The Dominicans – officially the Order of Preachers – are based in Santa Sabina, Rome, Italy. For 800 years, the Dominicans have carried out their mandate approved by Pope Honorius III (1216) for the salvation of souls, thereby continuing the mission of Christ. Following St. Dominic, our source of inspiration is Christ himself, the Gospel, and the apostolic origins of Catholicism. The four pillars of Dominican life are prayer-study-apostolate-community. We have a particular devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary, whose feast was established by the Dominican Pope, St. Pius V (original title: Our Lady of Victory).
The Dominican Order’s origins in truth—veritas—are manifested throughout the centuries in the outstanding Blesseds and Saints of our Order: Saint Dominic de Guzman, our founder, spent his life combating heresies and shaping the first Dominican communities; the thoughts and writings of St. Thomas Aquinas continues to provide a solid foundation to Catholic theology; St. Catherine of Siena whose fidelity to the Office of the Papacy led her to exhort the Pope residing in Avignon to return to Rome; Blessed Giovanni da Fiesole also known as Fra Angelico, patron saint of artists, reveals that God’s grace works through beautiful art; St. Rose of Lima, the first Saint of the Americas, and Saint Martin de Porres, also a Peruvian Saint, trace their origins to Dominican evangelization of the Americas in the 1500s; the numerous Dominicans among the Vietnamese martyrs who were subjected to horrific torture offering their lives for Christ and His Church; the value of education in Dominican spirituality is evident in the oldest university in Asia, the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines; and more recently, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati whose love and concern for the poor prompted his visits to city slums, dying at 24 years old.
In Canada, we have priories/houses in Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver. We also support mission work in the Diocese of Victoria. We have two Vicariates (“regional missions”)– one in Japan and the other in Rwanda/Burundi. Dominicans in Canada are pastors, confessors, spiritual directors, retreat masters, professors, and work in hospital ministry. We have both ordained and non-ordained Friars.
Our pastoral hub in Vancouver is St. Mary’s Parish by Joyce-Collingwood Skytrain Station. St. Mary’s Dominican House is situated next to St. Mary’s Parish.
For more information, contact:
Father David Bellusci, OP
(778) 928-5675
St. Mary’s Dominican House
3396 Austrey Avenue Vancouver, BC V5R 4V98