Over 800 years ago our Holy Father St. Dominic began his life work, gathering men around him to preach God’s Truth for the salvation of souls after the example of the apostles. As the “holy preaching” grew by the grace of God, St. Dominic saw the need for universal approval to free his brethren to preach the Word not only in one diocese but wherever needed in the Church. In 1216, he obtained the desired approval from Pope Honorius III. From November 7, 2016 to January 21, 2017, the Order of Preachers celebrates the 800th Jubilee (Anniversary) of this great event.
Among the first fruits of St. Dominic’s holy preaching were the nine women converts from heresy, who came to him and were formed into the first monastery of Dominican nuns in the year 1206. Ever since then, the Dominican nuns’ life of contemplation has been at the heart of the holy preaching of the Dominican Order.
Rosary Pilgrimage and Dominican Rosary Meditations
Fittingly, then, the Order has included the cloistered nuns in the Jubilee celebrations by arranging a international Rosary Pilgrimage during the Jubilee year. This pilgrimage is hosted in turn by each of the monasteries of Dominican nuns around the world. (Our assigned days are in October—see Jubilee Pigrim Rosary: October 27-28,2016.)
The Order also published a beautiful set of Rosary Meditations from the writings of Dominican Saints in honor of the Jubilee. We have arranged these in a booklet with sacred art by Dominican artists–Preachers both with words and with images.
Click on the image to the left for the PDF file of the booklet. It is easy to print out with the “booklet” setting if you have double-sided printing; it should work with single-sided printing too if you print “front side only” then reload pages for the back side.
UPDATE: A print version of this booklet, reprinted in 2021, is available from our monastery. A $5 donation covers the cost of the booklet and shipping; we do not run a gift shop, but may be able to send some booklets out as time allows. Contact us here.
The Jubilee Indulgence
“His Holiness Pope Francis has granted the possibility of receiving the plenary indulgence to all the faithful participating in the Jubilee celebrations that will take place both internationally and in each province and to all those who will participate in a pilgrimage to the churches and chapels of the Dominican family.”
To gain this special plenary indulgence, one must fulfill the usual conditions of sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion, and prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father, and freedom from attachment to sin. Further, the Holy Father specifies that one be united with the spiritual purposes of the Year of Mercy, and perform either of the following works:
- Devoutly attend a celebration of the 800th Jubilee of the Dominican Order;
- Go on pilgrimage to a church or place of worship of the Dominican Order [such as our Monastery], there meditating for a suitable period of time before the Blessed Sacrament, concluding with the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, the Dominican Jubilee Prayer, and an invocation to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Most Holy Rosary.
800th Jubilee Prayer
This will be available on a holy card in the back of our chapel.
God, Father of mercy,
who called your servant Dominic de Guzman
to set out in faith
as an itinerant pilgrim and a preacher of grace,
as we celebrate the Jubilee of the Order
we ask you to pour again into us
the Spirit of the Risen Christ,
that we might faithfully and joyfully proclaim
the Gospel of peace,
through the same Christ our Lord. Amen