De Profundis: departed Dominicans

Tomorrow, 8th November, Dominicans all over the world will pray for the souls of dead Dominicans, as we do on this day every year.

In this month of prayer for the dead, Fr John Walsh of the Irish Dominicans posted this recently:

Religious Orders often joke that the good life consists in three things: To live like a Jesuit, dine like a Franciscan, and to die like a Dominican.  

Dominicans have many traditions concerning devotion to our deceased brethren. 

If we are privileged to be present at the death of a brother, we are to commend his soul to the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary by chanting the Dominican version of the Salve Regina. When possible we keep vigil through the day and night with our deceased brother during the three days of the funeral. The Priory in which the brother was assigned is asked to pray the office of the dead for him and everyone in the province is required to pray one rosary for him and to say or attend one mass for his soul. 

Every year we celebrate a Mass for all our Dominican departed on November 8. We also say a Mass for all benefactors and friends of the Order on September 5, and one for deceased family members on February 7. 

Every week, each Priory of the province offers one Mass and each Dominican must pray one rosary for the deceased members of the province. 

Every day before lunch, the friars line up on the cloister and chant the De Profundis for the brothers whose anniversaries occurs that day and for all our deceased. In Ireland our necrology (List of Anniversaries) is kept for 50 years, so the brother is remembered for 50 years after his death by the communities, and on each occurring anniversary of his death. 

In our Monasteries when a Dominican Nun dies, the De Profundis is said every day for one month for that deceased Sister.

With thanks to fr John and to Mr Jan Frederik Solem OP

Much the same customs are observed throughout the Order worldwide. At the November meeting of the Cambridge Lay Dominican Fraternity last week, we offered our Mass for the dead of our Fraternity, whose names were read out.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. St Dominic and all saints of the Order, pray for them and for us. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.