PROVINCE OF HISPANIA
On March 5-7, 2018, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Dominic of Spain gathered together in the Benedictine Nuns’ Monasterio de San Pelayo de Oviedo. The theme of their assembly was the Rule of St. Augustine, under the guidance of fr. Francisco Rodríguez Fassio, OP, Provincial Promoter of the Priestly Fraternity. Accordingly, St. Dominic and his first community of priests saw in the Rule of Saint Augustine the framework for an Apostolic way of life that expresses the charism of the Order of Preachers, according to the varied forms of belonging to it as a spiritual family.
Among the places they visited were the Shrine of Our Lady of Covadonga, where they celebrated the Mass in the Santa Cueva de Covadonga, and the Convent of St. Dominic in Oviedo, where the priests celebrated the evening prayers. They likewise visited the Cathedral of Oviedo, where they were received joyfully by the cathedral canons, and where they concelebrated at the Holy Eusharist with the canons and with the Vicar General Jorge Sangrador as main celebrant. The Mass was followed by a most enriching visit to the Holy Chamber of Oviedo with Don José Luis González Vázquez as guide.
At the conclusion of the encounter, the Mother Abbess met with the priests, with words of thanks from the Prior of the fraternity. As a whole, the gathering was for the priests a joyful, ecclesial, hopeful and stimulating encounter. It was an experience of how the Holy Spirit encourages new ways of ecclesial consecration, supported by the most outstanding charisms. The example of St. Dominic de Guzmán offers a unique way of responding, from belonging to a Particular Church, to what the Holy Spirit inspires today in the Church for the salvation of the human race.
