Dominican Province of the Assumption

INTRODUCTION

According to the desire of St. Dominic, the solemn and common celebration of the liturgy must be maintained among the principal duties of our vocation.

In the liturgy, especially in the Eucharist, the mystery of salvation is present and at work, a mystery in which we share and which we contemplate and proclaim in preaching to others so that they may be incorporated into Christ through the sacraments of faith.

In the liturgy, together with Christ, we glorify God for the eternal plan of the divine will and for the wonderful order of grace, and we intercede with the Father of mercies for the entire Church as well as for the needs and the salvation of the whole world. Therefore, the celebration of the liturgy is the centre and heart of our whole life, whose unity especially is rooted in it.

Book of Constitutions and Ordinations of the Order of Friars Preachers, no.57.

This Liturgical Calendar follows the Roman Calendar and the proper Calendar of the Order of Preachers, adapted for use in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands by the inclusion of celebrations proper to the Order and celebrations proper to those countries.

Local celebrations (titular feasts, diocesan patrons, anniversaries of dedication etc.) are shown for those places where the Province has foundations. Those working or living in other places need to consult local calendars for local variations.

I. The Calendar:

Certain celebrations [e.g., Christmas, Pentecost and Assumption] have proper Vigil Masses in addition to the Mass for the day itself. These Vigil Masses are intended to be used either before or after Evening Prayer I of the celebration. In Australia, for pastoral reasons, it is permitted to use the Mass of the Day in place of the Vigil Mass (except, of course, for the Easter Vigil.)

On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is encouraged. Whenever this optional memorial is allowed, the special votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary proper to the Order, or a Mass from the Collection of Masses in Honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be used as an alternative. For the Office, the proper offices in the Liturgy of the Hours or the votive offices of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Dominican Supplement may be used.

II. Patronal Feasts:

In addition to the celebrations proper to each province, a community should celebrate the following:

Solemnity of the anniversary of the Dedication of the church on the anniversary day of the dedication, if the church was consecrated. If the day of dedication is unknown, this solemnity is observed on Oct 22;
Solemnity of the titular saint of the church;
Solemnity of the principal patron of their house;
Feast of the anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral;
Feast of the principal patron of the diocese, territory, province, or more extensive territory.

III. Typography of this Calendar:

A. Italics: indicate an element of the liturgy of the day which is optional, e.g., sequence; or indicate an Optional Memorial, e.g., Dec 4, St. John of Damascus. They are also used for words in other languages, e.g. Te Deum.

B. Explanatory material is set in smaller type.

C. The letters OP in the margin indicate a celebration or rubrical directions proper to the Order.

D. Celebrations proper to particular countries or churches are placed in a coloured box.

E. Blesseds on the Calendar for the Provinces (which is a supplement to the Martyrology - cf. General Instruction of the Roman Missal, n. 355) appear like this.

F. Anniversaries of deceased Masters of the Order appear like this.

G. Anniversaries of deceased friars of the province appear like this.

IV. Abbreviations used in this Calendar:

DPPL : Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (2001)
GILH = General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours (1971)
GIRM = General Instruction of the Roman Missal (2002)
MR = Missale Romanum, editio typica tertia (2002)
OHS = Ordo Hebdomadae Sanctae OP (1965)
pref = preface
prop = proper
PS = Paschale Sollemnitatis, Congregation for Divine Worship & Discipline of the Sacraments, Jan. 1988
RC = Roman Calendar (1969; as amended)
RCIA = Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (1972)

V. INDULGENCES

In addition to the indulgences in the Handbook of Indulgences for the universal Latin Church, the brethren may gain the following indulgences granted to the Order:

A plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, may be gained by a brother who makes or renews, at least privately, his intention to fulfil faithfully the duties of his vocation:

For the whole Order:

on the feasts of the Birth of the Lord, Easter, Annunciation, Assumption of B. V. Mary, St Dominic, St Thomas Aquinas, St Catherine of Siena and All Saints of the Order;
on the occasion of a General Chapter.

For the individual houses:

on the feast of the principal patron of the house;
on the feast of saints or blesseds whose body or principal relics are kept there;
at the end of regular visitation.

For individual brothers:

on the day of entering the novitiate
on the day of first profession and the day of solemn profession;
on the 25th, 50th, 60th and 75th anniversary of first profession.

(cf. Decree of S. Apostolic Penitentiary, 25 Oct, 1967)