Dear Brother or Sister,

As the Formation Minister for the English-speaking chapter of Lay Dominicans in Montréal, it is my privilege to introduce you to the Dominican Family and welcome you.  Our chapter is named in honor of Bartolomé de Las Casas, O.P.—a 16th-century Spanish Dominican friar and social reformer whose advocacy for the dignity of the indigenous peoples in the Americas revolutionized international human rights.

The Dominican Order—the Order of Preachers—was founded in 1216 by St. Dominic de Guzmán and is supported by four pillars:  Study, Prayer, Community, and Preaching.  Today, members of the Order practice preaching in many ways:  from the pulpit, in conversations with friends in cafés, from our permanent seat at the United Nations, through the written word, the arts, parenting, media content and design, teaching, living lives of example, social activism, and through many other contemporary forms.  The Dominican Family and charism bring together such diverse talents and gifts as those of St. Catherine of Siena, Thomas Aquinas, St. Rose of Lima, Gustavo Gutiérrez, St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, Sigrid Undset, Fra Angelico, and Canadian Cardinal Francis Leo to name but a very few.

As of 2025, the Order counted 5,111 friars; 3,993 priests alongside bishops, transitional and permanent deacons across 107 countries; 2,005 Dominican nuns in 178 monasteries across 46 countries; 17,213 apostolic sisters in 144 congregations; and 137,412 Lay Dominicans organized in 2,306 fraternities across 75 countries.  There is an International Dominican Youth Movement with 1,940 members in 122 groups across 30 countries.

Lay Dominicans remain in the world with families, jobs, and everyday lives while participating fully in the Dominican Family—its charism and community.  I have journeyed with the Order of Preachers since 1976 when I made my lifetime promise.  Over the past 15 years I have had the joy of being involved in the formation of several Lay Dominican chapters including the St. Catherine of Siena Chapter in Calgary, the St. Pius V Chapter in Edmonton, and currently the Luce Veritas Chapter in Mississauga and the Bartolomé de Las Casas Chapter in Montréal which was sanctioned by Bishop Thomas Dowd. 

Our Bartholomé de Las Casas Chapter meets monthly at the St. Albert the Great Priory at 2715 Chem. de la Côte-St.-Catherine in Montréal where we come together to discuss common readings and participate in the community.  We remain close to the wider, international community of the Order of Preachers through talks and educational opportunities, charity functions, Eucharistic celebrations, and other events and forums. 

Your journey with the Lay Dominicans begins with this letter.  There is a period of discernment, an inquiry or postulancy period, a novitiate or formal formation stage, then temporary promises followed by lifetime promises.  While these formal stages occur over several years, we begin the journey of welcoming you into our community and the Dominican Family today.

Let’s connect.  Discernment begins with a Zoom meeting where I can address your questions, followed by your participation in our monthly meetings.  My e-mail address is kaphanz@sympatico.ca  I invite you to reach out to schedule a time to meet.

Yours in Jesus Christ, Dominic, and Catherine.

Blessings,

Konrad Hanz, o.p.

Konrad Hanz, o.p.

Formation Minister

Dominican Laity of Canada