NEWS June 13th, 2007

Fr Roger Hartland received the following letter from Fr. Edward M. Ruane, OP from Rome.

 

 

Fr. Ruane is the Socius to the Master of the Order for the United States.

 

The letter is a response to my letter to our Master of the Order which was an introduction and a request for a conversation between our Order and the Roman Order..

 

Fr. Ruane writes that “Father Carlos Azpiroz, Master of the Order, asked me to respond to your letter of March 7, 2007.”  He goes on to say “Both Father Carlos and I found your letter to be very informative and to be of genuine interest to us.  We want to tank you for the information and to assure you of our fraternal interest.”

 

His suggestion is that “it seems that seeking a place at the Dominican “family table” should begin with knowledge that can grow into genuine friendship”  He then suggests that I make contact with Fr. Marty Gleeson, Prior Provincial of  the St. Martin de Porres Province (he is located in New Orleans).

 

He then goes, at some length, into the apostolate and mission of the Order in the world today and says “I always believe that the more we come to know Dominic and love him as an evangelical person, the better Dominicans we become.”

 

Father assures me that I would be most welcome to meet with them at Santa Sabina in Rome.

 

He also asks our prayers for the Chapter General meeting that will be taking place in Bogotá, Columbia from July 17 – August 8.

 

He concludes the letter thus:

 

“Again, father, thank you for your letter and for your own life and ministry and that of your community.  I am also grateful that you identify yourself as The Anglican Order of Friars Preachers.  This clarity is always the best way to build such friendship.”

 

I hope you are as encouraged by this letter as I am.  I truly hope that it will be the beginning of a fraternal bond of love, service and apostolate.  I commend this effort to your most fervent prayers.

 

I will, as Fr. Edward suggests, contact Fr. Gleeson in New Orleans and attempt to foster a relationship with him and his province.

 

I may call on all of you to make similar contacts with representatives in your own areas.  However, please do not make contact without proper authorization.  We want to show that we are not a group of religious vigilantes, but an Order that is taking our vocation and the apostolate seriously.

 

God’s blessings to each of you.

 

Paternally in Christ and St. Dominic,

 

 

Fr. Roger Hartline, OP