Dominicans offer various ministries in Salt Lake today

Friday, Apr. 10, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY — In Utah, the white habits of the Dominicans can be found beyond Saint Catherine of Siena Newman Center, the Diocese of Salt Lake City parish run by the Western Dominican Province. The three Dominican priests who live in community there often fill in for priests of other parishes who are ill or on vacation. They also are sought after as retreat masters, and Father Dominic Briese teaches at Judge Memorial Catholic High School.

A fourth Dominican, Father Denis Reilly, lives outside of community as the parochial vicar of Saint John the Baptist Parish in Draper, an assignment he accepted almost two years ago. Before that, he served as parochial vicar of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Parish in Midvale; he also was pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Parish from 1998 to 2005.

“There’s such a spirit at Newman,” Fr. Denis said, recalling that 10 years ago the community was responsible for building the new chapel and renovating the rectory “largely through sweat equity.”

Fr. Denis, who entered the order at 20, asked his provincial for permission to live outside community when he saw how few active priests there were in the diocese, he said, but he regrets not having the fellowship of his brother religious.

“You miss the banter at evening meals. People may sometimes put us on pedestals, but we very much don’t do that to one another,” he said, adding that he plans to return to community when his assignment at St. John the Baptist is completed. 

As a member of the Order of Preachers, Fr. Denis toils over his homilies, he said, adding that he always prays to the Holy Spirit before he preaches. He views a homily as a dialog between himself and what the Scriptures tell him, and then a dialog between him and the congregation.

Like Fr. Denis, the Dominicans’ community life attracted Fr. Dominic to the order, which he entered from Utah in 1988.

Returning to the Beehive State has been a great grace, said Fr. Dominic, who teaches sophomore theology at Judge Memorial and serves as the school chaplain.

The Dominican charisms are reflected at St. Catherine of Siena Newman Center in a variety of ways. The priests eat and pray together, and parishioners sometimes remark that this communal life makes them approachable, said Father Carl Schlichte, pastor.  

The parish offers a number of special ministries that reflect the charism of prayer, such as weekly candlelight Masses, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Taizé prayer and weekday Liturgy of the Hours that are open to the public. Ministries such as the GoodNewsPeople and the annual Aquinas Lecture embody the charism of study. Because it is a Newman Center, a number of services also are offered specifically for students, but other events such as the Sunday dinners are intended to bring both communities together.

Fr. Peter Hannah, who was assigned to the parish at the first of this year, has created several offerings for both students and non-students. The semi-monthly Deep Friar talks take on a topic that involves faith but also is applicable to current affairs, and is geared toward students; the monthly Dominican forums are presented by a member of the religious order on a topic of wider interest. He also began the monthly Faith & Fiction book group, which so far has discussed The Great Divorce and The Power and the Glory.

Fr. Dominic said the Dominicans seem to be welcomed throughout the diocese. 

“I think what attracts people is that we first look at the good, the beautiful and the truth that’s already there,” he said. “We don’t look at what’s lacking, we look at what’s there, and we amplify that instead of focusing on what’s not there.”