Anglican Order of Preachers


The Anglican Order of Preachers is an Anglican religious order sometimes referred to as the "Dominicans".
The Order was founded in the United States during the late 1990s by the Very Reverend Jeffery Mackey, O.P., but traces its spiritual heritage back to St. Dominic in the 13th century. The order includes men and women, married and celibate, ordained and lay, modelled along a third order-style rule. The order is a recognized "Christian Community" of the Episcopal Church in the United States, but has no official ties to the Order of Preachers founded by St Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III in 1216. While originating in the Episcopal Church, the order can be found across the world-wide Anglican Communion. The Order currently has members in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe, the Philippines, Australia and India.
Members of the order must be baptized and confirmed communicants of a church that is in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury. However, oblates and associates may affiliate with the order and belong to any Christian church. The friars and sisters live under a common rule of life and vows of simplicity, purity, and obedience. The spirituality of the Order rests upon four pillars: prayer, community, study and preaching/ministry. The order seeks to capture the spirit of St. Dominic's original 13th century preaching movement within the varied contemporary settings of its members. The Order is a diasporic community, spread throughout the world, and does not currently own any property. Members, however, practice their membership within "houses," which are based upon geographic regions and are led by priors. The bulk of formation of new members as well as much of the work of the Order is conducted through the internet, because of the diasporic nature of the community. Members gather, however, once a year for Chapter to celebrate the Feast of St. Dominic and regularly at mid-year houses.