The new St Dominic’s Pastoral Centre located on the grounds of the Dominican Priory, Morne Coco Road, Diego Martin will be blessed on Monday, December 10.

Archbishop Edward J Gilbert CSsR, Fr Chrys McVey OP, Assistant to the Master General of the Dominican Order for the Apostolic Life, Fr Pat Lucey OP Prior Provincial of the Irish Dominican Province, and Fr Edward Conway, Secretary to the Province of Ireland will join the local Dominican family in the celebration of this landmark occasion.  It will begin with the celebration of Holy Mass at 9.00 a.m. in St Finbar's Church and you are all very welcome to attend.

The opening of the Centre marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the contribution being made by Dominicans in the service of the local Church. We took the opportunity to interview Fr Pat Lucey at this special time.

In 2004, during the elections of the Provincial Chapter in Ireland, Fr Thomas Lawson OP in his capacity as the then Regional Prior made a request to the friars of the Chapter. The request was for the support of the Irish Dominicans to the local Chapter for financial/moral and implementation assistance in bringing to fruition a dream that was based on the work of the Irish Dominicans in Trinidad and Tobago for over a century (1895-2007).

The dream encompassed the construction of a Pastoral Centre dedicated to our Holy Father St Dominic - one that would serve to be the focal point in Trinidad and Tobago of the work for which the Dominican Order was established 800 years ago. The Centre is also a symbol of the trust and confidence placed in the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago by the Irish Dominicans.

The mission of the Irish Province, like that of all Dominicans, is to praise, to bless, and to preach (laudare/benedicere /praedicare) has been carried out in Ireland and throughout the world where the Dominican presence is visible.

Artist's impression of the new centre

Trinidad and Tobago has been blessed with a rich tradition of Dominican friars, sisters and nuns for centuries, even before the ordination of Louis Joachim Gonin (French Dominican) as Archbishop of Port of Spain in 1863.

The Trinidad Mission was passed to the Irish by Pontifical Decree in 1895 however the first record of Dominicans is in 1513, soon after the landing of Christopher Columbus in Trinidad. The history of our Archdiocese is integrally entwined with that of the Dominican presence in Trinidad and Tobago.

The request made by Fr Tom on behalf of the local Chapter was unanimously agreed to at that meeting in Dublin in 2004. Little did we know then that the 2008 Chapter would realise the decision taken by the Province during the Chapter of 2004. The dream would become operational and alive in physical bricks and mortar.

The transformation of the bricks and mortar into the Centre has been a slow process visible to the passer-by but was followed at every stage in the Irish Province. The building is but the first stage of the development of the Centre. What will it do and what will it provide for the benefit of the people?

In sharing his thoughts on this momentous occasion, Fr Pat remembered having joined the Dominican Order at age 20. His family had worshipped in the Dominican Church in Cork through generations – parents, grandparents, great-grandparents – and it was expected that many young men would follow in the friars footsteps.

He was among three of his graduating class to become a Dominican friar. This practice has faded over the years and of the 172 current friars affiliated to the Irish Province, 40 work overseas with Trinidad and Tobago having the largest number.

Fr Pat shared his personal views on the St Dominic’s Pastoral Centre which will be home to the Dominican Centre of Learning, the Dominican Book Centre, a state-of-the-art auditorium, the Dominican Secretariat and the Parish Ministry offices of St Finbar’s. In essence, Catholics are nourished in their faith by hearing God's Word preached in all its forms.

Preaching is the charism of the Dominican Order and is reflected in the phrase: “What you are speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say”. The Dominican has to preach through his actions.

A formal structure is being addressed for the Dominican Centre of Learning. Programmes are to be developed and consideration is being given to distance learning programmes with the Dominican Bible Institute in Ireland and the Dominican University in Rome (Angelicum) as well as other Dominican learning centres with which we will affiliate. A management team has been working with Fr Tom to formulate strategies for the Centre.

Both Fr Pat and Fr Tom agreed that the Dominican presence at Morne Coco Road has been cemented, as it now comprises the Priory, the Church and the Pastoral Centre. The Dominican signature is most visible in the artwork of the Centre.

They both agreed that partnership with the archdiocese is important and through the Synod Process, the vision and mission of the Dominicans and that of the archdiocese will work hand in hand.

During Fr Pat’s previous visit in February of 2006, he remembers seeing only the steel structure in place and he took home the drawings to review them and present to the friars in Ireland. When he arrived at the Priory on Thursday, November 29, he was pleasantly surprised at not only the size but also the superb quality of the building.

He was thrilled that the vision was near to completion. St Dominic’s Pastoral Centre fits aesthetically into the space on which it was built and complements the church and the priory.