Vocation Discernment
Are you being called to become a priest or brother?
Click here, and discover what it means to become a preacher of truth!
Vocation Office
Western Dominican Province
5890 Birch Court
Oakland, CA 94618-1626
(510)-596-1821
Our Vocations require a great deal of support, from the first moment they begin their novitiate until the last moments of their retirement. Please do conside visiting our donation page and helping form and sustain the priests and brothers who will serve you in the future, serve you now and have served you in the past.
Saints and Blesseds
The Order of Friars Preachers,
The Dominican Order,
has a beautiful history of learning, service and holiness manifested in its saints and blesseds of every age since its foundation by St. Dominic de Guzman. Do enjoy the periodic postings of such stories as are available from various sources, especially our own archives.
Religious Retirement
Our elderly and infirm friars receive the best care we have available to us, as in any family. We rely heavily on the donations of others for our own existence and thus when one of our own becomes incapable of further ministry due to age or infirmity, those same donations help us support the sometimes necessary special care required by such members of our communities.
We prefer to care for our elderly and infirm in our own houses so that the life of a religious community can be a part of a friars life as long as possible. This is also the most economical in many ways. We strive to use donations wisely. But sometimes a care facility is essential. As we, as a Province, do not benefit from the national collection for retired religious, we ask that you assist us in caring for these friars who have prayed, taught, served and ministered for so many years amomg the people of the Western United States and beyond.
Please, in your kindness, consider assisting us in this work of brotherly love.
Many thanks in advance.
Catholicism
It's just the right thing
Br. Philip Daniel Purtill, OP
Br. Philip worked in the Province doing many of the odd jobs around the houses. He was born in Truagh, County Clare, Ireland and baptized in the Diocese of Killaloe. He had two sibling brothers when he entered the Order. He first entered the Irish Christian Brothers in 1900, but left in 1908 before final vows. He worked as a janitor and laborer for most of his days until his entrance into the Dominican Order. He was 51 when he joined the Western Province in California.
Br. Philip served the brothers in our House of Studies in Oakland when it first opened and in Vallejo. He had many friends in the Province and outside. He was particularly close friends with Br. Luke Fox, OP who was also an Irishman. Sadly, he fell into dementia and could no longer be cared for by our brothers. He was entered into the sanatorium at Napa State Hospital in 1955 and died the same year. May God grant him eternal rest.
|
Date of Birth |
Date of Profession |
Date of Ordination |
Date of Death |
|
January 1, 1881 |
July 9, 1933 |
NA |
December 31, 1955 |
XII: 192