Dominican ones,
The English Martyrs
The martyrs teach us to fix our gaze on the cross, for it is there that we learn how to
The link in a chain
St Timothy was one of the first to hear the Gospel preached by St Paul, and went on to become
The Shadow of His Wings
In today's Gospel, Jesus laments over the city of Jerusalem, with words that are striking for their maternal imagery. The
I know whom I have chosen
Christ's knowing and loving is key to how we understand his act of washing the disciples' feet. In today's Gospel