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 Mary Patrick Skelly, OP
Fr. Skelly was a native of Ireland. Baptized Patrick, Fr. Skelly entered the Dominican Order in 1875 in Ireland, but had to leave and re-enter in 1877 due to tuberculosis. In the order he received the name Andrew Mary under which he published and was known by. He journeyed to Rome where he made his solemn profession in 1881. Upon his return to Ireland, Fr. Skelly held several posts in the Irish province, among them prior at Newbridge, Dundalk and Waterford. In all three of these priories, Fr. Skelly seemed to be very successful at building and in supporting the local community by setting up industries and promoting Irish culture.
Fr. Skelly sought to broaden his work, and came to the Western province, being formally assigned here in 1908. He formally transfiliated to the Province of the Holy Name in 1914. Much of Fr. Skelly's ministry in the Western province was spent in Portland and Seattle, although he also served in San Francisco, Ross and Benicia, California.
Although Fr. Skelly was active in parish ministry in the Western Province, he is most known for his publications. Apparently, his sermons won him so much acclaim that he decided to have them published. In fact, according to Fr. Fabian Parmisano's history, Fr. Skelly was one of the pioneering publishers of the Western Dominican Province. His publications were often in pamphlet format, and dealt with issues like the origin of the Rosary, a commentary on the "Our Father" and the like. One of these letters was published by the Catholic Truth Society in Ireland.
B. Herder Book Company published Fr. Skelly's work Conferences on the Interior Life, which was a four-volume work. These were published in 1929. There seems to be much excitement over the publishing of these volumes, as there is much correspondence on the matter. It seems too as if these works were the most popular of Fr. Skelly's works.
In days when publishing was rare among Western Dominicans, Fr. Skelly's books and pamphlets were a breakthrough in our province. Although his works were not always academic in the strict sense, his zeal for preaching and publishing is definitely a very Dominican endeavor. Fr. Skelly helped to establish this sort of spiritual writing in our province. His name appears on several bibliographies, including the National Union Catalog. Interest in these publications still remains, and these volumes are in the archives of the Western Dominican Province.
Fr. Skelly's life seems to be one of a successful priest and a successful Dominican. His legacy definitely leaves its mark on the Western Province.
|
Date of Birth |
Date of Profession |
Date of Ordination |
Date of Death |
|
July 8, 1855 |
December 24, 1878 |
June 25, 1882 |
March 21, 1938 |
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