LCWR Letter of support from friars

To our Dominican Sisters,

We, your brothers in the Dominican family, write this letter to let you know that we walk with you and share your pain and consternation—and the pain of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious—at this time. We stand in prayerful solidarity with you and we thank you for your fidelity to God and to the Church in the midst of this struggle.

We have a deep awareness that you are our sisters. If you were our own flesh-and-blood siblings and were in serious pain, we would try to respond, even though we might not be sure what is most needed. We send you this letter of support as we pray for those on all sides of this search for truth—Veritas. Together we share the same spiritual ancestry left to us by Dominic de Guzman, Catherine of Siena, and all the saints and blesseds who have gone before us in our Dominican family. It is you and your predecessors who taught many of us and prepared us for the sacramental life of the Church. Your simple life of prayer, study, community and proclamation of the Word has been for many of us the inspiration that helped us to hear and answer our call to become Dominicans.

In a very real sense, it is you who have inspired us and encouraged us to investigate and live our roots as a family of preachers: from those first lay women and contemplative nuns at Prouilhe, to the beginning of communities of friars and active/apostolic sisters and laity who have shared the Dominican charism over the centuries. We have become more aware of this wonderful identity through many conferences and writings, through Parable retreats and pilgrimages to the “Lands of Dominic.” We thank you for initiating many of these programs and inviting us to share in them with you.

We also give thanks for the richness of collaboration in mission. From the very beginning of Vatican II’s challenge to renewal according to the charism of our founders, you have accompanied us in discovering anew our common vocation as preachers. The terms “collaboration,” “mutuality” and “solidarity” have been brought to new meaning for us. We know more deeply what it means to be “brother” in the context of the Dominican family. Your commitment and faithfulness have strengthened us in our own struggles to identify our roles in a changing ecclesial reality. Sharing with you in ministry, you have been prophetic in challenging us, and together, with you, we have been blessed to contemplate more deeply the face of Christ in the poor.

Your own study and prayerful response—personal and communal—to the present situation of the LCWR is important for all of us in the Dominican Family. It is important for the People of God in the United States. It is important for the universal Church. Thank you for your witness. Some of us have chosen to do some form of fasting one day a week as a way of being in prayerful solidarity with you at this time. Know of our fraternal love and be assured of our prayers.

From the Central and Southern U.S. Provinces,
Your brothers in Dominic, Preacher and Light of the Church,

Jon Alexander, OP
Benedict Ashley, OP
Benedict G. Baer, OP
Patrick Baikauskas, OP
Jim Barnett, OP
Brian Bricker, OP
Harry Byrne, OP
Michael Champlin, OP
Jerry Cleator, OP
Joachim Culotta, OP
Brendan Curran, OP
Chuck Dahm, OP
Dan Davis, OP
Dave Delich, OP
Wesley Dessonville, OP
Stan Drongowski, OP
Kevin Fane, OP
Don Goergen, OP
Doug Greer, OP
Gilbert Hensley, OP
Clint Honkomp, OP
Patrick Hyde, OP
Tom Jackson, OP
Bede Jagoe, OP
Paul Johnson, OP
Bob Keller, OP
Bob Kelly, OP
Joe Kilikevice, OP
Michael Kyte, OP
Chuck Leute, OP
Tom Lynch, OP
Jimmy Marchionda, OP
Jim Motl, OP
Kevin Niehoff, OP
Tom Poulsen, OP
Nick Punch, OP
George Reynolds, OP
Ed Riley, OP
Jack Risley, OP
Benjamin Russell, OP
Jose M. Santiago, OP
Jim Spahn, OP
Scott Steinkerchner, OP
Jerry Stookey, OP
Gilbert Thesing, OP
Brian G. Walker, OP
Matt Walsh, OP
Richard Woods, OP
David Wright, OP
Angel Francisco Méndez, OP
Augustine J. DeArmond, OP
Bertrand Ebben, OP
Brian Pierce, OP
Bruce Barnabas Schultz, OP
Bryan Fontenot, OP
Carl B. Trutter, OP
Charles Latour, OP
Chris Eggleton, OP
Cristóbal Torres, OP
David Caron, OP
Emiliano Zapata, OP
Francis José Orozco, OP
George Boudreau, OP
Gerard Austin, OP
Gerardo Guerra Mayaudon, OP
Hank Groover, OP
Herman Johnson, OP
James McDonough, OP
Jeffery Ott, OP
John Lydon, OP
John Markey, OP
John Pitzer, OP
Jorge Presmanes, OP
Jorge Rátiva, OP
Juan Sánchez, OP
Jude Sicilano, OP
Linus Dolan, OP
Marcos Ramos,
OPMark Wedig, OP
Michael Mannes Burke, OP
Orlando Cardozo, OP
Paul Philibert, OP
Peter Damian Harris, OP
Robert Perry, OP
Scott O’Brien, OP
Tom Condon, OP
Charles Bouchard, OP
Samuel Hakeem, OP
Richard LaPata, OP
Daniel Morrissey, OP
Pat Rearden, OP
James-Peter Trares, OP
Joe Trout, OP
Kevin Carroll, OP