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. Stephen John Rice, OP
Fr. Stephen was an early light of the Western Dominican Province, doing much internal ministry with the Province as well as securing the ministry at the first Newman Center on the West Coast at the University of Washington in Seattle. Fr. Rice's vocation came from the excellent examples of religious in his home town, Vallejo, California, where the Dominicans had been ministering since the 1860's. He received his education from the Dominican run school at St. Vincent's and went directly into the Postulancy program after graduation. After an initial Postulancy, he went to Somerset, Ohio for his novitiate and returned to study in Benicia, California. He went on to higher studies at the Angelicum in Rome, earning a Lectorate in Sacred Theology and a Licentiate in Canon Law.
Three years after his ordination, he returned to Benicia to take up the office of Novice Master. After that and a little teaching, he was elected prior for St. Dominic's in San Francisco for two terms, a total of eight years. He moved to Blessed Sacrament in Seattle, but was soon appointed the Pastor of St. Vincent's in his home town. After two years of successful shepherding, he was incapacitated. He had to leave that demanding job and went to help in Seattle again. From 1918 to 1931, he assisted at Blessed Sacrament Church and was the director of the Newman Club. Ten years before Fr. Rice, the Dominicans were put in charge of the Catholic students of the university by Bishop Edward John O'Dea. During the previous years as well as during Fr. Rice's chaplaincy, the Newman Club was a ministry of the parish, rather than what it is now, an autonomous ministry. During those thirteen years of service, Fr. Rice received a house that was used for the club's activity, and worked hard to establish a Newman Club Foundation at the University. As well as his ministry to the students, he was the chairman of the executive committee of the Holy Name Diocesan Union, spiritual director of the Holy Name branch of the parish, and spiritual director of the local Dominican Third Order. After many stomach problems, he went to San Francisco to retire and died the same year. May God grant him rest.
|
Date of Birth |
Date of Profession |
Date of Ordination |
Date of Death |
|
May 3, 1877 |
October 10, 1896 |
October 10, 1901 |
September 17, 1934 |
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