Catch the Fire Newsletter Articles
October 2026
Hello friends,
How is it already the middle of October? This month has flown by—and our 5th Annual Gala is just weeks away. I’m looking forward to celebrating with you and reflecting on all that we’ve made possible together.
These past few months have been an exciting whirlwind as I settle into this new ministry. Your warm welcomes, kind messages, and generous support have meant more than I can say. They have reminded me that this work is never done alone.
I’ve also had the joy of reconnecting with alumni from our programs and hearing where life has taken them. There have been graduations, weddings, new babies, cross-country moves, and dream jobs. There have also been heartbreak, loss, doubt, and the pressure to meet expectations, our own and others’.
Through every story, one thing has stayed with me: the foundation built through a high school or college conference, a Dominican school, a caring mentor, or a friendship rooted in faith can endure. Years later, people still remember the conversations, the laughter, the prayers, the service, the encouragement, and the sense that they belonged. Even when life has carried them far from those communities, something of that experience remains—a source of strength when the road gets hard and a reminder that God is with them and they are not alone.
I know that life rarely unfolds exactly as we expect. I’m still discovering my own path, too. But I believe deeply in this mission because I’ve seen what it can mean to a young person: a place to be known, a community to lean on, and the freedom to grow into who God is calling them to be. I feel blessed to serve in this position and to walk alongside the young people entrusted to my care, and the mentors and Dominicans that support and share in this vocation.
October offers us so many reminders of the strength and tenderness of faith: St. Thérèse and her “little way” of love, our Guardian Angels, Our Lady of the Rosary, and the witness of St. Francis. Their lives invite us to trust God in the ordinary, to care for one another, and to keep hope alive, even through uncertainty and tumultuous times.
As we move through this month and prepare to gather at the Gala, may we remember the young people whose lives have been changed by this movement and ministry, and all those who still need a place to belong. Let us keep them, and one another, close in prayer. May we celebrate the beauty of our Dominican Family and continue building the kind of community that helps young people persevere, flourish, and know they are loved.
With gratitude and hope,
Lianni Castro Teets
Ria is a sophomore at St. Thomas Aquinas College studying Biology. Outside of school, she enjoys playing the cello and guitar, as well as crocheting. One highlight of this school year has been getting the opportunity to conduct research in her college’s laboratory, where she is currently studying ladybugs and their biology.
The Light We Carry
Introduction
During the Preaching Conference, prayer becomes more than a quiet moment—it becomes a way for students to come together, listen deeply, and make space for God and one another. Throughout the conference, students work side by side to lead their peers in prayer, sharing their voices, hopes, questions, and faith with the community.
These moments remind us that preaching begins with listening: listening to God, to the people around us, and to the stirrings of our own hearts. When students invite one another into prayer, they help create a community where everyone can pause, reflect, and feel connected.
The reflection below was written by Ria and shared with her fellow students. May her words offer a moment of peace, encouragement, and inspiration—and remind us that even a simple prayer can help us recognize the presence of God in our lives.
Ria's Reflection
Tonight began with a single flame.
Such a small thing.. quiet, fragile, almost insignificant. And yet the moment it was lit, the darkness had to move around it.
I think that says something about God.
Because God rarely enters our lives the way we expect. Not always through spectacle or overwhelming power, but often gently— through conviction, through mercy, through the slow realization that even after everything, He is still calling us back to Him.
And the strange thing about light is that it reveals what darkness was hiding.
It reveals our pride. Our bitterness. The parts of ourselves we try to outrun. The exhaustion of pretending we are fine without God. We spend so much of life trying to fill ourselves with things that promise meaning, only to discover that the soul cannot survive on attention, achievement, or temporary happiness. Eventually, every worldly thing asks to be worshipped and still leaves us empty.
But the presence of God does the opposite.
God does not consume the soul. He restores it.
That is why Saint Paul does not describe holiness as becoming more impressive. He describes it as becoming more alive. A person truly filled with the Spirit begins to carry something the world cannot manufacture: a kind of peace that survives suffering, a softness that cruelty cannot harden, a love that remains even when it costs something.
And maybe that is what makes holiness so powerful. It is not performance. It is transformation.
You can hear that transformation in Mary’s words: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.”
Mary disappears into the glory of God so completely that all attention turns away from her and toward Him. And paradoxically, that is where she becomes most radiant.
Because the holiest people are never obsessed with themselves. They become transparent to God. When you encounter them, you leave thinking not about how extraordinary they were, but about how real God suddenly felt in their presence.
And honestly, I think every human heart is searching for that light, even when we pretend otherwise.
We want something eternal. Something that will not abandon us. Something stronger than death, stronger than failure, stronger than our own brokenness.
And Christianity dares to answer that longing with a person: Jesus Christ.
The God who enters darkness Himself so that no darkness could ever separate us from Him again.
That is the light we carry tonight.
Not our own goodness. Not our own strength.
Only the quiet miracle that God is still willing to dwell within fragile people and make them shine.
Amen.
Congratulations to the Spirit of the Founders award winners pictured here, Dr. Rob Stauffer, Emma Gribben, and Maureen Amato. Photo credit: Dominican University New York
Keeping the Flame Alive
Alumni Features
“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” St. Catherine of Siena
For Emma Gribben, these words are more than an inspiring quote, they’re a reminder to bring faith, purpose, and heart to everything she does.
A junior at Dominican University in New York, Emma was honored with the Spirit of the Founders Award. The award recognizes students, faculty, and staff who embody the Four Dominican Pillars of truth, study, community, and service, and demonstrate the leadership and character at the heart of the university’s Dominican heritage. Emma’s recognition celebrates the way she lives those values and the positive spirit she brings to her community.
Attending the 2026 College Preaching in Action Conference became a meaningful part of that journey. The experience helped Emma feel more deeply connected to her faith and to the Dominican community around her. It also gave her fresh motivation, something she could carry home and put into practice long after the conference ended.
For Emma, that renewed sense of purpose is already finding its way into the year ahead. As she prepares to begin basketball season with her team, she brings with her not only the excitement of a new season, but also the encouragement and inspiration she found through the conference. Faith, community, and teamwork may take different forms, but each offers a chance to grow, support others, and bring your best self to the community.
“Since attending the Dominican Youth Movement Conference, I’ve felt more connected to my faith and to my Dominican community. The experience gave me a new sense of motivation that I’ve carried with me into this year and I will continue to carry with me as I begin the basketball season with my team.”
Emma’s story is a beautiful reminder that a powerful experience shouldn’t end when the event is over. It can become a spark, one that continues to guide us in our studies, relationships, faith, and everyday choices. As Emma steps into a new season, she carries that spark with her, ready to keep growing, serving, and sharing her gifts with the people around her.
From student to mentor—and now soon-to-be dad—Matteo Gomez has carried the spirit of the College Preaching Conference with him every step of the way.
Matteo first attended as a student in 2017, then returned as a mentor in 2018 and 2019. Since then, life has been full of exciting milestones: he got married, became a godparent, earned two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree, taught at Barry University, and landed a job with his dream company. And there’s one more big adventure just around the corner: fatherhood!
As a graduate of Barry University in FL, Matteo continues to preach not only with words, but through the way he lives. He studies the Bible and prays the rosary every day, this has become something he looks forward to, and he and his family share this daily devotion, encouraging friends and relatives to join them.
What does Matteo remember most about the conference? “The people.” Even when years pass between conversations, social media helps everyone stay connected. He treasures the feeling of being surrounded by people with a shared purpose, along with all the moments that made the conference special: the welcome, the dinners, learning about the Dominicans, the service day, and the final Mass. As Matteo puts it, “Everything. It was so special.”
Thank you Mateo for continuing to share the spirit of the Dominican Youth Movement!
Emma reading her school’s Action plan during our closing Liturgy of the
College Preaching in Action Conference
Mateo Gomez
2019 College Conference: The mentors and participants from Barry University, Richard Clements, Mateo Gomez, Deborah Montoya, Christelle Luc, and Jessica Victor
A Spark that Sets Hearts On Fire
Dear Young Friends,
Among all the groups linked to the Order, the International Dominican Youth Movement occupies a unique place. It is the only one whose defining characteristic is something that naturally passes with time: youth. Unlike the various branches of the Dominican Family, each of which is ordered toward a lifelong commitment, the IDYM is
intentionally and properly a time of discernment. It is a privileged season in which
you are invited to ask, with honesty and with freedom, whether the Dominican way
of life is truly your home and, if it is, in which particular expression of that vocation
the Lord is calling you to live it: as a lay Dominican, a member of a secular institute,
an apostolic sister, a contemplative nun, or a friar.
Over time, participation in the Dominican Youth Movement may foster in some of
you a profound sense of belonging to the Dominican Family and a deep identification
with its charism and mission, even without leading you to discern a vocation within
any of its particular branches. This, too, is a genuine grace. The Dominican tradition
has always radiated far beyond the formal boundaries of the Order, enriching the life
of the Church through men and women whose minds and hearts have been formed
by its love of truth, contemplation, fraternity, and preaching, inspired by the witness
of the countless holy men and women whom God has raised up within the Dominican
Family.
First, it is important to recognize that something has drawn you to the Dominican
Family. Attend carefully to this attraction, for throughout the Scriptures, we see how
God calls people before they fully understand the path that lies before them. Perhaps
He is doing the same with you. The Lord, who knows the human heart more
intimately than we ever can, is often at work within us long before we recognize His
presence.
Perhaps you cannot yet name what you are seeking. You know only that there is a
longing within you: to seek the truth with humility, to contemplate God in prayer,
and to belong to a family that, for more than eight centuries, has shared with the
Church and the world the fruits of contemplation through the many forms of
Dominican preaching. Such a longing is not a conclusion; it is an invitation. And I write
this letter to encourage you to listen to it more attentively.
In a sense, you are being drawn to Saint Dominic himself and to the extraordinary
family that has grown in its mission to preach the Gospel across more than eight
centuries. Consider those who have walked this path before you: Thomas Aquinas,
whose immense intellect was always at the service of a deeper love of God; Catherine
of Siena, who, without formal learning, spoke courageously to popes because she
loved Christ and His Church; Martin de Porres, who revealed the dignity of humble
service by caring for the sick and forgotten with quiet joy; Beato Angelico, whose art
became a form of prayer and whose contemplative gaze transfigured beauty into an
eloquent preaching of the Gospel; Pier Giorgio Frassati, whose youthful vitality, love
for the poor, and delight in friendship remind us that holiness belongs not only to the
old, but to every generous heart. Their lives were remarkably different. They preached
in universities and marketplaces, in convents and hospitals, through scholarship,
contemplation, works of mercy, and simple friendship. Yet they belonged to one
another because they belonged first to Christ. The same Dominican spirit animated
them all: the search for truth in community, the love of prayer, compassion for those
in need, and the desire to share the light of the Gospel. If something in their lives
resonates with your own heart, do not dismiss it lightly. Such recognition may be more
than admiration. It may be the beginning of a conversation that God has long desired
to have with you, a conversation about the person he created you to become and the
place where your gifts may best serve His Kingdom.
It is precisely that conversation which we call discernment, and it is worth pausing to
understand what discernment truly is and is not. It is not a technique to be mastered,
nor a matter of personality profiles or vocational aptitude, useful though such tools
may be. At its heart, discernment is the patient art of learning to listen: to the voice of
God, to the deepest movements of one’s own heart, and to the needs of the world that
God loves with inexhaustible tenderness. Such attentiveness cannot be hurried.
Indeed, uncertainty is often not an obstacle to discernment but one of its indispensable companions. It teaches us humility, disposes us to listen, and gradually frees us from the illusion that our lives are ultimately our own to control.
Many young people fear making the wrong choice, as though God were waiting to
expose a mistake or withdraw His call if they took a mistaken path. But this is not the
God revealed in Jesus Christ. The Lord whom we meet in the Gospel is the Good
Shepherd who seeks the lost, the Father who waits for His children, the risen Christ
who walks beside discouraged disciples before they are able to recognise him. On the
road to Emmaus, he accompanies them with remarkable patience, opening the
Scriptures and rekindling hope long before their eyes are opened. Such is the manner
of God’s providence. He does not cease accompanying those whom he calls.
The Dominican Family has always sought to become a school of this patient
attentiveness. Saint Dominic himself was never a man of restless urgency. Before his
preaching mission gradually gave birth to the Order, he spent years in fidelity as a
canon in Osma: praying the Divine Office, studying the Sacred Scriptures, sharing
fraternity, and learning the discipline of contemplation. Those hidden years were not
a prelude to his vocation; they were its very foundation. Only one who has first
learned to listen can truly become a preacher. Only one who has learned to stand
before God in silence can speak a word capable of reaching the human heart.
This is the life to which we invite you, a way of following Christ. It is sustained by the
conviction that truth is worthy of our lifelong pursuit, that the beauty of God deserves
our contemplation, and that what is received in prayer cannot remain a private
possession but must become a gift for others. As Saint Thomas Aquinas expresses it
so profoundly: “Just as it is better to enlighten than merely to shine, so is it better to
give to others the fruits of one’s contemplation than merely to contemplate”1. Our
study, our contemplation, and our preaching are never ends in themselves. They are
expressions of the compassion of Christ, who desires that every person may come to
know the truth that sets us free.
This vision takes flesh in ways that are ordinary yet transformative. It is present in
study that gradually becomes prayer, and in prayer that gradually illuminates
everything else. It is alive in conversations that go on longer than planned because the
question being discussed turns out to matter more than anyone realised. It is felt in
friendships rooted not merely in shared interest but in a shared love of Christ and of
the truth he embodies. And it finds its fullest expression in preaching, which in the
Dominican tradition arises not from possessing every answer but from faithfully and
joyfully seeking the One who is Truth itself. Again and again, those who enter the
Dominican tradition discover that the writings of Thomas Aquinas, Catherine of
Siena, Meister Eckhart, or countless other Dominican teachers illuminate questions
they once believed belonged to them alone. The communion of saints reminds us that
the search for truth is never a solitary undertaking. As Saint Albert the Great reminds
us: the search for truth is not meant to be a solitary journey for we ought to seek the
truth in the sweetness of fellowship and fraternity (in dulcedine societatis quaerere veritatem2).
As you discern your own path, the richness and diversity of the Dominican Family
may at first seem overwhelming. The friars, the contemplative nuns, the apostolic
sisters, and the lay Dominicans all share the one Dominican charism, each
according to a distinct form of life. These are not competing vocations but
complementary expressions of a single grace. The nun who keeps vigil in the
contemplative silence of the monastery, the friar who proclaims the Gospel, the sister
who serves Christ in apostolic ministry, and the lay Dominican who bears witness to
the Gospel in family life, professional work, and civic engagement all participate in
the one mission entrusted to Saint Dominic: to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15) and
thus to lead others to the saving truth of Jesus Christ (cf.1 Tim 2:4).
Perhaps, then, your first question is not yet which form of life God is calling you to
embrace. The deeper question is whether this Dominican way of following Christ
resonates with the deepest desires of your heart. Does the love of truth awaken
something within you? Does a life shaped by prayer, study, fraternity, and preaching
seem strangely familiar, as though it were answering a longing you have carried for
many years without knowing its name?
The answer unfolds gradually. Pray faithfully, and allow your prayer to be honest
before God. Seek the guidance of a wise spiritual director or confessor who is willing
to challenge as well as encourage you. Remain close to the Dominican community.
Observe not whether its members are flawless, for we are not, but whether, amid the
demands and sacrifices of our vocation, we possess the profound joy that comes from
belonging wholly to Christ. Such joy is one of the surest signs of an authentic vocation.
In the end, vocation is not the acceptance of a mission or the pursuit of a career. It is
the discovery of the place where God’s call and the deepest truth of your own life
meet. It is there that a person gradually becomes fully alive, fully free, and fully at
home in Christ.
The familiar adaptation of Saint Catherine’s words: “Be who God meant you to be,
and you will set the world on fire”3 are not an invitation to self-assertion, but to
holiness. Catherine understood that the renewal of our world does not begin with
grand strategies, but with men and women who allow themselves to be transformed
by grace.
Dear friends, the fire that God kindled in the heart of Saint Dominic more than eight
centuries ago has never ceased to burn. It continues to illuminate minds, to enkindle
hearts, and to send preachers into the world. If you have begun to feel even a spark of
that fire, do not be afraid. It may be that the Lord is inviting you to draw nearer, to
listen more deeply, and to discover the joy of walking with him in the company of
Saint Dominic and the whole Dominican Family.
May Mary, Queen of Preachers, accompany you with her maternal care, strengthen
you in your discernment, and lead you always to the joy of following her Son.
Your brother in Saint Dominic,
Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, OP
Master of the Order
P.S. This letter is being sent also to all the members of the Dominican Family, as a
reminder that accompanying young people in their discernment is a responsibility we
all share. I encourage each of them to welcome you with fraternal warmth, to pray for
you faithfully, and to help you discern the particular path by which the Lord is calling
you to share in the mission and the joy of Saint Dominic.
1 St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, Q. 188, A. 6.
2 St. Albert the Great, In Politicorum, lib. VIII, tract. 1, c. 6 (ed. Borgnet, VIII, 803–804).
3 St. Catherine of Siena, Letter to Stefano Maconi (Letter 368): “If you are what you should be, you will set all Italy on fire.” The widely circulated version, “Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world ablaze,” is a modern adaptation, echoed by Pope John Paul II in his Homily at the Closing Mass of World Youth Day, Tor Vergata, Rome, 20 August 2000.
The Torch, Moving Through the Darkness
Dominican Month of Peace
For nine years, the Dominican Family has used the Month of Peace to shine a light on a country facing serious conflict and human-rights challenges. We’ve prayed and stood in solidarity with people in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Ukraine, Venezuela, Myanmar, the Peruvian Amazon, Haiti, and Cameroon.
In 2026, our focus turns to Mexico—a meaningful choice as the Dominican Family marks 500 years of presence and preaching there.
The Month of Peace begins on the first Sunday of Advent. This year, that’s November 29, 2026. It’s a time to pray for people facing hardship and to show that they’re not forgotten. Many people in Mexico are living with violence and fear, including forced disappearances linked largely to organized criminal groups. Indigenous communities, women, girls, and young people also face serious violence.
This year’s theme is: “Mexico: A Country Thirsting for Peace.”
We are invited to:
-
Organize pastoral activities and other public events to promote solidarity and offer prayers for the people of Mexico.
-
Publicize these activities and invite your communities, the institutions entrusted to your care, and your friends to participate in raising awareness about the situation in Mexico.
-
For more information and resources go to https://www.op.org/dominican-month-for-peace-2026/ or contact Fr. Dennis Woerter at frdennis@boilercatholics.org.
So What's the Answer?
St. Pius
Saint Pius V (A Dominican Pope!) promoted the Rosary because he believed the Christian victory at the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571, came through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, invoked through prayer of the Rosary. He had urged Christians to pray it before the battle, and afterward established October 7 as a feast honoring Our Lady of Victory—later known as Our Lady of the Rosary.
Great Opportunity for Young People Passionate about
Our Earth!
Catholic Climate Covenant is excited to launch their Young Adult Influencers Program, a six month fellowship for young adults ages 18-35 who are passionate about faith, climate justice, and storytelling. Fellows will create and share compelling stories to connect Catholic faith to environmental justice issues, culture and current events on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube.
Fellows will receive a $1,000 stipend, participate in an opening in-person retreat (January 2027) and monthly virtual cohort gatherings, and have opportunities to learn from one another and from Catholic Climate Covenant Staff and partners.
Get your application in by Friday, October 30, 2026. If you are excited about using your voice and creativity to spread hope about our common home, you should definitely apply! You don’t have to already have a large following or professional media experience!
Questions? Reach out to Emily Burke emily@catholicclimatecovenant.org or check out more information on their website https://catholicclimatecovenant.org