March Veritas

For the spring issue of Veritas, we would like to feature your personal discernment story of how and why you became a Lay Dominican. Please suppress that little voice in your head that says your story isn't "interesting enough!" This is meant to inspire and encourage those who are in formation, as well as allow us to get to know each other better across the province.

Articles are due by March 8, should be no more than 250 words, and may now be submitted via the provincial website at this link or to editor@layopcentral.org. Thank you in advance for sharing your stories!

As always, fraternities are invited to share news, events, and interesting information.

The province is in need of a Promoter of Preaching and a Promoter of Vocations. Please read and pray with the descriptions at this link, and be open to the possibility that the Holy Spirit might need you to answer the call.

To apply, fill out this application and email to president@layopcentral.org, vicepresident@layopcentral.org, and secretary@layopcentral.org.

Webmaster — The Webmaster will be a position on the Communications Committee reporting to the Editor, with the job of updating, maintaining, and improving the provincial website. The Webmaster will interface with the tech admin and other committees as needed. Wordpress or similar experience required. (Currently, there isn’t too much to do, but we need someone to run point.) If you are interested in this position, please email editor@layopcentral.org.

Mr. Tim Martin, OP

The start of the new calendar year marks the beginning of our annual collection of provincial membership dues that finance our operating budget and support the worldwide Lay Dominican Office in Santa Sabina, Rome and the International Council of Lay Dominican Fraternities.

Annual provincial dues are $33 for individual or $43 for husband/wife/sibling members.

• Active fraternity members who have been received into the Order, please pay provincial dues to your fraternity treasurer.

• Treasurers, please collect the dues and send a single check made out to Lay Dominicans to the address below. Include a copy of the fraternity roster with the name, address, phone number and email address of all members who have paid dues, so that we can update the provincial database.

• Inactive/private members, please make out a check to Lay Dominicans and mail your dues to the address below. Include your phone number and email address.

Lay Dominicans 

St Albert the Great Province

605 West Eichel Avenue 

Evansville, IN 47710

Ms. Renee Valenzuela, OP

Hey everyone, just a quick update! The Governance Committee is working on a few documents at the same time for the Particular Directory: Fraternity Officer Roles, Fraternal Correction, and we’re working alongside the Formation Committee on a description of what Formation looks like in the Central Province. We’re also beginning to put together information to include in a Leadership Handbook that will help both Fraternity and Provincial leadership learn “How to…” do the things that the Rule, General Declarations or Particular Directory says to do.

Also, our forms will be updated with our Provincial logo and uploaded to SharePoint in the near future.

Anyway, thank you for your patience in waiting for all of this to come to completion. Please pray for us in the meantime! May God bless you all!!

Mr. Joey Odell, OP

In their most recent meeting, the Formation Committee:

• Volunteered Renee for additional IT Support and scheduled a meeting to achieve that goal
• Finalized all the Proposed Formation Text for the Provincial Directory.
• Reviewed the Introduction to the Formation Directors' Handbook.
• Came up with a plan to continue reviewing and expanding the Formation Directors' Handbook.

Mrs. Rebecca W. Martin, OP

In addition to rebranding the committee update email, the Communications Committee planned our quarterly themes for 2023. In March, we'll share individual discernment stories; June will focus on Dominican saints and the Eucharist; in September, Rebecca will become reporter-on-scene at the Provincial Council meeting; and in December, we'll focus on St. Dominic.

I'd like to challenge every member of the province to submit at least one short article to Veritas over the course of the next year!

Mr. John McNichols, OP

In September 2022 our committee launched its first ever Catholic Social Teaching awareness effort called “What Are Your Loaves and Fishes?” This interactive demonstration has two very impactful objectives:

• It leaves its audience with an entry-level understanding of Catholic Social Teaching and its 7 Principles.
• It demonstrates the Christo-centric foundation of social justice.

In December 2022 and January 2023, I traveled to Evansville, Indiana, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, to present this initiative to the fraternities there. When in Albuquerque the Los Alamos Fraternity joined us. The presentation was also demonstrated at the Grand Junction, Colorado fraternity by provincial vice-president Ms. Renee Valenzuela, OP.

These are some of the responses we received through a post-session survey:

• Great presentation…well organized and well presented.
• Great presentation/well planned.
• The information presented started me thinking.

Additionally, of 22 responses to the survey, 76% gave this presentation an 8 or better on a 1-10 scale.

The committee members and I created this tool to be easily offered at your fraternity either in person by me traveling to your part of the Province, or by you by simply accessing the PowerPoint and script.

Please consider this tool as your fraternity ponders its apostolate.

For more information contact John McNichols, OP, at covenant7.jmc@gmail or (708) 372-7455.