Two members of the ecclesiastical hierarchy were received in the Priestly Fraternities of the Order in the Philippines: Most Rev. Socrates Villegas, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, and President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines; and Most Rev. Rodolfo Beltran, Bishop of San Fernando, La Union.
They received the habit of St. Dominic during the celebration of the Vespers at the Dominican Community of Manaoag on 12 June 2015 which happens to be the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as well as the anniversary of the Independence of the country. They received the habit at the hands of Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of the Philippines. Thus began their novitiate in the Order as members of the fraternities of St. Dominic.
The Dominican fraternity of priests traditionally forms a part of the Dominican Secular Third Order. Recent developments led to the distinction of the Third Order Secular Cleric members from the Third Order Secular Lay members (now known as Lay Dominican Fraternities). St. Louis Marie de Monfort and St. Arnold Janssen, founder of the Society of the Divine Word were numbered among its prominent members.
fr. Florentino Bolo, OP
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