Notes on the Memorial of St. Dominic.

In the modern Roman calendar, today is the Memorial of St. Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers. I usually post something on this date as a token of my affection for the Dominicans, and this year is no exception. The photo that illustrates this post shows the facade of the Dominikanerkirche in Vienna, which is where I most usually attended daily Mass when I was studying German in the Austrian capital two summers ago. The Dominikanerkirche is a mere five-minute walk from the Jesuit residence where I was living and, since the timing of the Dominicans' daily Mass fit my schedule much better than Mass with the Jesuits - 5:30 pm at the Dominikanerkirche, versus 7 am at the Jesuitenkirche - I made that walk very often. Celebrated with quiet reverence and sobriety, that Mass at the Domikanerkirche proved an excellent way to mark the shift from afternoon to evening and to begin to wind down the day. As I reflect on the many things that I miss about Vienna, Mass at the Domikanerkirche is near the top of the list.



Moving a bit closer to the place where I spend most of my time, it strikes me that today is a good day to share the trailer for Alléluia, a documentary by French Canadian filmmaker Jean-Simon Chartier that had its premiere last fall at the Montreal International Documentary Festival. Alléluia follows four young men who have made the profoundly countercultural choice of entering the Dominican Order in secular Quebec. I would be very interested in seeing the rest of the film if it ever reaches a screen in Toronto or appears on DVD, but for now the trailer offers a bit of a teaser.

On the Memorial of St. Dominic, I pray for all members of the Dominican family, both in gratitude for their contributions to the life of the Church and in the hope that God will grant them great consolation. I hope that you will join me in praying for these intentions. AMDG.