On the 20th day of the General Chapter (19 September), many of the capitulars, and the Chronicler, spent the day in Rome; it was a day for prayer, rest and fraternal recreation, and as such, there is no Chronicle for this day.

On 17 September 2010 during the General Chapter in Rome there was THE GOSPEL IN ACTION VIDEO FESTIVAL. Eight videos were selected by a committee from the sixteen entries sent for the Gospel in Action project. (For more details click http://internet.op.org/gospel-in-action )

Sister Maria Fabiola Velasquez Maya OP.

International Coordinator of “Dominican Sisters International” (DSI)

1) Is this your first General Chapter? How come you’re taking part in a Chapter of the friars?

 

When I received the invitation from Fr. Carlos ,then the Master of the Order, months ago now, to attend the Chapter I was very surprised at first, but at the same time very excited, and I was very aware of the responsibility I would share with other members of the Dominican Family: friars, contemplative sisters and laity. I have to say it was with some trepidation but also with joyful hope that I accepted the invitation. I’d like to thank Fr. Carlos from the bottom of my heart for such a special gift. It’s given me the chance to take an active part in such a great event in the life of the Order, the Church and the world. It’s in this world that we’re called to follow the footsteps of St Dominic, to live out the ministry of the preaching of the Gospel, in different ways.

The feast of San Juan Macias, a Dominican of Lima, Peru who was a co-operator brother was aptly celebrated this morning with beautiful singing accompanied by a guitar, and vibrant songs from Latin America. The principal celebrant was fr Giovanny Pazmiño, Diffinitor of Ecuador, and the preacher was Juan José Salaverry Villarreal, Provincial of Peru. In his homily, fr Juan José recalled the great witness of the lives of such co-operator brothers of Peru as St John Macias and St Martin de Porres. St John Macias, who is patron saint of immigrants, was orphaned at the age of 5, and lived in poverty. So, when he joined the Order he did not renounce anything as such as he was already poor. Rather, he gained everything because he sought God. Through a life of deep prayer and contemplation, and by his loving service of others as a co-operator brother, his life became an eloquent preaching that continues to witness to the light of the Gospel.

It was September in the year 1510 when the four of us arrived from Spain. We were preachers—Friars Preachers—Dominicans.  We'd just finished our studies in Salamanca. We hated to leave—an exciting revival of theology was taking place there, led by our brothers Francisco Vitoria, Domingo Bañez, Melchior Cano. But the Master of the Order - himself an intellectual giant - was Cajetan —Tomás de Vio Cayetano — a true visionary. He sent us to this new land, just 18 years after Columbus' first trip across the ocean. He sent us to announce the Good News, to evangelize, to form a community of preachers, and to be a link between the New World and Spain. He called us "the new apostles".

Brothers from the Northern Province of Italy presided at Mass in French this morning and preached. The main celebrant was fr Riccardo Barile, Provincial of the province of San Domenico, the Northern Province of Italy, and the preacher was fr François Dermine, who is prior of the patriarchal convent of St Dominic in Bologna, and Diffinitor for his province. In his homily, fr François noted that St Dominic had wept for sinners. Our holy father had been moved by his concern for the greatest catastrophe to befall humankind, namely sin. Although we were created in God’s image, sin deformed this image, and brought death and suffering, and evil. As such, although St Dominic was moved by his compassion to alleviate the poor and suffering, he was above all moved to tears to intercede for sinners, and to exhort his brothers to live and preach salvation in Christ. For it is Christ alone who restores us to our true human dignity, and who, by defeating sin and death, thus eradicates the root cause of poverty and suffering in our world.