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The Friars of the Order of Preachers have a Genral Chapter every three years. Every Province is represented at every General Chapter. Every third General Chapter is an elective chapter at which the Master of the Order is elected. Father Carlos Azpriroz Costa was elected at the General Chapter celebrated in Providence, Rhode Island in 2001 so the next General Chapter will be an elective Chapter.
The 2010 Chapter will be in Rome and will begin on the 1st of September with the celebration of Mass of the Holy Spirit. The election of the Master will take place on the 5th of September and the Chapter will conclude on the 21st of September. [When we elect a prior, the Provincial is informed and asked to confirm the election. When we elect a Provincial, the Master of the Order is informed and asked to confirm the election. In our Constitution [n. 533] we read "The election of the Master of the Order does not need confimration."]
Each Provincal in the Order attends the Elective General Chapter and each Province, depending on the number of members, will send at least one more voting delegate to the General Chapter. In addition to our Provincial, Father Michael Mascari, Father Gerald Stookey and Father Patrick Norris will also attend. [You will remember Father Stookey as Promoter of the Dominican Laity during his years in Rome. He is now Prior at St. Dominic Priory in Denver, Colorado. Father Norris is Pastor at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Madison, Wisconson and sub-prior of our Dominican community there.] Fathers Stookey and Norris were elected as delegates at our Provincial Chapter in 2007.
Please remember in your prayers the delegates to the General Chapter from our Province of St. Albert the Great - and indeed all the delegates. As I receive more information concerning the Chapter Commissions on which our delegates will serve, I will let you know.
Peace, Fr, Matt Walsh, O.P.
p.s. This is a somewhat condensed version - everything is accurate but it is not exhaustive! For example, in addition to each Province going, some of the not-yet-provinces will go. I refer to Fathers Stookey and Norris as delegates - they are, but they also have a specific title.
