Constitution

1. When the examination has been completed and the results given to the prior of the convent, the conventual chapter first and then the council shall vote on the admission of the brother to profession. Before voting, the president shall discreetly inform the voters of the examination results and ask if they have any particular information about the candidate.
2. The prior shall give a full report to the prior provincial.

There are two forms of profession in the Order: the first is simple and temporary, made after the novitiate; the other is solemn and, therefore, perpetual.

1. The brothers need the written permission of their major superior to publish books.
2. If the major superior has doubts regarding matters of faith or morals, he shall appoint a commission of three experts to study the work.
3. If he refuses permission, he must tell the author the reasons for refusing.
4. An author who has been refused permission by a major superior can appeal to the Master of the Order. The Master shall set up a commission to examine the text. The judgement of the Master of the Order shall be definitive.

The Rosary as a way of contemplating the mysteries of Christ, is a school for developing evangelical life. As such, it is a form of preaching particularly appropriate to our Order, in which the truths of faith are proposed in the light of the blessed Virgin Mary’s participation in the mystery of Christ and the Church.
Since the Rosary is a characteristically Dominican devotion, the brothers should fervently preach it, so that it may flourish, and they should promote its societies.

1. The brothers through their preaching ought to lead Christians step by step to a mature, conscientious faith, thus renewing and confirming the Church’s witness to the gospel.
2. Special care should be taken with the homily and other forms of preaching which, connected to the liturgy and the sacraments, more intimately touch the lives of people.

1. The mission of the Friars Preachers to serve the Church by preaching the name of Jesus Christ to the nations is the responsibility of whole Order. The mission is carried out in different ways, in keeping with the various conditions either of the Church or of the peoples, groups and men and women to which it is directed. It should always, however, be done in accordance with the fundamental principles of the ministry of the word and in a manner in keeping with the charism of the Order. 
2. Missionary activity should have as its objective that by the evangelical witness of his life and preaching the missionary may make present the magnetic power of the Gospel of
   Christ as the true message of salvation and thus, by cooperating in their liberation and reconciliation, gather God’s people together.
   The missionary should aim to establish the Church in peoples and groups where it has not yet taken root. He also should endeavour to revive faith and Christian life in the places where the Church has suffered a setback, always bearing in mind that he works in the service of the local Church.

1. The brothers ought to be engaged in every possible kind of preaching. But, in deciding priorities, they must consider both the needs indicated by the Church, and those discovered
   by reading the signs of the times. They are bound by their calling to respond to these needs.
2. So they should choose those methods of preaching which serve the spread of the faith, whether among non-believers, or in those areas which have evolved outside the faith, or among believers, strengthening and developing their faith.
3. With this guideline in mind a province shall determine the objective priorities of its brothers’ ministry, bearing in mind local needs and available resources. A critical review of the burdens which the apostolate carries should be undertaken periodically.
4. The Master of the Order and his council should support cooperation among those provinces working according to established priorities, particularly when the work in hand is of international importance in both the religious and social order.

1. Whatever form it takes, the ministry of the word is intimately connected with the sacraments, finding its completion in them. The Christian life is born, nourished and strengthened by word and sacraments. The faithful, therefore, ought to be taught the meaning of the sacraments and should be properly disposed to receive them.
2. The Eucharist is the centre of the Church’s life, the source and the summit of all evangelisation. The brothers should meditate attentively on the grace of this wonderful sacrament, pondering its importance for their salvation and that of others. They should so convince the faithful of its effectiveness and its fruitfulness that they will be persuaded to take part in the breaking of bread frequently, actively and reverently.
3. The sacrament of penance and its administration are closely linked to the ministry of the word, for the conversion of heart which preachers endeavour to inspire is achieved through pardon and reconciliation with God and the Church; further, the sacrament and its administration contribute to the enlightenment and formation of consciences and the development of the evangelical spirit.
   The brothers therefore should always show themselves willing and ready for the fruitful administration of the sacrament of penance. When exercising this ministry they should pay attention to what modern scientific advances tell us about the human condition and about the psychological make-up of the individual. For the same reason, they should hold in the highest esteem education in the Christian life.

To teach orally and by the written word sacred theology and other disciplines which serve to understand and spread the faith is an essential part of the Dominican vocation.

1. Preaching is a shared work, the responsibility of the entire community; that is why in the tradition of our Order a convent is often called a ‘holy preaching.’
2. All the The cooperator brothers take part in the community apostolate not only whether by providing for the needs of the convent, but also or by a ministry properly so-called, either working with their priest brothers or exercising their own talents in the apostolate.
3. The superior and the brothers should together reflect on the common task of preaching and make it their own, so that the whole community may become responsible. However, the right of the superior to make final decisions and accept particular ministries remains intact.
4. In fraternal gatherings the brothers should discuss their apostolic experiences and problems, studying them to- gether and joining forces in special groups in order to exercise a more effective ministry.