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
Fr. Damian Joseph O'Brien, OP
Fr. Damian is one of our little recognized friars whose ministry accomplished much in the missions. He influenced many lives by his preaching and pastoral sense. He was born in San Francisco and at the age of 18 joined the Dominican Order. He became Master of Postulants soon after ordination and helped Fr. Callahan, OP with his many pastoral duties.
He was praised in the press because "some of his extemporaneous sermons show him to be a man of force and a man always thoroughly conversant with his subject." When asked if he kept his sermon in his valise, he replied, "No, I keep it in my head." When he knew a guest would be visiting, he would brush up on his philosophy and theology in order to have a good conversation.
He went to Holy Rosary in Antioch for three years, and then to Holy Rosary in Portland, Oregon for ten years. While in Portland for the year 1906, he staffed Visitation Parish in the Tualatin Valley. He preached many parish missions, even once to a crowded cathedral in Washington for the translation of its relics. He became the pastor of St. Vincent's in Vallejo. During his pastorship there, the epidemic of influenza hit California. He allowed the school grounds to be used as an emergency hospital for the victims. The navy and the city both praised him for "spirited action and loyal cooperation" in the face of the epidemic. In his last assignment he served as pastor of St. Mary Magdalen's in Berkeley, California.
|
Date of Birth |
Date of Profession |
Date of Ordination |
Date of Death |
|
January 2, 1867 |
May 30, 1888 |
December 27, 1892 |
June 3, 1931 |
XII: 70