Saint Albert Priory

Dominican Friars
5890 Birch Court
Oakland, CA 94618
(510) 596-1800

September 2004

The primary form of government in the Dominican Order is exercised through regularly scheduled legislative assemblies called Chapters. Every local priory meets in Chapter frequently (at Saint Albert’s we meet monthly); Provinces convene in Chapter every four years. 

When the worldwide Order conducts a Chapter, it is known as a General Chapter. Every entity of Dominican friars in the world is represented at a General Chapter. Such a Chapter occurred this summer at Most Holy Trinity Priory in Kracow, Poland. 

Father Mark Padrez of Saint Albert Priory represented the Western Province at the Kracow General Chapter.  He is shown in the photo above (in habit) at a Chapter assembly. 

Two other Western Province friars were also at the Chapter. Father Michael Sherwin, professor at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, represented those friars assigned to the jurisdiction of the Master General, and Father Alejandro Crosthwaite, engaged in doctoral studies at Marquette University, served as a translator.

Grateful Friars Express Prayerful Thanks

As our friends know, our Prior has been begging again lately, and there have been amazing results.  In recent months, friends of the Priory have been extremely generous to us.  You may have noticed that our Birch Court entrance has been restored.  We now have a new Baby Grand piano in our chapel.  A significant portion of our kitchen renovation is already finished, and for many months now, we have been enjoying a completely new sound system in our chapel.  Many other gifts too numerous to mention here have also come in.  We are deeply grateful for the extraordinary kindness and generosity of all of the friends of our community, and we promise our frequent prayers for your intentions.  Thank you and God bless you.

Liturgy Schedule

The Public is Always Welcome!

Three Priory Friars Profess First Vows

On September 4th, the three members of this year’s simple profession class finished the novitiate, made their first vows at Saint Dominic Church in San Francisco and are now part of the Saint Albert Priory community. We knew our readers would want to read about them. 

Brother Mark Francis Manzano is the 21 year-old son of Julieta and Benjamin Manzano of Fontana, CA.  He is studying for a B.A. in Philosophy at our Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (DSPT).  A talented musician, he would like to  minister one day in education and music.

Brother Matthew Augustine Miller, 24, took a B.A. in English from Western Washington University and is now pursuing the Master of Divinity at the DSPT.  The son of Mark and Shelley Miller, of Vancouver, WA. Brother Matthew Augustine  would like to minister in academics; Newman Center ministry holds special appeal for him.

Brother Boniface Willard, 26, son of Charles and Kathy Willard, holds a B.A. in theology from Christendom College.  He is pursuing an M.A. in theology from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., and a Master of Divinity at the DSPT. Teaching and preaching ministries appeal to him.  

Promoting Dominican Vocations

Each year, the Order’s future is safeguarded by the arrival of a new class of novices.  The Pope assures us that young people with religious vocations are out there; we just have to find them!  Our Promoter of Vocations is Father Mark Padrez, who lives at Saint Albert’s. Can you help Father Mark?  Do you know a man who might be interested in exploring the possibility of becoming a Dominican friar? If so, encourage him to call Father Mark at (510) 658-8722.  

A Fresh Start

Every year represents a fresh start in a typical Dominican priory, because usually, when one of our  communities reassembles in the Fall, its membership includes newly-assigned friars arriving from other posts.  By the final day of August, the last of the friars assigned to Saint Albert’s for this new year had arrived.               Our community will number forty-one men this year, with seventeen seniors, twenty-one preparing for lives of service  as priests and three student cooperator Brothers.

The new arrivals include Fathers Kieran Healy and Michael Sweeney. Brothers Mark Francis Manzano, Matthew Augustine Miller, and Boniface Willard, have arrived fresh from the novitiate in San Francisco. 

Six more of the brethren, Brothers Jerome Cudden, Anthony Garcias, Michael Hurley, Vincent Mary Kelber, John Thomas Mellein, and David Seid, have just returned from formation years for study and ministry elsewhere.

We warmly welcome each friar into our brotherhood as we begin this new year.  Each man is a unique gift from God for whom we are deeply grateful.

 Please keep all of us in your prayers as we strive to be faithful in our use of this new year that God has given us.  God bless you for your many kindnesses to us.

Father Michael Monshau, O.P.
Prior
 

Our Province participates in eScrip. The group name is “Western Dominican Province” and the group ID number is I 54804935. Can you support this endeavor? It’s free!

Click Here!