During the course of his nine-year term, one of the duties of the Master of the Order of Preachers—the successor of St. Dominic as head of the order—is to visit the communities of Dominican friars throughout the world. In these visits he speaks with us about our lives, observes the day-to-day operations of our communities, and joins us in prayer and recreation. These visits are compelling moments in terms of the fraternity and unity of the order. Because our profession of vows is made to him, the order “draws strength from a robust unity centered on the Master of the Order,” as our constitutions say. A visit from the Master encourages the brothers, connects us to the order globally, and renews our efforts in the trying task of preaching we dare to undertake.

The eighty-seventh Master of the Order, Bruno Cadoré, O.P., recently visited the House of Studies in Washington, D.C. In addition to the personal interviews he had with each member of our community, he also generously made time to offer a few pearls of wisdom about Saint Dominic in the video interview below.