The Southern Province
The Order of Preachers (Dominicans) has from its beginning in 1216 been divided into provinces, which are normally defined by geographic boundaries such as a country or parts of a country. A province is the "home" for an individual Dominican where he finds brothers who share his ideals and values, communities, and ministries through which he helps to build up both the local and Universal Church. Each Province is led by a Prior Provincial and his Provincial Council, elected every four years by the brothers of the Province. Together with the other forty-two worldwide provinces, they share a common brotherhood in the Order of Preachers.
The Dominicans were formally established in the United States in 1805, by Fr. Edward Dominic Fenwick, OP. Within a short time he established foundations in Springfield, Kentucky, and Somerset, Ohio. Two hundred years later, over 850 Dominican Friars minister within the four U.S. Provinces. Together with the other forty-two worldwide provinces, they share a common brotherhood in the Order of Preachers.
In the United States, you find four Provinces of Dominican Friars:
- St. Martin de Porres Province (Southern United States)
- St. Joseph the Worker Province (Eastern United States)
- Holy Name of Jesus Province (Western United States)
- St. Albert the Great Province (Central United States)
The Southern Dominican Province: A Young Province with Big Dreams
In 1980 as a response to the rapidly-growing Catholic population in the Southern United States, the Order of Preachers approved the foundation of a new Dominican province - the Province of Saint Martin de Porres. Also known as the Southern Province, it was placed under the patronage of Saint Martin de Porres. The geographic boundaries of the Province covers eleven states extending from Florida to North Carolina and west to Oklahoma. The majority of our friars live in Priories or smaller communities ranging in size from three to eleven friars. Our 135 friars minister in a variety of settings throughout the South.
A Diverse Province Serving a Multi-Cultural Church
Since the foundation of the Southern province, the Catholic Church in the South has experienced unprecedented growth, and with that growth an ever increasing need for priests and brothers. The influx of Latino, Vietnamese and Caribbean immigrants, as well as the growing African American Catholic community has created a wonderfully diverse and energetic Catholic faith community. The Province of Saint Martin de Porres stands uniquely poised and ready to minister to this culturally diverse Catholic population. Our Province has been blessed with vocations representing the multi-cultural breadth of the Catholic population in the South. In the relatively few short years since our foundation the Southern Dominican Province has grown into a joyful and diverse Dominican community, ready and able to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ in whatever manner or place necessary.
