DOMINICAN ORDER

DOMINICAN ORDER. Also known as the "Order of Preachers" because the order was founded as a preaching order, the Dominican Order's history in Dubuque began with Father Samuel MAZZUCHELLI. When Bishop Mathias LORAS wanted to establish a seminary, Father Mazzuchelli wanted to teach in it. Working together led to the founding of St. Raphael's Seminary in a small building behind the cathedral. Years were spent attempting to fulfill the dream of Loras. It fell to Archbishop Henry P. ROHLMAN, however, to establish MOUNT ST. BERNARD SEMINARY to which the Dominicans returned. The Dominicans also returned to provide a home and school for the student theologians who belonged to the Midwest Province of St. Albert. (1)

The Very Reverend J. A. Driscoll, O.P. supervised the renovations of the convent of the Good Shepherd sisters on Asbury Road into an educational institution and a Dominican Priory. Father Driscoll directed the activities of the Priory for five years before being assigned to Rome. The first scholastic year began in September, 1951 with seminarians from the ARCHDIOCESE OF DUBUQUE and the diocese of Davenport, Sioux City, and Des Moines taking their places along with the Dominicans in the classrooms. (2)

Following the construction of a modern addition to Mount St. Bernard Seminary, the Dominicans realized their facilities were outdated. The decision was made to construct a completely new Priory on land adjacent to the one being used. The new St. Rose Priory was established along Asbury Road with ground being broken in June, 1954 and the dedication held on June 4, 1956. The building had accommodations for 230 students and was designed to provide all the religious, educational and living requirements for the future priests and the needs of a Dominican house of higher education.

Silence was maintained in the halls, dining room and individual rooms. While the classrooms, library, professors' offices, auditorium and chapel were open to visitors, the living and dining facilities of the priests and students were not. The auditorium, designed as an amphitheater, had a seating capacity of 532. The entire building had seven wings with the chapel designed as the center. At specified hours every day the Dominicans chanted the Divine Office. A full-size statue of St. Rose of Lima, the first American to be canonized by the Catholic Church and for whom the Priory was named, stood at the right side of the chapel.

Unlike other institutions of higher learning, St. Rose did not need to form its own traditions. The personal theologian of the Pope, the theologians of the Papal secretariat of state, and the Holy Office, as well as the consultants to nearly all the sacred congregations governing the Catholic Church are trained in the same method and tradition. Professors at St. Rose held degrees from universities and institutes of theology and studied and taught in Oxford, England; Switzerland, Rome, Japan, Jerusalem, and the University of St. Thomas, the largest Catholic university in the world. A four-year course in theology was taught to the seminarian and Dominican students. Major courses included dogmatic and moral theology, scripture church history, canon law and the art of preaching. Students were also taught aesthetic, pastoral, and fundamental theology, history of the dogmas, and Greek and Hebrew.

The publication offices of "The Priory Press" were located at St. Rose with priests writing and editing theological works. Printing of the books was delegated to the commercial department of the Telegraph Herald. Teaching, giving retreats and writing theological articles was continued during the summer.

The Very Reverend A. A. Norton, prior of the St. Rose Priory, stated:

                The purpose of St. Rose here in Dubuque is to teach
                these young men of Iowa the sound, living theology
                of the Catholic Church. We dedicate our lives to
                this purpose, to give them a solid foundation for
                their faith and for their future apostolic and
                priestly labors so that they will be second to none
                in their work for Gold and His Church.

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Source:

1. "What They Wanted," Telegraph Herald, June 1, 1956, p. 12