Vocation Discernment
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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
Fr. Andrew Francis Pope, OP
Fr. Pope was born in Ontario, Canada and was schooled in Nebraska until 1904. He then moved to San Francisco where he completed his high school education and worked until he began studies at Benicia, California in 1911. Fr. Pope made his novitiate in Somerset, Ohio and studied for the priesthood at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C.
Following ordination and the end of initial formation, Fr. Pope was sent to Ross as the Master of Postulants from 1923 to 1925. Following this assignment, he was Prior and Pastor of Holy Rosary in Portland from 1925 to 1930. From 1930 to 1933, he was Prior and Pastor of St. Dominic's in San Francisco. According to Fr. Fabian Parmisano's history of the Western Province, in 1931 Fr. Pope's name was put forward for appointment by the Master of the Order, to be the Prior of the new studium of St. Albert in Oakland. His name was also put forward for appointment as Lector Primarius of the same priory. The fact that Fr. Pope was an "excellent religious" and the fact that he would be a "good example" were reasons cited to appoint him to these positions. Obviously, he was regarded by many as having an outstanding character. However, when St. Albert's was formally established in 1932, he was not appointed to any of these posts.
Perhaps Fr. Pope's most remembered assignment was as Chaplain of the Newman Club at the University of Washington in Seattle. Fr. Pope served in this capacity in one way or another from 1933 until his death in 1943. During that time, he also ministered at Blessed Sacrament parish. Under his leadership, the Newman club really began to flourish. It was Fr. Pope who was able successfully to separate the ministries of assistant pastor at Blessed Sacrament and the job of Newman chaplain, although not without some difficulty. From this point on, the Chaplain of the Newman center at the University of Washington was a separate position and not under the Pastor of Blessed Sacrament. However, the Newman chaplains were to continue to reside and be a part of the priory at Blessed Sacrament.
It was also Fr. Pope who was first able to acquire some facilities for the use of the Newman club. He leased a building that was established as a residence hall for 20-25 women and staffed by the Everett (Edmunds) Dominican Sisters.
In addition, Fr. Pope helped improve the intellectual life of students by beginning courses in scholastic philosophy that were taught by some of the province professors. He procured Fr. William Dooley as one of these professors. The philosophy classes were accepted for credit by the University. The spirit of these classes was the inspiration for a school for training teachers of religion in Seattle. This school functioned until 1962.
Fr. Pope died in 1943 after a lengthy illness. His contribution to campus ministry which was later to become a major focus of ministry in the Western Province was great.
Photo: Fr. Pope during Rosary Sunday
|
Date of Birth |
Date of Profession |
Date of Ordination |
Date of Death |
|
March 13, 1884 |
January 14, 1915 |
June 12, 1921 |
October 31, 1943 |
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