Jubilee: Celebrating 800 Years of the Dominicans
A Message from the Prior Provincial for the start of the Jubilee Year
It is with great joy that the Dominicans of the Province of England join with our brothers and sisters worldwide in marking the start of the Jubilee Year that celebrates the 800th anniversary of the foundation of the Order of Preachers.
Our own Province of England began only 5 years after the foundation of the Order. St Dominic himself, after the second General Chapter of the Order, sent a group of 13 friars who made the first foundation of ‘the Blackfriars’ at Oxford in 1221. Within a decade the Order of Preachers had spread to Ireland and Scotland.
The Dominican Jubilee and the Year of Mercy
It is a graceful coincidence that this Dominican Jubilee coincides with the Jubilee Year of Mercy established by Pope Francis. We friars, and all members of the Dominican family, have consecrated our lives to joyfully living out and proclaiming – in Word, sacrament and charity – the Church’s faith in the Crucified and Risen Christ; Jesus the presence amongst all humankind of the Mercy of God. And God’s Mercy is not a mere compassionate gaze at a fallen world but the re-creative divine power to restore value and dignity, to promote good in the face of evil and to draw good from the darkest of situations. It is needed more than ever in our present world. With the grace of God and the generosity of our supporters and co-workers, the Dominican family hopes to continue its 800 years of its characteristic service of God and neighbour.
Join our celebrations
Throughout our Province – in England, Scotland, in Grenada, and through our online presence – the friars will be organising a wide variety of Jubilee events, including religious services, talks, pilgrimages and exhibitions. If you would like to be kept informed of these, please sign up for email alerts, and take a look at our online calendar.
John Farrell OP
(Prior Provincial, Province of England)
> Full information on the Jubilee, events and resources
