In one parish I heard
confessions for over 13 hours
over the course of three days –
218 confessions to be exact!
Margaret Daze,
a long-time, generous
friend, shares fond
memories of her
uncle, Father Norbert
Georges, O.P., and her
hopes for the upcoming
novitiate class.
YOUR SUPPORT EMPOWERS DOMINICAN PREACHING
You may have an image in your mind of Saint Dominic traveling from place to place
preaching the Gospel and winning over skeptical hearts for Jesus. The following
is Father Bill Garrott’s account of the work he does, which closely mirrors Saint
Dominic’s method of going town to town. Your support is crucial in empowering
him to preach and he’s eager to share with you good news from his journey!
WHY I SUPPORT THE DOMINICANS
By Margaret Daze
My husband and I highly admire the young
men who are entering the Dominican
Order. Gifted as they are with intelligence
and persuasiveness I am eager to see them
preach to the young and newly educated:
the next generation of thinkers and doers.
The Order of Preachers’ presence on college
campuses allows the Friars to make first
contact with students who are hungering
for the Truth. Providing answers for these
students is a challenge that I am confident
the Friars can handle.
I have witnessed the preaching charism of
the Friars first hand and close to home. In
1923, my uncle, Father Norbert Georges,
O.P., was ordained a priest in the Province
of Saint Joseph. And far from being the last
of his kind, the upcoming class of novices
will be ordained and begin preaching about
100 years after he was ordained. They’re
ready to carry on the torch of the Gospel.
BlackFriars - Volume II, Issue II
I still fondly remember my evening visits
with Father “Ferdie” (as my family nicknamed
him) at Saint Vincent Ferrer Church in New
York City. I was often surprised to find him
praying the Rosary on his knees in front of the
tabernacle. He profoundly impacted my own
life and I am in admiration of his tireless work
promoting the canonization of Saint Martin
de Porres. He crisscrossed the country and
the globe sharing “Brother Martin’s” story of
humble service to those in need.
Preachers like my uncle are needed
today more than ever. Otherwise we lose.
The young men entering the Novitiate are
giving their lives to serve Christ. Without
our support, what will happen to their
vocations? Our gift enables them to receive
an education so that they will preach
effectively. We benefit from their preaching.
It’s for the good of all to help sustain them
with our financial support. The Friars give
me great hope for our culture.
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By Father Bill Garrott, O.P.
It has been my experience through preaching
over 75 parish missions that people are
ravenously hungry for Dominican preaching.
It presents the Gospel of God’s grace in a way
that ordinary pulpit preaching often does not.
My own itinerant ministry is aimed not at the
typically devout parishioner who attends any
spiritual event the parish offers, but rather
at the lukewarm Catholic who rarely if ever
connects to the parish beyond Sunday Mass.
Because I work my musical abilities on guitar
and piano into my preaching, I crisscross
the country by car in order to bring my
instruments with me. Our culture is saturated
in entertainment. I think the Holy Spirit uses
my musical talent to reach into people’s hearts
through the back door, as it were. Music is
the catalyst by which hearts are softened and
made permeable to the Word of God, which
alone brings about our conversion.
BlackFriars - Volume II, Issue II
Success is hard to measure because the
itinerant preacher, by definition, moves from
one parish to another and therefore has no
on-going connection to parishes where he
has preached. One measure for success is the
number of confessions and in particular those
who return after not confessing for many
years. In one parish I heard confessions for
over 13 hours over the course of three days –
218 confessions to be exact!
One of the highpoints for me comes at the
closing: I often receive spontaneous applause
when I mention that we have over 60 young
men in formation. I invite attendees to assist
us in the formation of these zealous young
Friars through their generous donations.
Your prayers and support give the sons of
Saint Dominic the opportunity to find new
and varied ways to follow in Saint Dominic’s
footsteps. Thank you!
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