Father John Gallas, a priest of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, USA, made profession in the Priestly Fraternities of St. Dominic before Brother Michael Monshau, OP, the Provincial Promoter. The rite of profession was held on 10 June 2021 at Our Lady of Mt. Thabor Monastery in Ortonville, Michigan, a monastery of cloistered Dominican nuns. Taking on the name John of the Sacred Heart, Fr. Gallas is a member of the Lumen Ecclesiae Chapter, whose prior, Fr. Anthony Strouse of the Diocese of Lansing, was also present.
Since most of the members of the chapter reside in Michigan, the priests often convened at the monastery. And with the extended standing hospitality offered to the chapter by the Prioress, Sr. Anne Mary, and by the community of nuns, it was just fitting that the liturgical celebration took place in the same venue. The occasion also gave the nuns the opportunity to participate in the celebration and, in fact, even hosted a meal for everyone present after the liturgy.
There aren't many priests of the Dominican Fraternities in the United States, the majority of which belongs to the Province of St. Albert the Great. As priests coming from different dioceses in the country, the members form their community life through occasional get-togethers, study days, retreats and, especially in the context of the current pandemic, zoom meetings. In addition to the Lumen Ecclesiae Chapter in Michigan, the Chicago Province also has three other chapters: Regina Rosarii Chapter (Joliet, Illinois); St. Vincent Ferrer Chapter (River Forest, Illinois); and Mary Mediatrix Chapter (Evansville, Indiana).
Other members of the Fraternity who attended were Fr. Maximilian Nightingale and Father David Fons, both of whom were part of the fraternity organized at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome during their studies in Italy. Also present was Br. Nicholas Monco, OP, friar assigned to the community in neighboring Grand Rapids.
Br. Michael Monshau, OP
