VoL: FIVE Num : FOUR Luminaria OCTOBER-DECEMBER, 2008 The Voice of the Lay Dominicans of the Southern Province of St. Martin de Porres EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEET ST. CECELIA CHAPTER OF Provincial Moderator NASHVILLE Mr. Bruce Trigo, OP Provincial Vice-Moderator Mr. J. Scott Farris, OP Provincial Secretary Mrs. Teresa Alvarez, OP Provincial Treasurer Mr. William Malloy, OP Past Provincial Moderator and Ex-Officio Council Member Mrs. Drucilla Chauffe, OP Promoter of the Laity Members of the St. Cecilia Chapter (Nashville, TN) held a kick-off meeting on August fr John Lydon , OP 10, 2008 at the Nashville Dominican Motherhouse to review the program of study for the coming year. 1st Row, L. to R.: Rick Prickett, Julie Prickett, Ron Tasket (secretary), Sr. Mary Cecilia Goodrum (promoter), Adeline Brown, Gina Zierdt, Colleen Hawkins, Denise Shupe, Sr. Henry Suso Hoffsommer (promoter), Lana Bastins (moderator), Carol Keller, Sr. Mary Inside LUMINARIA Aquinas Holbmaier (Prioress and promoter), Mary Word. 2nd Row, L. to R.: Leonard Nugent, Bill Cox (vice moderator), Marilyn Cox (formation Meet St. Cecilia Chapter director), Elizabeth Anderson, Gale Wheaton, Mary Ann Goodrum, Dan Robbins, Bill Page 1-2 Word. Not pictured is photographer (and promoter) Sr. Mary Rose Bingham. New Orleans Region THE SAINT CECILIA CHAPTER OF THE DOMINICAN Pages 2, 7, 11 LAITY Submitted by Mr. Ron Tasket, OP Chapter News The history of the Dominican Laity sisters to begin the work. Mother Frances Page 5, 6, 7, 8 in Nashville parallels that of the Walsh, one of the four foundresses, writes diocese and the establishment of that “good Kate O’Donald”, a tertiary, was the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia there ahead of them. She tells that when Loaves and Fishes Congregation, whose foundation Kate learned that the Nashville foundation Pages 9, 10 traces back to 1860. At that time, was to be an actual fact, she packed her Nashville’s second bishop, the Right belongings and proceeded to Nashville to Reverend James Whelan, a Dominican prepare the way, and that she proved to be himself, wanted sisters to “conduct an “a God send to the new foundation.” academy for higher education of girls and young ladies”. He petitioned the sisters of St. Mary’s, Somerset, Ohio Cont’d Next Page to send four Luminaria Page 2 MEET ST. CECILIA OF NASHVILLE Then she writes of Christopher Croft, another loyal On May 25, 1984 the St. Cecilia Chapter was granted Dominican, who gave himself and his life savings to the formal Chapter Status by Bishop James D. Niedergess, struggling community. Christopher brought the chaplain Bishop of Nashville. On the establishing of the Southern back and forth from the city, and as a faithful Dominican Province, the St. Cecilia Chapter was automatically always assisted at Mass. transferred from St. Joseph’s Province to the Martin de The earliest extant chapter record is from January 1908 Porres Province. The chapter saw active participation when four members were received and professed. Records at the province level throughout the late 1980s, receded show new members being received and professed on somewhat during the 1990s, and is now very active once a somewhat regular basis through the late 1920s, with again in the third millennium. With the completion of minutes being kept through November 1928. major building renovations, the chapter meetings have Since 1953 there has been greater continuity in the St. returned to the motherhouse, where they are concluded Cecilia Dominican Laity. In that year Sister Isabel Rice with Benediction, Vespers and Rosary celebrated in the conceived the idea of forming a Third Order Chapter chapel with the sisters. among the students of St. Cecilia Academy. She obtained We currently have about 40 members at various levels of permission from Father Francis Wendell, O.P., the Provincial inquiry and formation, and are blessed with four wonderful Director of the Third Order of St. Joseph’s Province for religious promoters: Sr. Mary Cecilia Goodrum, O.P., Sister students to be received at the age of seventeen. In 1957 St. Mary Rose Bingham, O.P., Sister Henry Suso Hoffsommer, Cecilia boarding school was discontinued and the school O.P, and Sister Mary Aquinas Halbmaier, O.P. moved to another location. By January 1967 this “junior Editor’s Note: When Saint Cecilia sent this history of their group” was beginning to evaporate. In the meantime an chapter, it spawned an idea for each of us getting to know the older group was gathering at the motherhouse, in the late other chapters. 1950s and 1960s. In one form or another, regular meetings of the St. Cecilia Chapter have been held since 1953 when A history of each chapter will allow for the beginnings of an Sister Isabel, O.P. organized the informal chapter. In 1979 archive of the Laity of the Province and it will fit well within the St. Cecilia Chapter began holding its meetings on the the scope of our Pillar of Community; is communications not campus of Aquinas College in Nashville. one of the forms of Community? if today yOu HEAR HiS The proposal is, that each quarter a chapter will compose its history for publication in LuMiNARiA and for the Provincial vOiCE, HARDEN NOT yOuR Archives HEART Is God calling you to be a Lay Dominican? Contact Jim Brown, our Dominican Laity promoter of vocations at [email protected] and visit our website listed on page 11. Transfiguration of Christ Guido di Pietro (Fra Angelico) Member of the Observant Branch of the Dominican Order Luminaria Page 3 CHAPTER NEWS SAiNT JOSEPH CHAPTER Peggy Hanafin, O.P. SARASOTA, FL The Saint Joseph Chapter of Sarasota elected Mary Quinn as Moderator, Shane O'Neill as Secretary, Kathy Mayl as Recording Secretary and Mary Bonacci as Treasurer. Helen Tellisman, elected Vice-Moderator, has moved to Alabama with her husband to live with their daughter and family. St. Joseph is now in the process of electing a new Vice-Moderator. This special election will take place at our First Row L-R: Mr. Patrick Breaux, O.P., Mrs. Barbara Hebert, O.P. next meeting. Second Row L-R: Mrs. Jene DeCuir, O.P., Mrs. Carol Guidry, O.P. Miss Annette Bourgeois, O.P. Shane O'Neill is suffering a broken wrist and a spinal problem and has been "laid up" for about six weeks. We ask for Heart of JESuS Celebrates Rites of PROFESSiON prayers for Shane's speedy recovery. by Mrs. Jene DeCuir, O.P. Our Day of Retreat will be November LOCKPORT, LA The steadily Reverend Father John Ruiz, chaplain 6, 2008, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help growing Chapter of the Heart of of the Dominican Sisters of Lockport, Retreat and Spirituality Center, 3989 Jesus Dominican Laity of Lockport, officiated at the ceremonies. Assisting South Moon Drive, Venice, FL 34292. Louisiana, celebrated the Rites of Father Ruiz, were Dominicans Terry All are welcome to attend. Interested Admission on Saturday, August 2, Chiasson and Curt Boudreaux. parties should contact Peggy Hanafin, 2008, within the octave of the feast of At the reception that followed, O.P. at (941) 923-8188. Father Jerry our spiritual father, Saint Dominic. there was much excitement over Austin will be our retreat master. Barbara Hebert was inducted into the anticipation of several potential the Chapter as she made her vows inquirers in the fall. Since the Chapter We will have a Christmas luncheon of temporary commitment. Barbara is rapidly outgrowing its meeting place on December 8, 2008. There will received the scapular from her second in the Cenacle Room of the Dominican be a mass at 11:00 AM followed by year instructor, Carol Guidry and Sisters, a second has been offered the aforementioned lunch. Again, all Annette Bourgeois, Chapter Moderator. by Ms. Patricia Parfait, principal of are welcome and please call Peggy Enthused with her new 'family" and the Holy Savior Catholic School, who Hanafin at the number listed if you are spiritual guidance she has received, she has offered us the use of the new interested, has volunteered to participate in the cafetorium. instruction of the new inquirers who From the reception, a number of Mr. Stephen Bickford, O.P. will be will meet with us on September 13. the Laity attended an art exhibit of giving talks at each of our meeting on Patrick Breaux made his perpetual a sister member, Dolores Legendre, the lives of Dominican saints. We are commitment after five years of intense a renowned artist in the area, at the very blessed by our members and we study, including achieving a master's Southdown Plantation Museum. thank God each day for all of them. degree in spiritual studies. Patrick and Attracted by our Dominican crosses, his wife, Gwen, who made her perpetual several participants discussed the Do not regard things in the light in which vows last year, were instrumental in Dominican Laity with our group and he who does the wrong judges them, nor assisting the Chapter in a fund-raising expressed an interest in the “Come and as he wishes you to judge them; but see which eventually paid the dues of all See” in September! them as in truth they are. the members of the Chapter. Southdown Plantation Art Exhibit Marcus Aurelius Antoninus the exhibit is entitled :A Prayerful Life” A.D. 121-180 Cont’d Next Column A photo of attendees next page Luminaria Page 4 CHAPTER NEWS Houston inquirers Group Cont’d Preaching, that in our zeal for the salvation of souls, we should live out, as Dominic did, an intense love for Christ and the Church by seeing Christ in each and every person. As a group, we have challenged ourselves to realize that, as laity, we must venture forth where our religious cannot go and impact the world in which we live, first and foremost by the way in which we live our lives.