Anglican Order of Preachers
Encyclopedia
The Anglican Order of Preachers is an Anglican religious order
commonly referred to as "Dominicans
". The order was founded in the late 1990s by the Reverend Jeffery Mackey O.P.A. in the United States
. It includes both men and women, married and single, ordained and lay. The brothers and sisters live under a common Rule of Life. The order is a recognized "Christian Community" (a formal Episcopal term for a dispersed community of friars or sisters under modified monastic vows) of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Its aim is to capture the early spirit of St. Dominic's preaching movement.
The Order of Preachers is a Christian religious order, and spiritual tradition founded by Saint Dominic de Guzman in the 13th century with roots in earlier monastic traditions, dating back to the earliest periods of Christianity. It was not until the last years of the 20th century that an expression of Dominican spirituality and life could be found outside of the Roman Catholic Church.
The mission of the order is the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is done for the recovery of souls and the strengthening of the Church. The friars and sisters surrender their entire lives to a missionary lifestyle dedicated to God. This lifestyle is lived out in the ordinary challenges of life, so that all people in all places can hear the Gospel.
The community is scattered with friars and sisters living across the world. Friars and sisters live by themselves, with their families, or in small groups. They support themselves and the order by their ministry work: either within the institutional church or in the secular marketplace representing the Body of Christ. Friars and sisters may take vows of marriage, or vows of celibacy. In everything members are encouraged by the words of St. Dominic to only "speak with God, or about God."
Overview
The heart of Christianity for the individual man or woman is a way of life that connects with the community of faith, and ultimately with God through Jesus Christ. To be a Dominican is to choose to live a particular kind of Christian life. The Dominican way of life is shaped by the vows that friars and sisters make, and the Rule of Life around which all members of the order arrange their lives. Dominican spirituality centers on engagement with the Word of God, both in quiet reflection, and active proclamation.
Vows
After a period of formation and training, friars and sisters are called to make the traditional three vows of the religious life. They have been adapted to fit contemporary life and the mission of the Anglican Order of Preachers.
Simplicity
St. Dominic considered poverty to be an important part of the Dominican vocation. However, he did not base the Dominican lifestyle on poverty as did his contemporary, St. Francis of Assisi, for the Franciscans. There, however, is a clear message in the teachings of our Savior that wealth can significantly hinder a right relationship with God.
It is not wealth in of itself that makes it difficult for us to live a Godly life. Rather, it is an excessive worry for, and desire for more money that injures our relationship with Christ. A parish priest was once fond of teaching that, “Money is the second most powerful god of this world.” Members of the order are allowed to own property and hold occupations that provide for themselves, their families, and the Order.
Members must turn to God, with an open mind and a receptive heart, to determine how they can best use all of their assets for the Kingdom of God, and not merely for their own advancement or comfort. Friars and sisters are to radically embody a different kind of lifestyle that proclaims the Kingdom of God. Professed members are required to give a portion of their income to their local church and to the Order. Perhaps the vow of simplicity is best summarized by the liturgy of life profession, where friars and sisters vow, “…to live simply using all things given to my charge for the building up of the Kingdom of God.”
Purity
Many Christians are surprised to discover that the call to chastity is for all believers, and not just vowed religious, who make vows of permanent celibacy--that is a life lived without sexual acts, relationships and marriage. Chastity is the calling to be pure and holy in all of our relationships. For those who are single, chastity demands abstinence from sexual acts and relationships. For those who are married, chastity demands faithfulness and love toward one’s spouse.
There is a further dimension to the vow of purity that has always been a hallmark of the religious life. Religious chastity, whether in married or single life, is a calling to be open to friendships and interactions with all people. The religious life is a calling to be everyone’s brother or sister, mother or father, as they have need.
Brothers and sisters in the Anglican Order of Preachers may marry or remain single. If single, they vow to remain celibate. ALL vow to live a chaste life.
Obedience
Obedience is a very unpopular virtue in the post- modern world. Individualism, and the ability to do whatever one chooses, is held as the ideal. The religious life, however, is a calling to surrender one’s entire life to God and to the service of the Church. Obedience requires the observance of the Rule of the Order. Obedience is linked to spiritual authority, and friars and sisters are required to honor the spiritual authority of the officers of the Order, as well as the leadership of the churches and ministries in which they serve. However, the Dominican notion of obedience is for the purpose of raising friars and sisters in the image of God.. Obedience is the way of Christian love, for Jesus said that those who love God would obey His commandments (John 14:15).
The Rule of Life of the Anglican Order of Preachers
The Order's Rule is based upon the Rule of Saint Augustine and early Dominican sources. The rule is written in plain text under bold headlines. Commentary on the rule follows in italics.
Concerning Prayer
Each Member shall be in prayer daily to God the Father, through the mediation of the Son, in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. He shall recite the offices of Daily Morning and Evening Prayer each day, and attend the Divine Liturgy at least every Lord's Day, and upon any other day wherein he has the opportunity.
The recitation of the morning and evening offices of prayer are the minimum standard of the Order. Friars and sisters are encouraged to pray the four-fold office of morning, noonday, evening, and compline offices. It is expected that friars and sisters will live lives devoted to prayer, characterized by short prayers throughout the day, and times of quiet meditation or silence. Personal devotions such as the Jesus Prayer, and the Rosary are encouraged. Attendance at the Holy Eucharist is required on all Sundays, as well as on major feasts of the liturgical year. More frequent worship attendance at the Holy Eucharist is encouraged.
Concerning Study
Each Member shall be in continual study of the Holy Scriptures. He shall spend at least one hour each day in the reading, marking, learning, and inward digesting of the Bible; its stories, language, themes, ideas, characters, and sense, and above all its primary subject, Jesus Christ our Lord. He shall report regularly to his appointed superior on the studies, for the purpose of discipline, excellence, and the assurance that he is maintaining the catholic faith delivered unto the saints.
Dominicans are life long students of the Holy Scriptures. Personal study varies from Dominican to Dominican, but includes study of commentaries, original languages, and meditations such as the practice of sacred reading (Lectio Divina). Friars and sisters are required to submit a report on a quarterly basis to the Canon Theologian describing their personal studies.
Concerning Preaching and Ministry
Each Member shall, as the opportunity is present, share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in word and action. Primarily, this is to be carried out in the delivery of studied sermons and lectures, delivered for the up building of the members of the Church and the salvation of those who are not yet in her care and nurture.
As Dominicans we are called to be teachers, as well as preachers. However, some Dominicans live out their vocations at the work place or in the food shelter, and do not always have opportunities to give formal sermons. The call to be a Dominican is more encompassing than to be a preacher in the pulpit. The Dominican is called to share the Gospel “as the opportunity is present” which could be at anytime and anywhere. This part of the rule strikes at the heart of the evangelical calling of the Order.
Concerning the Habit and Clothing
Full-Habit:
Each Member shall wear the appointed habit when participating in liturgy, preaching, hearing confession, counseling, teaching, or any other time he deems appropriate. He shall wear a white tunic or alb, cinctured with a black rope, a black cowl, and hood. He may wear a rosary or some other form of prayer rope on his cincture on the left side. At conventual masses the principal celebrant shall wear whatever is the custom of the house; assisting priests and deacons shall wear the stole appropriate to their order.
Street Habit:
When wearing the full-habit would infringe on the ministry of a particular friar or sister they may wear the street habit. The street habit for friars and sisters shall consist of black trousers, (or a skirt for sisters), white shirt, and a black vest. Ordained members of the Order may wear clericals in place of the street habit.
The customs of the local parish, related to any habit, should take precedence when a Member ministers there.
One of the sacrifices of the religious life is giving up personal identity to become a living symbol of the church. Friars and sisters are not required to wear the habit at all times, but may wear it as they see fit according to the rule above. The habit can be very useful means of identifying that the church's presence in a particular location. The wearing of the habit is also a means by which the vow of simplicity is lived out. The wearing of the habit frees the friar or sister from concerns about fashion, or appropriate dress and allows them to focus on their ministry work.
Religious Life in the 21st Century
In the 13th century when St. Dominic founded his Order of preaching friars he was doing something new in the life of the Church. Bishops were considered to be the primary preachers and teachers of faith. Priests merely acted as agents of the Bishop and could only minister in their parish or diocese. St. Dominic’s Order was a group of men who traveled from place to place and included priests and lay brothers. Having lay persons preaching the Gospel and carrying out missions was unheard of at the time. Later on the Roman Dominican Order became clergy centered but our community seeks to emulate the spirit of the early Dominican Order.
The Order strongly embraces the teaching found in the Catechism of the Episcopal Church which states that the ministers of the church are “lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons (Book of Common Prayer, 855).” Lay members of the Order are recognized as ministers of the Gospel by virtue of their baptism and confirmation. Ordained members of the Order are extended no other privileges based on their ordination except that pertaining to their office whether it be priest, deacon, or bishop. All positions of rank in the order may be held by a lay or ordained minister.
Dominican Spirituality: Embracing the Fullness of the Church
What is powerful about the Dominican way is that it embraces the sacramental, the evangelical, and the charismatic threads of Christianity in an integrated path of following God. Dominicans are ardent students of the Bible, open to the movement of the Holy Spirit in profound and subtle ways, and devoted to the reception of the sacraments as encounters with Jesus Christ.
Overview of the Discernment Process
There are three major phases in the discernment process for a man or women considering a Dominican calling.
Inquirer Phase
This is an informal phase where the individual explores a potential Dominican calling through prayer, spiritual direction, and reading. At some point during this phase the inquirer should contact the Order and begin a correspondence with the Director of Initial Formation.
Postulant Phase
This is the first formal phase of the discernment process. After a series of initial readings, personal conversations with family, friends, and faith mentors, the inquirer may be asked to be admitted as a postulant. Postulancy is a formal period of study, spiritual searching, and learning, usually lasting at least six months. The journey of postulancy is taken with other postulants, Dominicans, and friends, family, and the postulant’s local faith community. After the six months the postulant may petition the Master of the Order to enter the novitiate. The chapter (the leadership body of the Order) must approve all postulants wishing to enter the novitiate. If both parties agree the postulant makes his or her novice promises.
Novitiate Phase
This is a two year period of trying out the Dominican way of life. Novices undergo formal studies through the Dominican Institute under the guidance of the Director of Formation. In addition, continuing spiritual conversations with important mentors and friends in the novices life take place. This two year period also gives the novice time to integrate Dominican spirituality and principles into his or her daily life. After at least two years, the novice may petition the Master of the Order to take his or her life vows. The chapter must approve all novices wishing to make life vows. If both parties agree the novice will then move forward to make his or her life vows.
Life Vows
This is the final and fourth phase of the process of entering Dominican life. Training, formation, and further study are a part of the Dominican’s life until they depart this world.
Other Relationships to Community
Oblates are baptized Christians who share in the prayer and community life of the Order without joining the Chapter or making vows. After a postulancy of six months, and with the consent of the Formation Committee, a man or woman may sign the Order's letter of promise to become an Oblate. He or she is assigned to a House and participates in the regular online community of that House. Oblates participate fully in any meetings or gatherings of the Order which they may voluntarily choose to attend. They do not hold office in the Order or vote on matters before the Chapter.
Associates are baptized Christians who wish to support the Order with their prayer, friendship, and if means permit financial contributions, while remaining independent from the group. Each associate is asked to develop an individual rule of life which will help him or her to grow in the areas of prayer, study, community and ministry. An associate may request to have a spiritual correspondence by e-mail with a member of the Order. Associates are always welcome guests at the public functions of the Order, such as novicing and profession services.
Anglican religious order
Anglican religious orders are communities of laity and/or clergy in the Anglican Communion who live under a common rule of life. The members of religious orders take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and lead a common life of work and prayer...
commonly referred to as "Dominicans
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
". The order was founded in the late 1990s by the Reverend Jeffery Mackey O.P.A. in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It includes both men and women, married and single, ordained and lay. The brothers and sisters live under a common Rule of Life. The order is a recognized "Christian Community" (a formal Episcopal term for a dispersed community of friars or sisters under modified monastic vows) of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Its aim is to capture the early spirit of St. Dominic's preaching movement.
The Order of Preachers is a Christian religious order, and spiritual tradition founded by Saint Dominic de Guzman in the 13th century with roots in earlier monastic traditions, dating back to the earliest periods of Christianity. It was not until the last years of the 20th century that an expression of Dominican spirituality and life could be found outside of the Roman Catholic Church.
The mission of the order is the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is done for the recovery of souls and the strengthening of the Church. The friars and sisters surrender their entire lives to a missionary lifestyle dedicated to God. This lifestyle is lived out in the ordinary challenges of life, so that all people in all places can hear the Gospel.
The community is scattered with friars and sisters living across the world. Friars and sisters live by themselves, with their families, or in small groups. They support themselves and the order by their ministry work: either within the institutional church or in the secular marketplace representing the Body of Christ. Friars and sisters may take vows of marriage, or vows of celibacy. In everything members are encouraged by the words of St. Dominic to only "speak with God, or about God."
Overview
The heart of Christianity for the individual man or woman is a way of life that connects with the community of faith, and ultimately with God through Jesus Christ. To be a Dominican is to choose to live a particular kind of Christian life. The Dominican way of life is shaped by the vows that friars and sisters make, and the Rule of Life around which all members of the order arrange their lives. Dominican spirituality centers on engagement with the Word of God, both in quiet reflection, and active proclamation.
Vows
After a period of formation and training, friars and sisters are called to make the traditional three vows of the religious life. They have been adapted to fit contemporary life and the mission of the Anglican Order of Preachers.
Simplicity
St. Dominic considered poverty to be an important part of the Dominican vocation. However, he did not base the Dominican lifestyle on poverty as did his contemporary, St. Francis of Assisi, for the Franciscans. There, however, is a clear message in the teachings of our Savior that wealth can significantly hinder a right relationship with God.
It is not wealth in of itself that makes it difficult for us to live a Godly life. Rather, it is an excessive worry for, and desire for more money that injures our relationship with Christ. A parish priest was once fond of teaching that, “Money is the second most powerful god of this world.” Members of the order are allowed to own property and hold occupations that provide for themselves, their families, and the Order.
Members must turn to God, with an open mind and a receptive heart, to determine how they can best use all of their assets for the Kingdom of God, and not merely for their own advancement or comfort. Friars and sisters are to radically embody a different kind of lifestyle that proclaims the Kingdom of God. Professed members are required to give a portion of their income to their local church and to the Order. Perhaps the vow of simplicity is best summarized by the liturgy of life profession, where friars and sisters vow, “…to live simply using all things given to my charge for the building up of the Kingdom of God.”
Purity
Many Christians are surprised to discover that the call to chastity is for all believers, and not just vowed religious, who make vows of permanent celibacy--that is a life lived without sexual acts, relationships and marriage. Chastity is the calling to be pure and holy in all of our relationships. For those who are single, chastity demands abstinence from sexual acts and relationships. For those who are married, chastity demands faithfulness and love toward one’s spouse.
There is a further dimension to the vow of purity that has always been a hallmark of the religious life. Religious chastity, whether in married or single life, is a calling to be open to friendships and interactions with all people. The religious life is a calling to be everyone’s brother or sister, mother or father, as they have need.
Brothers and sisters in the Anglican Order of Preachers may marry or remain single. If single, they vow to remain celibate. ALL vow to live a chaste life.
Obedience
Obedience is a very unpopular virtue in the post- modern world. Individualism, and the ability to do whatever one chooses, is held as the ideal. The religious life, however, is a calling to surrender one’s entire life to God and to the service of the Church. Obedience requires the observance of the Rule of the Order. Obedience is linked to spiritual authority, and friars and sisters are required to honor the spiritual authority of the officers of the Order, as well as the leadership of the churches and ministries in which they serve. However, the Dominican notion of obedience is for the purpose of raising friars and sisters in the image of God.. Obedience is the way of Christian love, for Jesus said that those who love God would obey His commandments (John 14:15).
The Rule of Life of the Anglican Order of Preachers
The Order's Rule is based upon the Rule of Saint Augustine and early Dominican sources. The rule is written in plain text under bold headlines. Commentary on the rule follows in italics.
Concerning Prayer
Each Member shall be in prayer daily to God the Father, through the mediation of the Son, in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. He shall recite the offices of Daily Morning and Evening Prayer each day, and attend the Divine Liturgy at least every Lord's Day, and upon any other day wherein he has the opportunity.
The recitation of the morning and evening offices of prayer are the minimum standard of the Order. Friars and sisters are encouraged to pray the four-fold office of morning, noonday, evening, and compline offices. It is expected that friars and sisters will live lives devoted to prayer, characterized by short prayers throughout the day, and times of quiet meditation or silence. Personal devotions such as the Jesus Prayer, and the Rosary are encouraged. Attendance at the Holy Eucharist is required on all Sundays, as well as on major feasts of the liturgical year. More frequent worship attendance at the Holy Eucharist is encouraged.
Concerning Study
Each Member shall be in continual study of the Holy Scriptures. He shall spend at least one hour each day in the reading, marking, learning, and inward digesting of the Bible; its stories, language, themes, ideas, characters, and sense, and above all its primary subject, Jesus Christ our Lord. He shall report regularly to his appointed superior on the studies, for the purpose of discipline, excellence, and the assurance that he is maintaining the catholic faith delivered unto the saints.
Dominicans are life long students of the Holy Scriptures. Personal study varies from Dominican to Dominican, but includes study of commentaries, original languages, and meditations such as the practice of sacred reading (Lectio Divina). Friars and sisters are required to submit a report on a quarterly basis to the Canon Theologian describing their personal studies.
Concerning Preaching and Ministry
Each Member shall, as the opportunity is present, share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in word and action. Primarily, this is to be carried out in the delivery of studied sermons and lectures, delivered for the up building of the members of the Church and the salvation of those who are not yet in her care and nurture.
As Dominicans we are called to be teachers, as well as preachers. However, some Dominicans live out their vocations at the work place or in the food shelter, and do not always have opportunities to give formal sermons. The call to be a Dominican is more encompassing than to be a preacher in the pulpit. The Dominican is called to share the Gospel “as the opportunity is present” which could be at anytime and anywhere. This part of the rule strikes at the heart of the evangelical calling of the Order.
Concerning the Habit and Clothing
Full-Habit:
Each Member shall wear the appointed habit when participating in liturgy, preaching, hearing confession, counseling, teaching, or any other time he deems appropriate. He shall wear a white tunic or alb, cinctured with a black rope, a black cowl, and hood. He may wear a rosary or some other form of prayer rope on his cincture on the left side. At conventual masses the principal celebrant shall wear whatever is the custom of the house; assisting priests and deacons shall wear the stole appropriate to their order.
Street Habit:
When wearing the full-habit would infringe on the ministry of a particular friar or sister they may wear the street habit. The street habit for friars and sisters shall consist of black trousers, (or a skirt for sisters), white shirt, and a black vest. Ordained members of the Order may wear clericals in place of the street habit.
The customs of the local parish, related to any habit, should take precedence when a Member ministers there.
One of the sacrifices of the religious life is giving up personal identity to become a living symbol of the church. Friars and sisters are not required to wear the habit at all times, but may wear it as they see fit according to the rule above. The habit can be very useful means of identifying that the church's presence in a particular location. The wearing of the habit is also a means by which the vow of simplicity is lived out. The wearing of the habit frees the friar or sister from concerns about fashion, or appropriate dress and allows them to focus on their ministry work.
Religious Life in the 21st Century
In the 13th century when St. Dominic founded his Order of preaching friars he was doing something new in the life of the Church. Bishops were considered to be the primary preachers and teachers of faith. Priests merely acted as agents of the Bishop and could only minister in their parish or diocese. St. Dominic’s Order was a group of men who traveled from place to place and included priests and lay brothers. Having lay persons preaching the Gospel and carrying out missions was unheard of at the time. Later on the Roman Dominican Order became clergy centered but our community seeks to emulate the spirit of the early Dominican Order.
The Order strongly embraces the teaching found in the Catechism of the Episcopal Church which states that the ministers of the church are “lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons (Book of Common Prayer, 855).” Lay members of the Order are recognized as ministers of the Gospel by virtue of their baptism and confirmation. Ordained members of the Order are extended no other privileges based on their ordination except that pertaining to their office whether it be priest, deacon, or bishop. All positions of rank in the order may be held by a lay or ordained minister.
Dominican Spirituality: Embracing the Fullness of the Church
What is powerful about the Dominican way is that it embraces the sacramental, the evangelical, and the charismatic threads of Christianity in an integrated path of following God. Dominicans are ardent students of the Bible, open to the movement of the Holy Spirit in profound and subtle ways, and devoted to the reception of the sacraments as encounters with Jesus Christ.
Overview of the Discernment Process
There are three major phases in the discernment process for a man or women considering a Dominican calling.
Inquirer Phase
This is an informal phase where the individual explores a potential Dominican calling through prayer, spiritual direction, and reading. At some point during this phase the inquirer should contact the Order and begin a correspondence with the Director of Initial Formation.
Postulant Phase
This is the first formal phase of the discernment process. After a series of initial readings, personal conversations with family, friends, and faith mentors, the inquirer may be asked to be admitted as a postulant. Postulancy is a formal period of study, spiritual searching, and learning, usually lasting at least six months. The journey of postulancy is taken with other postulants, Dominicans, and friends, family, and the postulant’s local faith community. After the six months the postulant may petition the Master of the Order to enter the novitiate. The chapter (the leadership body of the Order) must approve all postulants wishing to enter the novitiate. If both parties agree the postulant makes his or her novice promises.
Novitiate Phase
This is a two year period of trying out the Dominican way of life. Novices undergo formal studies through the Dominican Institute under the guidance of the Director of Formation. In addition, continuing spiritual conversations with important mentors and friends in the novices life take place. This two year period also gives the novice time to integrate Dominican spirituality and principles into his or her daily life. After at least two years, the novice may petition the Master of the Order to take his or her life vows. The chapter must approve all novices wishing to make life vows. If both parties agree the novice will then move forward to make his or her life vows.
Life Vows
This is the final and fourth phase of the process of entering Dominican life. Training, formation, and further study are a part of the Dominican’s life until they depart this world.
Other Relationships to Community
Oblates are baptized Christians who share in the prayer and community life of the Order without joining the Chapter or making vows. After a postulancy of six months, and with the consent of the Formation Committee, a man or woman may sign the Order's letter of promise to become an Oblate. He or she is assigned to a House and participates in the regular online community of that House. Oblates participate fully in any meetings or gatherings of the Order which they may voluntarily choose to attend. They do not hold office in the Order or vote on matters before the Chapter.
Associates are baptized Christians who wish to support the Order with their prayer, friendship, and if means permit financial contributions, while remaining independent from the group. Each associate is asked to develop an individual rule of life which will help him or her to grow in the areas of prayer, study, community and ministry. An associate may request to have a spiritual correspondence by e-mail with a member of the Order. Associates are always welcome guests at the public functions of the Order, such as novicing and profession services.