5th day of October
In the year of Our Lord, 1215

Dear God,

I wrote this letter to you because your Church is faced with a severe crisis. Europe is fast transforming into a continent of power. Cities are growing, alongside industries. States are forging power, exercised by a  new class of officials and bureaucrats.

With these movements in society, people are becoming more aware of the inadequacies in their life of faith and the practice of religion. They demand evangelical preaching and doctrinal instruction - but they do not receive it. Of course, they still love and believe in your Gospel, but who could preach it in the towns and cities, to merchants and scholars, to intellectuals and craftsman.

I, Dominic, your humble servant desire to devote myself to evangelical preaching. I desire to spread your Word in towns and cities, among businessmen, craftsmen and intellectuals, and bring them to the truth of faith. I will preach to them the truth of your Gospel, which would set them free and save their souls.

Can I ask your permission, dear God, to gather companions and form a brotherhood? I will disperse them all, even if they are few, to different parts of the world, because as good grain that is scattered, they will bear fruit.

I trust that you will answer my letter soon. Lord have compassion on your people.  What will become of sinners?

Sincerely,

22nd of December
In My year, 1216

Dear Dominic,

I am so touched by your vision of brotherhood of preachers. According to Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, it is indeed a dynamic and moving vision. They were touched, too, and admire your zeal for souls.

Among everything that pertains to the salvation of the Christian people, the preaching of my gospel is supremely necessary to them because, as my Son told you already, 'man cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from me.'

'Preachers' indeed you will be, the name you do much desire. Each day, confirmed more deeply in me you will announce my Word, insisting on it, whether in season or out of season. You will burn inwardly with the flame of love and, like careful physicians, you will make souls fruitful salutary eloquence. And your field of action is no other than the field conferred by my Son, Jesus, on the Apostles - "all nations."

So start gathering persons mighty in word and work, capable of fulfilling to useful purpose the duty of holy preaching. Trust in me and the generosity of people, not in money and possessions. Build upon the generosity of the spirit, not uppon fear of law and command.

Go and preach boldly and confiodently, for I always keep you, even go before you, with my promise of exceptional grace.

Love,

Stages of Dominican Formation

I. PRE-NOVITIATE

In the Pre-Novitiate, aspirants to the priesthood and cooperator-brotherhood undergo the basic orientation phase in the Dominican formation which ordinarily lasts for three years. College degree holders stay for at least a year in the Pre-Novitiate House at Bucal, Calamba, Laguna.

Pre-Novitiate formation aims to facilitate the human and Christian maturity of the candidates for admission to the Novitiate and to provide a gradual transition from lay to religious life.

II. NOVITIATE

The Novitiate is a period of probation where the novices appropriate the essential and primary requirements of Dominican life. The process is the deepening of the experience of Christian initiation centered on the Paschal Mystery of Christ in the context of the Dominican life.

Thus Novitiate formation provides a protracted period of relative withdrawal and solitude sufficient to the novices to be at the side of the Lord "who invites his disciples to be in a lonely place by themselves." (Mk. 6:31)

The novitiate period includes a canonical novitiate year and several periods of formative activity which may be spent outside the novitiate house.

The Dominican Novitiate of the Annunciation, which is the novitiate house of the Dominican Province of the Philippines is located at the back of the Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag in Manaoag, Pangasinan.

III. POST-NOVITIATE

Upon religious profession, the brothers undertake the post-novitiate formation which leads them toward the full discovery and personal appropriation of their Dominican life and mission. The Post-Novitiate (Studentate) House is at Sto. Domingo Convent in Quezon City.