We preach for the salvatiom of souls.
The Dominican Family of Trinidad and Tobago

The Domoinican Friars of Trinidad and Tobago

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A Short History

 The Dominicans (Order of Preachers) are a Catholic religious order founded by Dominic de Guzman in 1215. The history of the Dominican friars here goes as back as far as 1513, when the first missionaries – two Spanish Dominicans, Francisco de Cordova and Juan Graces – set foot in Trinidad. They were also to be the first Christian martyrs, betrayed by the Spanish soldiers who came with them.

After a lapse of 350 years, the Dominican friars returned to Trinidad. They came in 1864, a party of six friars from the French province of Lyons, who had been requested by the newly appointed Archbishop Gonin, himself a French Dominican. On their arrival, they found four secular priests who had charge of the parish of Port of Spain. Archbishop Gonin and the six Dominicans took ip residence in the Cathedral presbytery, then situated in George Street. Due to its cramped size, the decision was made to build a new presbytery and priory nearer to the cathedral. This site was very difficult, being often under sea and regularly used as a dumping ground, so the construction took a considerable time. Eventually, on 16th February 1880, the completed building was blessed. Built in the shape of an H, and catching the prevailing winds, it could accommodate twenty persons, and included a large refectory and oratory. A statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception adorned the center of the garden (this statue can be seen today in the compound of Nelson Street Girls’ School). This cathedral presbytery was home to every Dominican who worked in Trinidad and Tobago, and became a byword for hospitality in the wider region.

As early as 1819, the British and the colonial governments made an arrangement with the Holy See to have the resident bishop a native English speaker, and the first such appointment was James Buckley, the president of the English College in Lisbon. The issue of language surfaced with Archbishop Gonin and the French friars, and prompted by Pope Leo XIII, the master of the order decided in 1895 to transfer the charge of the mission to the friars of the Irish province. As a result, Augustine Coveney was appointed superior of the Dominican friars in Trinidad, and in 1897 a contract was signed between Archbishop flood and the Master of the Order confirming the transfer. About half of the French friars chose to return to France, the remainder staying to work alongside their Irish brethren. In all, seventeen French friars worked and died in Trinidad between 1897 and 1933, when the last one, Fr. Eusebe Poulat, died as parish priest of Tortuga. When in 1943, the seminary of St. John Vianney and the Ugandan Martyrs was opened by Archbishop Finbar Ryan, the majority of parishes in the archdiocese were administered by the Dominicans from Ireland. The archbishop stressed the importance of guiding priestly vocations to the diocese, a policy that has been responsible for the establishment of a strong diocesean clergy, who at the time of writing well exceed the number of Irish Dominicans working in the diocese.

With the resignation of Archbishop Ryan in 1967, Michael Fitzgerald O.P. was appointed Apostolic Administrator of Port of Spain. During the short period of his office, he implemented many of the decrees of Vatican II throughout the archdiocese. When he resigned due to ill health, he recommended that the time was right for a Trinidadian archbishop, advice that was duly heeded when Anthony Gordon Pantin, C.S.Sp., was ordained to the see of Port of Spain and so opened a new chapter in the history of the church in Trinidad and Tobago. The matter of the contract between the archdiocese and the Dominicans was raised, but the vicar provincial at the time, Damian Byrne, felt that it was much better waived. Archbishop Pantin’s response is on record: "I am very much in agreement with you as regards the spirit of mutual trust and openness that must exist in our Archdiocese, and I am personally grateful to you for the part you have played in the promotion of this atmosphere of goodwill and co-operation. Unless therefore the Holy See or your own superiors or, as might possibly arise in the future, myself, insist on an official contract, I shall be only too happy to depend on the new approach and outlook to secure the well being of the church in this part of the world, without having to concretize it in legal form". Shortly afterwards the Dominicans took leave of the Cathedral Presbytery and handed over the administration of the Cathedral to the diocesean clergy. The community of friars transferred down to St. Finbar's church, setting up a home in the house of the Immaculate conception close by the church.

In 1963 the priory of Holy Cross, Arima, was founded, and many of its community were involved in teaching in Holy Cross College, built on its grounds. For a number of years, starting in 1979, it was home to the Dominican noviciate which for a while was a common noviciate for many Dominicans in the region A house of formation was established in the presbytery of St. Joseph in 1985


  The Dominicans (Order of Preachers) are a Catholic religious order founded by Dominic de Guzman in 1215. The history of the Dominican friars here goes as back as far as 1513, when the first missionaries – two Spanish Dominicans, Francisco de Cordova and Juan Graces – set foot in Trinidad. They were also to be the first Christian martyrs, betrayed by the Spanish soldiers who came with them.

After a lapse of 350 years, the Dominican friars returned to Trinidad. They came in 1864, a party of six friars from the French province of Lyons, who had been requested by the newly appointed Archbishop Gonin, himself a French Dominican. On their arrival, they found four secular priests who had charge of the parish of Port of Spain. Archbishop Gonin and the six Dominicans took ip residence in the Cathedral presbytery, then situated in George Street. Due to its cramped size, the decision was made to build a new presbytery and priory nearer to the cathedral. This site was very difficult, being often under sea and regularly used as a dumping ground, so the construction took a considerable time. Eventually, on 16th February 1880, the completed building was blessed. Built in the shape of an H, and catching the prevailing winds, it could accommodate twenty persons, and included a large refectory and oratory. A statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception adorned the center of the garden (this statue can be seen today in the compound of Nelson Street Girls’ School). This cathedral presbytery was home to every Dominican who worked in Trinidad and Tobago, and became a byword for hospitality in the wider region.

As early as 1819, the British and the colonial governments made an arrangement with the Holy See to have the resident bishop a native English speaker, and the first such appointment was James Buckley, the president of the English College in Lisbon. The issue of language surfaced with Archbishop Gonin and the French friars, and prompted by Pope Leo XIII, the master of the order decided in 1895 to transfer the charge of the mission to the friars of the Irish province. As a result, Augustine Coveney was appointed superior of the Dominican friars in Trinidad, and in 1897 a contract was signed between Archbishop flood and the Master of the Order confirming the transfer. About half of the French friars chose to return to France, the remainder staying to work alongside their Irish brethren. In all, seventeen French friars worked and died in Trinidad between 1897 and 1933, when the last one, Fr. Eusebe Poulat, died as parish priest of Tortuga. When in 1943, the seminary of St. John Vianney and the Ugandan Martyrs was opened by Archbishop Finbar Ryan, the majority of parishes in the archdiocese were administered by the Dominicans from Ireland. The archbishop stressed the importance of guiding priestly vocations to the diocese, a policy that has been responsible for the establishment of a strong diocesean clergy, who at the time of writing well exceed the number of Irish Dominicans working in the diocese.

With the resignation of Archbishop Ryan in 1967, Michael Fitzgerald O.P. was appointed Apostolic Administrator of Port of Spain. During the short period of his office, he implemented many of the decrees of Vatican II throughout the archdiocese. When he resigned due to ill health, he recommended that the time was right for a Trinidadian archbishop, advice that was duly heeded when Anthony Gordon Pantin, C.S.Sp., was ordained to the see of Port of Spain and so opened a new chapter in the history of the church in Trinidad and Tobago. The matter of the contract between the archdiocese and the Dominicans was raised, but the vicar provincial at the time, Damian Byrne, felt that it was much better waived. Archbishop Pantin’s response is on record: "I am very much in agreement with you as regards the spirit of mutual trust and openness that must exist in our Archdiocese, and I am personally grateful to you for the part you have played in the promotion of this atmosphere of goodwill and co-operation. Unless therefore the Holy See or your own superiors or, as might possibly arise in the future, myself, insist on an official contract, I shall be only too happy to depend on the new approach and outlook to secure the well being of the church in this part of the world, without having to concretize it in legal form". Shortly afterwards the Dominicans took leave of the Cathedral Presbytery and handed over the administration of the Cathedral to the diocesean clergy. The community of friars transferred down to St. Finbar's church, setting up a home in the house of the Immaculate conception close by the church.

In 1963 the priory of Holy Cross, Arima, was founded, and many of its community were involved in teaching in Holy Cross College, built on its grounds. For a number of years, starting in 1979, it was home to the Dominican noviciate which for a while was a common noviciate for many Dominicans in the region A house of formation was established in the presbytery of St. Joseph in 1985.
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To preach, to bless and to praise.