Dominican Mission Society
June 1996
With the coming of warmer days new life is springing up all over. Trees are in bloom, early plants are in bloom, lawns are full of green, and avenues are shaded with new leaves.
St. Dominic Mission Society takes on new life as well. Some of our brother missionaries will come home from Bolivia, Nigeria, and Honduras for a much needed rest. It is always wonderful to receive them and to hear their stories of what God is doing in their lives and in the Church abroad. They are often touching stories of pain and suffering, faith being challenged, economic strife, but also the power of grace coming through in the midstd of hardshlp. God's redeeming love always seems to win out, no matter what the difficulty.
These summer months mean that many of your Dominican brothers will be on the road preachlng for the missions. Last autumn we wrote to many dioceses asking if they would receive us in order to preach about the missionary activity of the Church. Nearly 70 parishes have replied and we are in the process of scheduling these mission appeals and supplying Dominican preachers to beg for the prayers and financial support of our missions. Each weekend will find 4 or 5 brothers traveling by car to parishes throughout the Midwest from Cincinnatti to Duluth, and from Detroit to Omaha preaching for themselves. Please pray for their safety on the road.
Your faithul monthly contribution is a source of our fund raising for the missions together with the summer mission appeals. Frequently St. Dominic Mission Society is mentioned as a beneficiary in a will, or a spouse wlll ask that money be sent to us in lieu of flowers when a loved one passes away. Others find that they wish to give $30 each month in support of a seminarian, while others prefer to send Mass offerings to the missions. We are sincerely grateful to you benefactors.
Next month we ask you to look for a combined newsletter, called Dominican Life, which will have mission news along with news of many undertakings of the Province of St. Albert the Great. This will take the place of our monthly letter four times each year. Again, God bless you in your ever faithful generosity.
In Jesus' name,
(Rev.) Bede Jagoe, O.P.
"Our son, the priest..."
What Catholic parent would not be proud to boast this? The family of a priest is touched in a significant and intimate way. A son's commitment to priestly service brings special graces and blessings to his parents and relatives.
Now? your family or community or parish can boast of a "priest in the family."'How'? Your prayers and financial resources can support the training of a young Bolivian seminarian who is following God's call to religious life as a Dominican priest.
| First, we appeal to you for your prayers. Please join together in prayer that these young Dominicans may be faithful to their religious commitment. As they study long hours to master the difficult curriculum, they need your prayers for the strength and resolve to persevere in their pursuit. |  |
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Along with your prayer support, won't you consider becoming a seminarian sponsor'? Each of our young men requires $300 per month for food, housing. clothing, books and other needs. This is not a great deal of money by U.S. standards. But in a country like Bolivia, where there is an average annual income of $400, few families can afford to pay for their son's studies.
Might your family, mission club or parish consider sponsoring one of our Bolivian seminarians? For $300 a month, you can be sole sponsor of one of these dedicated? faithful young men. Or, for a minimum or just $30 a month, you could become a co-sponsor along with others.
What will you receive as a sponsor? First, we will introduce you to your seminarian You'll learn his name and his year of study for the priesthood. In turn, your seminarian will be given your name and address so that he can write and send a photograph of himself in his Dominican habit. At least twice a year, he will write to you and provide an update on his progress.
As an aid in the communication process, all correspondence between you and your seminarian will be channeled through our St. Dominic Mission Society office. In many cases, his letters to you will need translation and we will provide this service to you each seminarian's progress, profession of vows, ordination to the diaconate and priesthood will become a part of the heritage of his sponsor.
To become a seminarian sponsor, simply complete the attached form and mail it to me with your first month's donation. We will send information on your seminarian and, each month, you will be sent a donation reminder along with a receipt for your previous month's gift.
Won't you say "Yes'' today to sponsorship of a Dominican seminarian from Bolivia'? One day you, too, will be able to say,
"Our son, the priest..."
St. Dominic Mission Society
The Gospel commands us to bring the Good News of salvation to all nations. In obedience to this injunction, and in fidelity to our preaching mission as Dominicans, the St. Dominic Mission Society promotes evangelism by providing missionaries to the people of Bolivia, Nigeria, and Honduras.
The purpose of the Mission Society is to provide support and resources to those working in our foreign missions. We support our Dominican brothers as they serve in many capacities.
Our primary role is to preach God's message of love and hope. In addition to preaching, these missionaries work to develop basic Christian communities, promote vocations to the Dominican Order among the native peoples, and staff houses of formation and a novitiate for their training.
Our ability to provide the resources necessary for our Dominican brothers to carry out their role is dependent on your generosity. Your planned gift, whether a bequest or an annuity, will help the future of our mission outreach.
Thank you for your support.
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