Pilgrimage to the Lands of Dominic - 1985
By: Barbara Cooper

Walking the road in Prouille I'm surrounded by beautiful farmland and rolling hills with cities set on the hill- tops. The fields are green with new life. Dominic walked these roads centuries before, and his presence lingers for me.

Met a bus load of Canadians here this morning - from Montreal and Three Rivers.

Notes following from Nona McGreals' talk about the history at Prouille and growth of monasteries for women.

1. Women of the Cathari.
- women held leadership positions in the Cathari, bringing them into contact with Dominica and Diego.
- they were knowledgeable as to doctrine, were teachers who possessed a sense of self-worth and dedication to the cause
- they were converted by Dominic, who attracted them by his manner of life and his preaching
- Dominic and Diego desired to provide women converts with similar life opportunity of generosity, austerity, preaching and teaching.

2. A hospice was established to be a place of prayer and rest, for the Word of God and the Preachers
- Diego put Dominic in charge of the project
- began to gather in 1206
- men were to help spiritually and with temporal affairs; be brothers (1207)
- Dominic saw relationship between brothers and sisters as essential to preaching

- Decempter 1207 - Diego died.

Sisters at Prouille:
- entered as mature women by free choice - no "childs" vocation.
- most converts, but not all.
- orientation of life at first was Cistercian - until about 1216; in process of development
- 1216 -Chapter at Toulouse adopted Rule of Augustine and developed customs.
- way of life centered in liturgical prayer, asceticism and manual labour (Cistercian model)
- March 1218, Pope attached nuns officially to Order of Preachers
- 1218 - Dominic founded Madrid monastery
- 1221 - before his death in August, Dominc formed San Sisto manastery, calling on 8 women from Prouille to help.

3. French Revolution
- all Religious exiled, including Prouille, 1789
- Sisters returned to France in 1880
- In May of 1880, foundation in Newark NJ, USA, from Prouille (As a child I lived in the neighbourhood of this monastery and attended daily Mass there.)
- 1891 - foundations from France to Union City NJ and Summit NJ
- Until 19th century all Dominican Sisters (conventual) were cloistered.

Dominican Laity
- In 1285, Munio de Zamora, Master General, wrote a Rule for Laity, the "Sisters and Brothers of Penance.
- they were defended by Humbert of Romans against opposition
- development of Laity considered integral to Dominican Family

Qualities of Dominic - Dominican Spirituality
- 1 spirit of contemplative prayer, centered on God's love and gifts
- 2 love of Scripture
- 3 thirst for the salvation of people
- 4 sharp awareness of preaching mission, and the means to achieve it.

Preaching is centered on God and the Word. Arising from Scripture and presenting Jesus to people. No gimmicks! Preacher called to be a person of God; speaking of God or to God. Human, incarnational aspect; Grace works with nature; Word becomes flesh.

Preachers who evidenced:
- personal holiness
- Scriptures made "alive"
- experienced Jesus as "personal"
- gospel in light of currant situation; ie: how is God incarnate with/in us today?
- relevant to life of community
- preacher part of community
- audible, interesting, succinct: medium and message
- prayerful reflection on Scriptures
- has to be : "Good News"
- loves the community
- touches life experience
- challenges to conversion

Effective preaching known by:
- change in life
- unraveled mystery
- new understanding
- brings community together
- moved to act
- dusturbed status quo

"A "good" sermon has a tremendous beginning, a tremendous ending, brought as close together as possible!"