Order of Preachers
Who are the Dominicans?
The Dominicans, or the Order of Preachers, are a Catholic religious order founded in 1216 by St. Dominic de Guzmán. While traveling in France, Dominic came face-to-face with the heresy of Albigensianism (Catharism). He realized that his society desperately needed well-formed preachers who would not only preach the truth of Christ, but live in Christ’s own image.
The first Dominicans were the cloistered nuns, Albigensian converts who wanted to live in community. Next came the priests and brothers, educated beyond the expectations of the day so that they could teach others. The laity, formerly known as Tertiaries or the Order of Penance, quickly joined as well.
After more than 800 years, the nuns, friars, and laity are joined in the Dominican Family by the apostolic sisters, the Priestly Fraternity of St. Dominic, and others. Together we fulfill Dominic’s vision for an Order of Preachers.
Dominican Charism
Three Mottos, One Call
Veritas — Truth
Truth is more than a concept. He is a person: Our Lord Jesus Christ. With truth as our goal, we are guided in our mission to bring Christ to each soul around us.
Contemplare et contemplata aliis tradere — To contemplate and give to others the fruits of our contemplation.
Before we can preach, we must first study and pray. Through contemplation we draw close to Christ and model ourselves on Him as we strive for the salvation of souls.
Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare – To praise, to bless, to preach.
Amid the confusion of our world, we must be guides to that which brings true happiness. Our way of life provides a vibrant, joyful example of the “abundant life” which Christ promised, and through our preaching we draw others to that same fulfillment.
The Rosary
Our Dominican Heritage
For centuries, the Dominicans have been entrusted with the task of sharing the Rosary with the world. Combining the Gospel with devotion to the Mother of God, this prayer is an effective form of preaching and a refuge for every preacher’s heart.
Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary
The Dominican Rosary tradition culminates in the worldwide Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary, an international association of the faithful that exists “to praise and honor the Blessed Virgin Mary and to secure her patronage by the recitation of the Rosary for the mutual spiritual benefit of all the members throughout the world.”
Dominican Saints and Blesseds
The Order of Preachers has formed countless men and women — young and old, rich and poor — on the path to heaven. From St. Dominic’s own mother, to the Church’s foremost theologian, to a scientist, to a young man on fire for the poor, discover the Saints and Blesseds of the Dominican Order.
Holy Father Dominic
Born: 1170
Region: Caleruega, Spain
Feast Day: August 8
St. Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers, is known for his successful and tenacious commitment to the conversion of Christian souls away from heresy by being a living example of what he patiently preached.
Saint Thomas Aquinas
Born: 1226
Region: Italy
Feast Day: January 28, modern calendar; March 7, traditional calendar
Known as The Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas was a prolific author of theology and philosophy, many of his timeless ideas and commentary are still studied, taught and debated today.
Saint Albert the Great
Born: Before 1200
Region: Lauingen, Germany
Feast Day: November 15
A Doctor of the Church and prolific author, St Albert participated in the 1259 General Chapter that created the program of study for the Dominican Order.
Saint Catherine of Siena
Born: 1347
Region: Siena, Italy
Feast Day: April 29
A Third Order Dominican and Doctor of the Church, St Catherine is known for her instrumental role in restoring the papacy to Rome and her Dialogue of over 400 letters.
Saint Mary Magdalene
Born: 1st century
Region: Judea
Feast Day: July 22
St. Mary Magdalene, who accompanied Christ even to the foot of the Cross, was the first recorded witness of His Resurrection. She immediately ran to tell the Twelve, becoming the “Apostle to the Apostles”and was adopted as a patroness of the Order of Preachers.
Holy Father Francis
(St. Francis of Assisi)
Born: 1181
Region: Assisi, Umbria, Italy
Feast Day: October 4
St Francis and St Dominic are traditionally known for their friendship, which began in 1216 when they were both in Rome seeking papal approval for their Orders.
Blessed Jane of Aza
Born: c. 1135
Region: Haza, Spain
Feast Day: August 2
Bl Joan, while pregnant with St Dominic, is known for her dream of a dog leaping from her womb lighting the world on fire with a torch.
Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati
Born: 1901
Region: Turin, Italy
Feast Day: July 4
A Third Order Dominican, Pier Giorgio Frassati is well known for his active lifestyle as a mountaineer and skier; his body was found incorrupt in 1981 upon opening his tomb.
The Dominican Family
Along with the friars, nuns, sisters, and more, the Lay Dominicans take our place as members of the Dominican Family — all of us following in the footsteps of Dominic.
Dominicans in the United States
In the United States, the Order of Preachers is spread over four provinces. Begin by identifying which province you live in.
*If you can’t find a community near you or don’t hear back in a timely manner, contact our Promoter of Vocations.
Key Dominican Milestones
Founding of the Order
Pope Honorius III approves the Order by papal bull
Dominic followed St. Francis of Assisi in founding a mendicant, or begging, order, in contrast to many of the religious of their time who had become distracted by wealth and worldly authority. Both Francis and Dominic modeled their communities on the apostles of the early Church.
End of the Avignon Papacy
St. Catherine of Siena meets with Pope Gregory XI
St. Catherine of Siena — a Lay Dominican — was called by God to end a crisis of nearly seventy years in the Church. She traveled to Avignon, France, to plead with Pope Gregory XI to return the papal court to Rome. He did so, just a few months after her visit.
Dominicans in the New World
Bartolomé de las Casas defends the rights of the South American peoples
After discovering the Spanish abuse of the native peoples, Bartolomé de las Casas gave up his land and wealth in the New World and became a Dominican friar. Before his death in 1566, he spent fifty years of his life arguing in political and social spheres for the human dignity of the native peoples and the abolition of slavery.
Image Source: Constantino Brumidi/Architect of the Capitol
Dominicans established in US
Fr. Edward Fenwick founds the Province of St. Joseph
Fr. Edward Fenwick, born and raised in Maryland, entered the Dominican Order in Belgium. With three other friars, he received permission to return to the U.S., where Bishop John Carroll asked him to evangelize west of the Appalachian Mountains. He founded St. Rose Priory in Springfield, Kentucky, in 1806.
Image Source: J.W. Winder/Library of Congress
Central Province founded
Province of St. Albert the Great becomes third US Province
Following the foundation of the Western Province in 1850 due to the California Gold Rush, and a time of rapid growth for the order, the Central Province of St. Albert the Great was established in 1939. The Southern Province was formed in 1979 from the Central and Eastern Provinces.
800th Jubilee of the Order
A decade of jubilees begins
In 2016, the Order celebrated 800 years since its foundation. In 2021, we celebrated the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Dominic. From 2023–2025, we celebrated the jubilee of St. Thomas Aquinas: 700 years since his canonization, 750 years since his death, and the 800th anniversary of his birth.
