Constitution

The best teacher and model for the accomplishment of this task is St Thomas whose teaching the Church particularly commends. The Order accepts his teaching as a patrimony that exercises an enriching influence on the intellectual life of the brothers, giving it a special character.
Consequently, the brothers ought to cultivate a genuine familiarity with his writings and thought, and responding to the needs of the age and with legitimate freedom, they should renew and enrich his teaching with ever-new riches of sacred and human wisdom.

The brothers should study carefully the writings of the holy Fathers and of the illustrious exponents of Christian thought who with the help of different cultures and of the wisdom of philosophers, have endeavoured to achieve a fuller understanding of the word of God.
While following their thinking, they should be respectfully attentive to the living tradition of the Church, and engage in dialogue with the learned, opening their minds to contemporary questions and discoveries.

In all things the brothers should be of one mind with the Church and should comply with the different acts of the Magisterium which is entrusted with the authentic interpretation of the word of God. Furthermore, faithful to the Order’s mission, they should always be prepared in a spirit of willing service to collaborate with the Magisterium as it fulfils its doctrinal obligations.

Divine revelation, of which Tradition and Sacred Scripture constitute one sacred deposit, is the material to be meditated and critically examined by the brothers. And pondering the perennial
teaching value of the plan of salvation, they will discover the many and varied paths of gospel truth to be found in creation, in human institutions and artefacts and in different religions.

God is the light and source of our study, the God who  spoke in former times and in different ways, and who now speaks in Christ. It is through Christ that the mystery of the Father’s will, through the sending of the Spirit, is fully revealed in the Church and the minds of all humanity are enlightened.

1. It follows that ‘our study should principally and zealously be directed to this, that we may be of help to the souls of our neighbours.’ 1
2. Study enables the brothers to ponder in their hearts the manifold wisdom of God, and equips them for the doctrinal service of the Church and of all people. They ought to be all the more committed to study because in the Order’s tradition they are called to stimulate people’s desire to know the truth.
3. Such study must respect the demands of different subject matters. It requires strict discipline and the application of all one’s abilities.

St Dominic in founding the Order was truly innovative: he intimately linked study to the ministry of salvation. 2  He himself always carried around with him St Matthew’s gospel and Saint Paul’s letters. 3  He directed the brothers to the schools, 4  and sent them ‘to study, preach and establish convents’ 5  in the larger cities.

1. Between the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed and Advent, every priest shall celebrate one Mass for deceased brothers, sisters, familiars and benefactors. Brothers who are not priests shall participate in one Mass. 
2. Mass of the Dead shall be celebrated in each convent: on 7 February for the anniversary of fathers and mothers; on 5 September for the anniversary of benefactors and familiars of the Order; on 8 November for the anniversary of brothers and sisters.

All the brothers should make a retreat for six full days each year, meditating on the word of God in their hearts and praying more intensely.

1. The brothers are to worship Christ in the mystery of the Eucharist so that they may derive an increase of faith, hope and charity from such a wonderful exchange .
2. The brothers ought to cherish the Order’s traditional devotion to the Virgin Mother of God, Queen of the Apostles. She is an example of meditation on the words of Christ, and of acceptance of one’s mission.
   The brothers should recite daily a third part of the rosary in common or in private, according to the decision of the provincial chapter, preserving an appropriate relationship to the liturgy. This form of prayer leads us to the contemplation of the mystery of salvation in which the Virgin Mary is intimately associated with the work of her Son.
3. The brothers should foster the cult of St. Dominic and true devotion to him, the mirror of our life, and to the saints of the Order so that they may be moved to imitate them and be strengthened in the spirit of their vocation.