Washington D.C., Feb 11, 2018 / 05:00 am
Dominican friars around the world celebrated a unique tradition last week: they offered Masses for their deceased parents and for all deceased parents of friars. Feb. 7 is specifically designated in the Dominican order's liturgical calendar as a day of prayer for the deceased parents of all Dominicans.
The Dominicans regularly dedicate themselves to pray for the repose of souls. Each day the friars pray for the souls of those Dominicans who passed away on that date. And Dominican priests are bound to offer Mass for recently-departed brother priests.
"Most Dominican friars have heard at some point in their life that the Dominican Order is not only a good order to live in, it's a great order to die in. That's because from its foundation, the Dominican order has had a strong devotion to praying for the dead," said Fr. Thomas Petri, O.P., academic dean of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., in an interview with CNA.
"Every day, friars gather to pray for the souls of their brothers who have died on that particular day. When a friar dies, his brethren who are priests are bound in obedience to offer a Mass for him, and one rosary each week said by a friar is for the souls of his deceased brethren."