“Thank you for your prayers
and financial contributions that make my
vocation to the Dominicans possible.”
to pray with them and eat with them. If
you have ever been around more than
one Dominican, you probably have
noticed the same joy that I did. The life of
Dominicans seemed right. Their life had
beauty, truth, and joy all focused in God.
A DOMINICAN VOCATION
By Brother Irenaeus Dunlevy, O.P.
Brother Irenaeus Dunlevy, O.P., received
a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Architecture
from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University, and practiced for a
religious architecture firm in the DC area
before joining the Dominicans.
When I met the Dominicans, I found
something astounding about their lives. I
was moved to tears when I first attended
a Tenebrae service at the Dominican
House of Studies. I also nodded in
agreement to almost every word when
I heard a student brother preach on the
virtue of prudence. The brothers were
kind and engaging and they invited me
Stained glass of “Christ Enthroned” at the
Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC.
I found that to be a Dominican means
to be a Christian. It’s evident in the
brothers, and once I joined the Order I
found that it’s marked in where we live.
One of the first things you see when you
enter the Dominican House of Studies is
a stained glass window with the image
of Christ enthroned [picture on facing
page]. The window is backlit, which
seems odd since it’s within an interior
wall. Yet, when you see what is behind
it, you find an interior court connecting
the chapel, the refectory, and what
used to be the library. Light enters th