Retired Novaliches Bishop Teodoro Bacani is now part of the Dominican family.
The Dominican Province of the Philippines said the prelate together with 11 priests professed in the Priestly Fraternities of St. Dominic on September 28 at the Santo Domingo Church, in Quezon City.
In an interview, Bacani said he is happy that he is now a member of the Dominican Priestly Fraternities.
"I'm happy to belong to the Dominican family," he said.
"That means I have to live my priestly life according to the Dominican spirit as exemplified by St. Dominic and St. Thomas. I will accentuate preaching in my ministry," added Bacani.
The 11 priests who joined Bacani are Fr. Jerome Rosalinda, Fr. Rufino Sescon, Jr., Fr. Jose Francisco Syquia, Fr. Julius De Sagun, Fr. Rufo Ramil Cruz, Fr. Richard Lagos, Fr. Romel Cruz, Fr. Aldred Hordonez, Fr. Dioscoro Layug, Fr. Ramon Turingan, Jr. and Fr. Benjamin Valencia.
In a Facebook post, the Dominican Vocations Philippines explained that the Priestly Fraternities of St. Dominic are diocesan priests who are formally affiliated to the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) through a Rule of life that they profess, and so strive for evangelical perfection under the overall direction of the Dominican friars.
It said the origins of the Dominican fraternities can be traced from the Dominican third Order secular, which then included both priests and lay persons as members.
"With the cessation of terminological references to first, second and third Orders in the Dominican Order in 1968, there ensued the creation of separate Rules for the laity and for the priests, and the corresponding constitution of one and the other as distinct fraternities. Now existing as a separate association from that of the laity, and with its own distinct rule to follow, the Priestly Fraternities of St. Dominic continues to be guided by the Order in embracing the gift of the spirituality of St. Dominic in the unique context of the diocesan priests," read the post.
"Along with the special grace of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, which helps them to perform the acts of the sacred ministry worthily, they receive new spiritual help from the profession, which makes them members of the Dominican Family and sharers in the grace and mission of the Order, to the sure advantage of the local and universal Church," it further read.
"While the Order provides them with these spiritual aids and directs them to their own sanctification, it leaves them free for the complete service of the local Church, under the jurisdiction of their own Bishop," it said.