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. Joseph Hyacinth Servente, OP
Joseph James Servente was born to Angelo and Rose (Duarte) Servente on April 17, 1920, the second of two sons, the other being Angelo, Jr. in Vallejo, CA.
He attended both St. Vincent’s Elementary and High School in Vallejo, CA, graduating at the top of his class in 1938. After graduating from St. Vincent’s, he entered the University of San Francisco for two years and then entered the Dominican Novitiate in Ross, CA in 1940. From there, he spent 3 years at St. Albert’s Priory, Oakland and then continued his studies at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C. for three years. He completed his theological studies at the Angelicum in Rome. He was awarded his Lectorate and Licentiate in Theology in 1948.
He was ordained into the Dominican Order on June 14, 1947 at St. Mary’s Cathedral by Archbishop John J. Mitty and celebrated his first Mass at St. Vincent’s Church the following Sunday.
He was assigned to St. Mary’s College, Moraga as Professor of Philosophy and acted as Student Body chaplain from 1954 to his death in 1958 at the early age of 37. The only surviving members of his family are his three nephews---Larry (Napa), David (San Diego), and Stephen (Rohnert Park) Servente.
Other Dominicans in his Ordination Class were:
Fr. Gregory Harry Anderson, OP
Fr. Leonard Cross, OP
Father Joseph Fulton was the celebrant at his Funeral Mass. All I can remember at the funeral was that St. Vincent's was completely jammed with white robes (Dominican priests and nuns). I have talked to many of his college students through the years and everyone stated that Fr. Servente was without question their best instructor in their four years at St. Mary's.
The Dominican Sisters we had at St. Vincent's also spoke extremely highly of my uncle as considerate, compassionate, highly intelligent and an incredible orator.
- Larry Servente
|
Date of Birth |
Date of Profession |
Date of Ordination |
Date of Death |
| April 17, 1920 | June 14, 1947 | January 21, 1958 |
Archive Record ____