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. Sebastian Maurice Bohan, OP
Fr. Sebastian's life was one of promise for the Province and the Order, which was tragically cut short in his thirty-fourth year. He joined the Order in his nineteenth year. During this period, this Province sent its friars for formation to Washington, DC. He was also for some time an Army chaplain at Camp Humphreys in Virginia. After four years of study in Washington, he went on to the Dominican university in Rome, the Angelicum to study canon law. He received his degree in canon law after two years, and finally was able to work in this Province.
In 1922 the Dominicans in Portland, Oregon took over the Christian Brothers College in their first effort in secondary education, renaming it Aquinas Commercial College and High School. Fr. Sebastian was called to teach the youth. The school was not doing well, so he served as principal, but only for one year. He also taught Religion, Latin, Spanish and History there. He was very much devoted to his students. In order to combat the misconception that the teachers were priests who taught on the side, he and another friar took up residence in the school. Unfortunately this was not enough to bring the school back to life, and the Dominicans had to leave the school after five years of service.
Besides his teaching, he was known as an excellent preacher. He took advantage of the radio in his preaching, and was a regular on Monsignor Charles Smith's Catholic Hour. In 1926 he also became the Vice-Director of the Dominican Third Order. He died at Holy Rosary in 1928.
|
Date of Birth |
Date of Profession |
Date of Ordination |
Date of Death |
|
December 10, 1893 |
September 18, 1913 |
May 10, 1918 |
December 3, 1928 |
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