Dominican Vocation of Trinbago

The Stumbling Block By Fr. Lorcan Murray OP About forty years ago, ago a young man went to see his Parish Priest, and told him that he felt he had a vocation to the priesthood. The Parish Priest (P.P.) was very happy, and chatted for a while with him about his family, his education achievements, his hobbies etc. After awhile, the young man said: “Father, I have just one little problem.” “And what is that?” asked the P.P. “I have a girl friend,” he answered. The young man took his advice and –in due course- the P.P. presided at their wedding. Thirty years, and four children, later, the wife died, and -after a reasonable period of mourning- the man (no longer young) presented himself to the now very old P.P ., and told him: “I still think I have a vocation to the priesthood.” That is the true story of a priest who is now working somewhere in Canada. If, today, we were to give the same advice to every young man who said: “I have a girl-friend,” we could safely close down all our Seminar...

Throughout the ages, people have struggled to understand God’s call to them. Four basic steps of discernment—becoming aware, gathering information, making a decision, and looking for confirmation of your choice—can help. HOW DO YOU HEAR God’s call in your lives? How do you understand what you hear? These questions have been asked throughout the ages and continue to be asked by all who seek to discern God’s presence and call in their lives. If you look at scripture, you find several examples of people struggling to understand God’s call to them. YOU ARE LIKELY to hear God’s call several times before you realize who is calling. Your task is to listen, to listen well, and, once you’ve heard God’s voice, to follow it. Consider the story of the call of Samuel (1 Samuel 3:1-10). Samuel was a young boy serving in the temple when he heard a voice calling his name. He assumed this voice was that of the priest, Eli. Eventually, Eli realized that Samuel was hearing God’s voice calling to him and...

Papal Homily at End of Year for Priests "The Priesthood ... Is not Simply Office, but Sacrament" VATICAN CITY, JUNE 11, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is the Vatican translation of the address delivered today by Benedict XVI at the papal Mass on the feast of the Sacred Heart that marked the end of the Year for Priests. * * * Dear Brothers in the Priestly Ministry, Dear Brothers and Sisters, The Year for Priests which we have celebrated on the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the death of the holy Curè of Ars, the model of priestly ministry in our world, is now coming to an end. We have let the Curé of Ars guide us to a renewed appreciation of the grandeur and beauty of the priestly ministry. The priest is not a mere office-holder, like those which every society needs in order to carry out certain functions. Instead, he does something which no human being can do of his own power: in Christ’s name he speaks the words which absolve us of our sins and in this way he changes, star...

Pontiff Explains Why Society Needs Aquinas Notes Timeliness of Saint's Moral Theology VATICAN CITY, JUNE 16, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The moral theology of St. Thomas Aquinas is timely even today, says Benedict XVI, who pointed to the saint's emphasis on natural law. The Pope took up the teachings of Aquinas today, continuing his catechesis on the Christian culture of the Middle Ages after a several-week break to focus on other themes. He explained how Thomas managed to show the "independence of philosophy and theology and, at the same time, their reciprocal rationality." The saint's emphasis on the dignity of human reason correlates to his teaching on nature and grace, the Holy Father illustrated. And he noted how reason, with its power, has the important potential of "discerning the natural moral law." "Reason can recognize [this law] considering what is good to do and what is good to avoid to obtain that happiness which is in each one's heart, and ...

Friday, 13 November 2009 By Christophe Cole (Dominican Postulant) Name: Fr Ferdinand Warner OP Date of Ordination: June 22, 1997 Order: Order of Preachers (Dominicans) Portfolio: Regional Prior of the Domincans Parish Priest- St Joseph Episcopal Vicar- Suburban Vicariate “If I had to choose again to be a priest, I would choose again to be a priest…I really enjoy my priesthood!” These were the words of Fr Ferdinand Warner OP, fondly known to those around him as Fr Ferdi while sitting in the veranda of the St Joseph’s presbytery looking out at the beautiful view that includes the St Joseph’s river and Mt St Benedict. Fr Ferdi, the last of seven children, hails from Cedros. He says that from a very young age, he had the desire to become a priest and therefore always involved himself in Church-based activities. This was in addition to his community life at home which is much different from community life today. “We always did things together, if we had to go home, it was to do chores and ...

The Sarced Heart of Jesus is a very important Solemity of the to priests and to anybody thinking about becominig a priest or even a religious. This devotion is important for us because it allow us to stay foucs on our call. A call that comes from God to help us to look after God's flock. Sometimes we can lose focus on that call of God.The prophet Ezekeil {Ch. 34:11-12} says: "As a shepherd keeps all his Flock in view when he stands up in the middle of his scattered sheep, so shall I (God) keep my sheep in view." The vocation to the priesthood is that of co-shepherd with God. This is why the great woman St. Teresa of Avila, reminds us that:"God has no hands but our hands to do his work today; God has no feet but our feet to lead others in his way; God has no voice but our voice to tell others how he died; and, God has no help but our help to lead them to his side." Change is a word that has been procliamed from many political pupits today. Even our own resent el...

See you, God willing, on August 26, 2013. That’s when the contents of a time capsule buried at the Regional Seminary of St John Vianney and the Uganda Martyrs, St Augustine will be opened. Msgr Llanos covers the buried capsule with dirt. Looking on are Msgr Stewart and student Renee Hall. Towards the end of a Mass to close the 2009/2010 academic year, rector Msgr Michael Stewart and vice rector Msgr Robert Llanos placed the capsule in a wooden box and plastic bag and buried it under the majestic flamboyant tree near the entrance. A plaque was placed to commemorate the occasion. Student Renee Hall told Catholic News the capsule contains the hopes, dreams, thoughts and feelings of students for the future of the seminary, using the imagery of the ancient, mythical Greek firebird known as the Phoenix. The exercise was done on the final day of the semester. The outdoor Mass was held near the entrance; the congregation of ancillary and administrative staff, academic faculty, laity, “Friend...

By Fr Dwight Merrick, Diocesan Vocations Director Discerning a vocation to priesthood today means serving the Church with a vision for 2020 and beyond. And here lies the first hurdle; up to nine years of formation! This is certainly an obstacle for many hearing “the Call”, particularly when many professions require as little as three years of study. Frankly, the priestly studies can probably be done by any adult of average intelligence, it’s the formation that usually makes or breaks an aspirant. In fact, most of those who abort priestly preparation do so not for academic reasons but due to the demands of being formed to live as a sacred person amidst an increasingly anti-God world. While we recognise that most priests are quite happy in their vocation, do we always see the role of formation in this success? Even so, many of us as priests felt like we were still ordained too early, given the expectations placed on the priest. No effort is too much to ensure that an ordained priest is g...

Roman Catholic bishops in the Caribbean have pledged to give top priority to ways and means of encouraging more vocations to the religious life. The decision was taken at the recent 54th Annual Plenary Meeting of the Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC) held in Grenada. In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting (Message from AEC bishops - May 2) the bishops announced the establishment of an ad hoc committee “to co-ordinate vocation work in the AEC…and is also a response to the present crisis in our respective dioceses”. The committee will deliver its first report to the AEC executive committee in January 2011. Touching on the current sex scandals now rocking the Church, the communiqué stated, “As Church leaders in the Caribbean region, in solidarity with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI and the Church Universal, we the bishops, view seriously and with sadness the various reports of clerical sexual abuse. We are ashamed of such regrettable incidents. “As your bishops, we have es...

By Vernon Khelawan The community of the monastery at Mount St Benedict last Saturday (May 1) welcomed its first monastic profession in two decades. Brother Lance Herbert signs his “Chart of Profession” after making his final profession as a Benedictine monk last Saturday at the Abbey Church, Mount St Benedict. The last such profession was made by the current Abbot, John Pereira, 20 years ago. Making his profession two Saturdays ago was Lancelot Julien Herbert, who was born in St John Village, which lies at the foot of the hill. No stranger to the monastery, Brother Lance taught carpentry and other vocational subjects for many years at the St Bede Vocational School, which was started by the late Fr Bede, one of the early Dutch monks at the Abbey. In accepting Bro Lance into the community, where he has been training for the last five years, Abbot Pereira reminded the packed congregation at the Abbey church about the close linkages between the monastery and St John Village which were de...

This Saturday, May 29 saw the ordinations of two young men at the cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Port of Spain Trinidad. Those ordainded were Alan Hall and Steve Ransome. Mr. Alan Hall was ordainded to the transitional diaconate and Rev. Steve Ransome was ordainded a priest.