The Dominican Order in Zimbabwe on Saturday 23 January gathered at St Johns Emerald Hill School, marking the Jubilee Year of 800th Anniversary of the official foundation of the Order by Pope Honorius III in 1216.
The celebrations were themed, “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel” and were attended by hundreds of religious and lay faithful from around Zimbabwe.
Fr Mupandasekwa CSSR, who was the main celebrant and homilist, encouraged members of the Dominican Order to follow with passion the ways laid down by St Dominic laying emphasis on the need to embrace study and missionary dynamism especially searching for new ways of evangelising.
“An ignorant teacher is very dangerous. Some of us are too rigid, inflexible and they fail to adapt to new ways of preaching the gospel,” said Fr Mupandasekwa CSSR.
He urged members of the Dominican Order to contemplate how they have been contributing positively to the Order in the past 800 years and how the breaking of vows and unfaithfulness also contribute to the state of the order.
34 Dominican Order lay Associates were received in the order and promised to live a life inspired by St Dominic’s values and principles.
Since their entry into Zimbabwe towards the end of the 19th century upon the invitation by the Jesuit Zambezi mission, Dominican Sisters have been doing notable works that include setting up and running hospitals, schools, preaching the gospel with an option for the poor being part of their core business.