About St. Dominic and the Third Order of St. Dominic


St. Dominic
(b. 1171, d. Aug 6, 1221)

Dominic de Guzman was born in Castile, Spain, in 1171. He was a member of the Guzman family and his mother was Blessed Joan of Aza. A Castilian from a family of minor nobility, Dominic received a clerical education and in his early 20’s became a canon at the cathedral of Osma. Here he was ordained a priest at about the age of 28 and was named assistant prior of the chapter of canons. Dominic accompanied his bishop to Denmark on a diplomatic mission in 1203 and again in 1205. Traveling through southern France, they saw the problems caused by the Albigenses and the military and religious efforts made to suppress their heresy. With his bishop, Dominic began (c.1206) to preach to both the Albigenses and another dissident group, the Waldenses. He adopted the life-style of simplicity and poverty.

After ten years of preaching in 1215, Dominic gathered around him a community of preachers, who would be both poor and learned in theology. This was the beginning of the religious order, the “Order of Preachers”, which you may see abbreviated “O.P.”

St. Dominic is also credited with instituting the devotion of the Rosary. In art, he is often pictured receiving a rosary from Our Blessed Mother (as seen in the title bar of this website).

St. Dominic died in Bologna on August 7, 1221. His great friend, Cardinal Ugolino of Venice who later became Pope Gregory IX, proclaimed St. Dominic a Saint in 1234.

St. Dominic’s Feast day is August 4th.



The Order of Preachers (also known as "Dominicans")

After St. Dominic founded the Order of Preachers, it spread throughout many countries. The motto of the Order of Preachers is Veritas (Truth), the Truth that never changes. St. Dominic’s Order of Preachers is divided into three groups or “orders”:

1. The First Order consists of Dominican priests and brothers.
2. The Second Order (first founded in 1205) consists of cloistered nuns who continually study, praise God, and pray for all of us. So important was their mission of prayer, that St. Dominic established their order even before the First Order.
3. The Third Order consists of many groups which are typically divided into:

(a) Regulars (i.e. those living in convents, such as our Dominican Sisters)
(b) Seculars (i.e. those living in the world)

Whether First, Second, or Third Order, all Dominicans are one family united as followers of the clear-thinking, humble, obedient, most loving St. Dominic.



Details about the Third Order of St. Dominic

Of the Third Order Regulars and Seculars, the first take vows, the latter can only make a solemn promise which, however, distinguishes them from members of mere confraternities, and constitutes them legally a religious order. Members of the Third Order are commonly referred to as Dominican “Tertiaries” or Dominican “Laity”.

The general object of the Third Order is to bring something of the religious spirit of the cloister into the world and to sanctify its members by a striving after greater perfection in union with the fathers and nuns of the first and second orders. See the Nature and Object of the Third Order for more specifics. Secular members live normal lives, whether married or single, carry out their ordinary work, but there is the added dimension of living within the spirit of the Order.

 

Membership

Any Catholic man or woman, 18 years or older, may join a Third Order (there are other Third Orders, such as that of St. Francis), but may not belong to more than one at once, nor may he/she leave one for another without good reason.

The laying aside of the distinctive sign or prayers for any space of time does not in itself put an end to membership with a Third Order, but the deliberate wish to dissociate oneself from it is sufficient to produce that effect.

Membership consists of a short "Postulancy" phase where basic instruction is given on the Rule of the Third Order (please request a copy, otherwise to be posted here soon). Following this is a longer "Novitiate" phase which allows the Novice member to complete his/her training and to weigh his/her inclination toward the Third Order life. After the Novitiate phase is completed, the member makes their "Profession", which is a publicly-made promise and is officially accepted by the Church.
 

Chapters

In most countries the Third Order of St. Dominic has typically been grouped into chapters, subject to a Dominican priest, and having a lay prior and sub-prior or prioress and sub-prioress.

A chapter of the Dominican Laity is an authentic Dominican community drawn together by love of St. Dominic and the spiritual life. Divine charity is the bond between all Dominicans on earth, in purgatory and in Heaven. It is the Communion of Saints in operation. When a chapter meets, it is a family which meets. By belonging to the Dominican Order, a Tertiary shares in the rewards granted for good works of the whole Order. He adopts for his future life the rule and spirit of the Dominican Order.

It is also possible to become a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic and not be associated with any chapter (normally when one is otherwise impeded from doing so). In this case one is considered a "private tertiary". However, being associated with a chapter is the ideal as the Tertiary benefits from the organized instruction, common projects, mutual encouragements and social contacts.

As for "Traditional" Catholic Third Order Chapters, unfortunately very few exist today.
 

Known Members

Dominicans have held many high church offices; four popes - Innocent V, Benedict XI, Pius V, and Benedict XIII - and more than 60 cardinals have belonged to the Order.
 

The Dominicans also played the leading part in the evangelization of South America; the first canonized American Saint, St. Rose of Lima (d. 1617), was a nun of the Third Order of Dominicans, and also Bl. Martin Porres (d. 1639) was a Dominican Tertiary.

In 1805 the Dominicans introduced their Order into the United States.

Here is a detailed listing of all Dominican Saints and Blesseds by feast day, which shows some of the greatest and most well-known Blesseds and Saints in the history of the Church were members.

Traditions of the Third Order

In 1285 a Rule for the Laity was adopted and approved by Pope Honorius IV. All Third Orders are not required to follow the same Rule in exactly the same way, though members must do their best to do what is commonly practiced by their particular Third Order chapter.

Below are duties of members of Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Chapter (the Third Order chapter at Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel).

Note these duties have proven to be effective by more than seven centuries of experience, but they do not bind themselves under sin nor do they affect your membership if you unintentionally miss any of them. Also note that most of these actions (or their equivalents) are already performed by most Catholics on a regular basis, so becoming a Third Order Tertiary should be an easy goal for most Catholics!
 

Third Order Prescribed Actions and Duties

Daily

• Accomplishment of the duties of one's state in life (your everyday duties at home and work etc)
• Observance of the Rule (ask for a copy, otherwise will be posted here soon)
• Say one "Eternal Rest Grant unto them Oh Lord", one "Our Father" and one "Hail Mary" for all living and deceased members of the Third Order
• (Ideally) Participation in the celebration of the Mass with reception of the Eucharist
• Say the Liturgical Office of the Blessed Virgin, or another approved Little Office, or 15 decades of the Rosary, or at the very least, 5 decades of the Rosary
• Spiritual reading (i.e. Lives of the Saints, Imitation of Christ etc, but especially the wealth of Dominican authors and writings)
• Modesty of dress
  
  
  Weekly
   
• Recite Office of the Dead (1 hour or nocturne each day for 5 days)
   

Monthly

• Receive the Sacrament of Penance at least monthly (preferably twice monthly)
• (Ideally) Receive Communion in the body with other chapter members on the third Sunday of each month
• (Ideally) Say one of the hours of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the other Third Order members after Mass on the Third Sunday of each month
• (Ideally) Faithfully attend monthly chapter meetings and functions of the chapter
  
  
  Annually
   
• To hear, or have offered, three Masses for all Dominicans living and deceased
  
  
  On Death of a Member
   
• Within eight days following the death notice of a member, each Tertiary of the same Fraternity should recite five decades of the Rosary and attend one Mass while offering the Mass and Communion for the repose of their soul
   

Fasting

• Every Friday, and on the vigils of Rosary Sunday (first Sunday of Oct) and of St. Dominic (Aug 4)

Why should I become a Third Order Tertiary?

The Third Order has been in existence for over 700 years, and provides an abundance of graces and indulgences, including monthly plenary indulgences. In addition, all members are entitled to the reward for the good works of all other members.

Though one should not seek to join a Third Order for the sole purpose of seeking graces and indulgences. Those considering joining any Third Order should first have a motive or "calling" to strive for perfection. Not all Catholics may have this motive (or at least may not have it yet). Once a person feels they have this motive, then seeking graces and indulgences through membership in a Third Order may become a natural desire.

Another inspiration for us to become Third Order Tertiaries; if we look at the list of Saints and Blesseds that have been Dominican Tertiaries over the last 700 years (see link above), becoming a member is clearly a sign of predestination!

How do I become a member?

To inquire about becoming a tertiary in our Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Chapter, men should see Vincent Ferro, and women should please see Jane King.

If you are not local to Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel and want to inquire about the Third Order, please send an email message via our Contact page, or write to the address posted on that page.

Thank you.

From Papal Encyclical on St. Dominic

“Hence arose the Third Order of the Dominicans which, spreading among
lay people the institute of a more perfect life, was to be
 a truly great ornament and defense to the Church”

From “FAUSTO APPETENTE DIE”, a papal encyclical on St Dominic,
 written by Pope Benedict XV, June 29, 1921.