Rome, Italy, Jan 17, 2017 / 14:15 pm
As the Order of Preachers, better known as the Dominicans, celebrate the 800th anniversary of their founding, they gather in Rome from around the world to reflect on their history, their charism of preaching, and how they can continue to put this charism at the service of the Church today.
The International Congress for the Mission of the Order, taking place Jan. 17-21, comes at the close of the order's celebration of a Jubilee Year, which marks the 800th anniversary of their founding by St. Dominic.
One purpose of the congress, Dominican Brother Vivian Boland told CNA, is as a chance for the order "to thank God for the graces of the past year, but also to try to re-own the mission of the order in the Church and to give it a fresh energy, a fresh impulse…"
The charism of the Dominicans, Br. Boland said, can sometimes be difficult to pick out, because it's a charism "that's at the very heart of the Church and Christianity, preaching the Gospel."