Vigil of Bl. Jean-Joseph Lataste

My cloistered brothers and I celebrated the Vigil of Blessed Marie Jean-Joseph Lataste, O.P., the
Apostle of Prison.  We told our favorite Lataste stories.  We remembered our Brother Louis de Montfort and Brother Paul of Mary, in our prayers.  We prayed Lataste's prayer.  We answered questions that we all have had at one time or another.

IOW, we faith shared, sang, and prayed.  You know, all the Catholic stuff Dominicans do when they celebrate.

We are in awe at the work of the Holy Spirit.

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Waking the Dead

It is commonly said, that everyone hates change.  If so, what about the dead?  Do you think they like to be disturbed?

What brought these question on?  The recent transfer of the remains of Father Marie Jean Joseph Lataste, O.P. to a new chapel, gave rise to these questions.  You see, the remains of Fr. Lataste were in the chapel where the Dominican Sisters of Bethany pray, in Monferrand, France, and the people on pilgrimage to pray at the tomb of Father Lataste were getting to be a nuisance, to nuns trying to contemplate.    So a new chapel was built to house the remains of Father Lataste.

My "cloistered brothers," sent cards and notebooks of prayers, to be buried with Father Lataste.  All of us Latastes were emotionally involved with the idea of seeing and touching the remains.  And to have a part of us buried with him is felt poignantly.

One of the Dominican Sisters of Bethany from Turin chronicled the event.  She concluded her letter with the following description, which nicely expresses the mood of this sacred important moment.

Pendant ce long moment de travail, l’atmosphère était à la fois joyeuse et respectueuse. Comme l’a dit frère Jean Marie, nous ne célébrons pas l’enterrement d’un cadavre, mais la reconnaissance d’une vie donnée à la prédication de la miséricorde et de la toute puissance de Dieu.

Quand tout a été accompli, nous avons accompagné en procession l’ossuaire porté par les frères Jean Marie et Marc à la chapelle du Père Lataste en chantant O spem miram. La tombe a été bénie et l’ossuaire descendu dans la nouvelle tombe. Une enveloppe de nos frères de Norfolk a été déposée dans la tombe. Les sœurs de Venlo ont aussi déposé des photos des sœurs mortes et la liste des vivantes. 

Tout étant terminé, nous avons chanté tous ensemble le SALVE REGINA qui voulait exprimer notre joie et notre reconnaissance. 


In this particular case, I think everyone is happier.  The nuns have their quiet, and the pilgrims can go pay their homage to Father Lataste.  I'm sure Father Lataste would agree that this is a better arrangement.

An Up-and-Coming Vocation

Brother Andre Bessette was canonized, today.  Saints are holy men and women who have been recognized as saints by the saintliness of their lives.  (Which is why Father Marie Jean-Joseph Lataste, O.P. should be beatified--but that's a different thread.)  Many priests, nuns, religious sisters, and laity, have been so blessed.  But not as many religious brothers.  This is one reason why Br. Andre's canonization is such an occasion to celebrate.

The Order of Preachers also has Cooperator Brothers.  This is a vocation to be encouraged.  The Brothers are called, like all Dominicans, to preach.  But not all friars feel called to be priests.  Some friars feel called to serve in other ministries.  These friars do not want to study theology, nor feel called to be priests, yet they are called. Brother Paul Byrd, O.P attempts to define a Cooperatator Brother:  ... cooperator brothers are not "exceptions" to the rule of religious life--their vocation is what religious life is all about: consecrated living, the praise and worship of God, and the ministry to the Church. They are fully religious, and equal in every way as religious to religious who are also called to be priests. In this way, they are not auxiliary, cooperators, coadjutors, etc., they are religious brothers. 


The Dominican Family includes many fraternities.  Each one adds its own dimension.  The cooperator brothers do everything the ordained friars do, except sacramental ministry.  This includes medicine, teaching, chaplaincy, parish pastoral ministry, spiritual direction, retreat work, administration, arts, you name it...  It's not lack of intellectual ability that makes a friar decide to be a cooperator brother.  It's lack of vocational calling.  It might be humility, or maybe it's that a man feels called to be a religious but doesn't want to study theology.  Many are called, few are chosen.


The Central Province of St. Albert the Great, has a good program.  Brother Paul explains on his blog:
Cooperator brothers are men whose love for God and desire to serve the Church has led them to seek to live as vowed religious. They are freed by the vow of poverty to give what they have to others; freed by the vow of obedience to do what the Church, through the Order, asks of them; and freed by the vow of chastity to love all those they encounter. With the support of their community of fellow Dominicans, they go about their prayer, study, and ministry with joyful hearts. And though they are not priests, their lives are rooted in the sacramental life of the Church.


If you are a young man, you can go see for yourself, what's it all about.  Their site is www.domcentral.org/vocations     All others can pray and support them.  

Blessed Father Dominic,
preacher of God’s grace,
you promised to assist us
even after your death.

Intercede for us before God
to help us encourage
more men and women
to follow our way of life,
the way of a preacher.

Bless us in our common life, study,
prayer, and ministry,
that our lives together
may be a joyful witness
creating a desire in others
to join the Sacred Preaching

Amen