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. William Stanislaus McDermott, OP
Fr. William is remembered as a devoted and humble priest. Because of his devotion to prayer, and to Blessed Mary especially, he held the position of Novice Master from 1931 to 1938. He also served as Pastor in Antioch and as Prior in Portland.Fr. William was born and raised in Butte, Montana, and it was during his high school years at All Hallow's College in Salt Lake City, Utah that he set his heart on a religious vocation. Hearing from a friend about the Dominicans of the Western Province, he engaged in a lengthy clandestine correspondence with the Prior Provincial at the time, for fear that his teachers might not look favorably on his aspirations to the priesthood.
Upon completing his novitiate in 1913, he went to Washington, D.C. for studies and was ordained there in 1918. Not much is known about the details of his years in active ministry, although it is clear from the record of the steady stream of appointments he received that he was a trusted and respected son of the Province. Like many of his time, he suffered poor health in later years, particularly in his eyes, and was virtually blind for the last several years of his life. Although he was not able to continue his obligation to chant the divine office, he cheerfully finished his days in the daily recitation of the Rosary.
Letter From: William McDermott
To: Fr. McMahon, Prior Provincial
February 4, 1918
My dear Father,
You have always treated me with such fatherly kindness, that I am encouraged to ask of you a favor which shall certainly be the greatest of my whole life. It is this—may I have your permission to go to Butte for my First Mass? When I asked you to go to Kansas City, I thought my mother could come out there, but she is getting very old now and is afraid to make the trip. It is for her sake that I make this request. She has been praying God ever since I was born that He would give her the grace to live in order to see me raised to the Altar of God a Priest and say my First Mass.
Another reason is, Father, my pastor has written and has been planning for my First Mass for a long time. Our Parish in Butte has been established over twenty five years and I am the first to be ordained from it, and, they have never had a First Mass there. So he is most anxious to have me come home, hoping this may stir up vocations in the parish.
Trusting and praying that you may grant this great favor, I remain, Humbly and obediently yours in St. Dominic...
Response From: the same,
To: Fr. McMahon's denial of his request
April 1, 1918
Your kind letter received a few days ago and while I was disappointed in not being permitted to go to Butte to sing my First Mass, still I am most anxious to submit my will in the matter to yours for I feel certain that you would not have refused my request unless you had a very good reason...
|
Date of Birth |
Date of Profession |
Date of Ordination |
Date of Death |
|
April 5, 1889 |
September 18, 1913 |
May 10, 1918 |
October 17, 1945 |
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