Translation of the Article THE FRIARS PREACHERS from the Dictionnaire de Spiritualité:
X. IN THE UNITED STATES
Although Dominican life has developed considerably in the United States, -- witness the increase in the number of religious (about 40 in 1844, 250 in 1910, more than 600 in 1930),-- the Dominican provinces there are of recent foundation and have not had time to produce spiritual works of importance.
In 1804, some English Dominicans departed for America with E.D. Fenwick (+1832), himself a native of Maryland. Out of their missionary apostolate was born, in 1806, the Province of St. Joseph which at present comprises only the eastern part of the United States. After an attempt in the middle of the 19th century (cf. A. Redigonda, P. Samuele Mazzuchelli.., Milano
1806-Benton 1864, in the Bolletino di San Domenico, Bologna, vol. 45, 1964, pp. 44-49), it was necessary to wait until 1912 for the beginning of the second Province, that of the Holy Name of Jesus, in the western part of the country, with San Francisco as its headquarters. Finally, the Province of St. Albert the Great, extending through the central part, founded only in 1939, developed rapidly. Having begun with 200 religious, it numbered more than 500 in 1960. Since 1949 it has published the Cross and Crown review.
The books produced are in general intended to nourish the devotion of the faithful: a manual of various confraternities, lives of the saints; more recently collections of sermons have been edited. Aside from contemporary writers, the only notable spiritual work, and one of historic appeal, at that, is The Eucharistic Renaissance of Thomas M. Schwertner (+1934).
We are happy to cite some authors with one or two of their works:
- Stephen Byrne (1832-1887), Sketches of illustrious Dominicans; translation of conferences by J. Monsabre on the rosary.
- Thomas A. Dyson (18461898), Life of St. Thomas Aquinas,
Lives of some of the Sons of St. Dominic, The Life of St. Pius V; etc.- Charles Hyacinth McKenna (1835-1917), Pocket Manual of the Holy Name Society, new ed,, New York, 1909; various manuals for the rosary confraternities; he founded in 1907 The Holy Name Journal.
- James Newell (1849-1932), Sermons for Sundays and Holidays.
- Thomas M. Schwertner (1883-1934), The Rosary Pardon, The Rosary Year, Manual of the Blessed Sacrament Confraternity; biographies of Raymond of Penyafort and Albert the Great.
- Andrew M. Skelly (1855-1938), much in demand as a retreat master, Doctrinal Discourses (5 vols.),
Discourses for Sundays and Holidays (4 vols.),
Conferences for Religious (2 vols.).Raphael Louis OECHSLIN
| Back | Index | Next |