| Benedicere |
Latin. To bless.
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| Charism |
A gift or grace. Every religious community has a certain charism or gift that helps the Church fulfill its mission. For Dominicans the charism is preaching.
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| Congregation |
An autonomous group of religious women or men that usually has a central location or motherhouse.
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| Discernment |
A period of time devoted to choosing or deciding where one is called by God.
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| Laudare |
Latin. To praise.
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| Novice |
A person studying to be a religious. Usually there is a period of candidacy before becoming a novice.
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| Novitiate |
A one or two-year period of study in preparation for religious life. Novitiate is a time of discernment for the novice and for the community to determine the novice’s readiness for profession.
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| O.P. |
Initials found after a Dominican’s name. Stands for the official title of the order – Order of Preachers.
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| Order |
A large international group of men or women religious who are loosely connected. Examples are: Benedictines, Dominicans, Franciscans. Within the larger Order there are smaller congregations located in different parts of the world. (i.e. there Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa and Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Ill.. Both groups belong to the Dominican Order. Each is autonomous.)
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Perpetual Profession
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Vowing poverty, chastity, and obedience until death.
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| Praedicare |
Latin. To preach.
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| Preaching |
For Dominicans, to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ from a pulpit, with your life, or through ministry.
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| Profession |
A public promise to God to live the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, according to the rule of a particular religious order and congregation.
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| Temporary Vows |
Promising the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience for a limited time (i.e. one, two or three years). |
