On February 16, 2010, the Reverend Francis Robert Crowe, O.P. died  after an extended illness due to advanced age.  Father Crowe was born on February 5, 1918 in Chicago, Illinois to John Crowe and Louise Dougherty.  He was the brother of the late Louise Held,  John  Crowe, Jr. and Charles C. Crowe.  He is survived by ten nieces and nephews and many great-nieces and nephews and many cousins.  Father Crowe made his profession of vows as a Dominican friar on August 5, 1941 and was ordained to the priesthood on June 5, 1947.  Throughout his priesthood he was engaged in pastoral ministry in the southern states except when he served as the Athletic Director at Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois from 1953 till 1958.  For over thirty years he served as pastor of the St. Martin de Porres Mission in Amarillo, Texas where he was noted for his concern for the poor, African-Americans and veterans.

The Office of the Dead will be celebrated at 9:30 AM, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 AM at Saint Pius V Church, 1909 South Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL on Friday February 19th.  Burial will be in All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, Illinois.  Memorials can be made to the Dominican Society for Vocational Support, 1909 South Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608.

Please remember in your prayers our brother, Fr. Lewis Shea, O.P., who died at 12:35 AM, Tuesday, February 9th at St. Catherine of Siena Hospice in Kisumu , Kenya . He passed away peacefully with his Dominican Brothers singing the Salve Regina and praying the De Profundis at his side.
Fr. Lewis was born on February 23, 1927, professed his first vows on June 25, 1946, and was ordained a priest on May 22, 1952. He spent 38 years of his priesthood ministering in Nigeria, and 18 and a half years ministering in Kenya . He will be missed by many people who knew him or were helped by him. May he rest in peace. Please pray for him and all those who mourn his loss.

Iowa born and cornfed, Brother Dominic graduated from Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines in 2001 and Loras College in Dubuque in 2004.He made first vows on in 2006, and after two years of study at Aquinas Institute of Theology and St. Louis University went on to work for a year at St. Paul Catholic Center at Indiana Univeristy, Bloomington.He is spending the summer of ’09 as an intern with Father Wisdom in the vocations office and will return to studies in the fall. In his free time he reads mystery novels, listens (and plays a bit) of traditional Irish music, and studies St. Thomas.

If you feel called to explore a life with the Dominicans of the Central Province, just reply via the “Contact Vocations Director” on any page of our Vocations section or use the contact info on the image from above.

I am currently serving as the associate pastor at the St. Thomas More Newman Center. This ministry includes sacramental ministry, preaching, teaching, hospital and home visits, sacramental preparation, spiritual direction, committee work, para- liturgical services, campus ministry, youth ministry, RCIA, C.E.P., meetings, and other duties as assigned. We have a staff of fourteen dedicated and lovely people. I am very blessed to be a part of this Newman Center.

What challenges or joys do you have in your ministry, or your future hopes and dreams for the Church?

I enjoy working with people. This ministry is very involved, and I enjoy serving this community in any way that I can.  Each day can be very different. I may be doing any number of things in very quick succession. My days are full.  I love it. I can not imagine any other way that I would want to live in this world. Ministry is very rewarding indeed.

My biggest challenge, which I am sure is shared by many people, is trying to balance and manage my time well.  I most firmly believe that it is in the practice of the regular life of prayer, study, community, and preaching. This is the foundation for my life as a brother and a priest.  Some days, trying to combine the regular life, my ministry duties, with recreation and exercise can be a difficult task.

My dream for the Church is that we, as the body of Christ, can continue to learn to die to self and spread the fruits of our spiritual practice around the world by acts of charity and love. That each of us can seek truth, know compassion, and live justly with each other. That by our words and deeds, we will bring others to meet Christ in His Church.

How does your Dominican vocation contribute to the needs of the Order and Christ’s Church?

I hope that I am serving to enhance the charism of preaching and teaching. There is a great hunger for truth, and a thirst for holiness.  People are in need of a way to reconnect theology and spiritual practice. The Church has a tremendous house of treasures, spiritual treasures, which so many people are unaware of these great traditions of the Church. Therefore, they turn to other traditions looking for what they do not believe we have.  I hope that I am living and preaching holiness in a way that will attract others to desire a deeper relationship with the Holy Trinity.

I am ever so grateful to God, for this gift of being a Dominican brother, and a priest. My first year as a priest has been a year of healing, strengthening, and transformation. I am overwhelmed by the goodness and beauty of this gift from God. I pray to God that I may live a life worthy of such a gift.

Discerning is the brand new video produced by our Vocations Office as an introduction to life as a Dominican friar in the Province of St. Albert the Great. This video will be available shortly in the Resources - Video page of DomCentral with a link on the Vocations page. Please direct any interested men here to view this great new video.

Please remember in your prayers our dear brother, Cletus Wessels, O.P., who died quietly on Wednesday, August 12, 2009. The funeral for Fr. Wessels will take place on Monday, August 17th, in Saint Albert the Great Church in Minneapolis. The visitation will start at 10:00 AM in the Church followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM. Lunch will be served at the parish. The burial will take place after the lunch in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Minneapolis. Please keep our dear brother, Cletus, his family, and our brothers at St. Albert’s Priory in your prayers.

Memorials can be made to the Dominican Society for Vocational Support for the education of young Dominicans at 2005 S. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60608.

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Our brother, Fr. Tom passed away on July 5, 2009 in Tucson, Arizona. Fr. Tom was ordained as a priest on May 25, 1957. During his life as a Dominican, he was a teacher of scripture and a parish priest. Fr. Tom was part of the St. Pius X community in Arizona in the 1980’s and after he retired, Fr. Tom returned to St. Pius to live, laugh, love and celebrate with us as a community. Fr. Tom’s family, the Dominican community and all at St. Pius will miss him greatly.

The Mass of Resurrection for Fr. Tom was held on Friday, July 10. Fr. Tom was buried at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Memorials can be made to the Dominican Society for Vocational Support for the education of young Dominicans at 2005 S. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60608.