Membership Support Need help? Have a prayer request? We’d love to hear from you. Contact us at any time. Email: development@opwest.org Phone: (510) 295-0115
Welcome to the 1216 Society!
Access Your Donor Portal wdp.givevirtuous.org
We, the Dominican Friars of the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus—formed by our vowed life of community, prayer and study—preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the salvation of souls.
Our vision is that every soul may come to know, love and serve Jesus Christ.
5877 Birch Court, Oakland, CA 94618 opwest.org
St. Dominic’s Orange Tree at the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome, headquarters of the Order of Preachers. (c. 1800s).
Welcome to 800 Years of Tradition
Your Giving Bears Fruit The History of St. Dominic’s Orange Tree According to tradition, St. Dominic brought an orange tree from his native Spain to the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome, which would soon become the headquarters of the Order of Preachers (the Dominicans). After his death in AD 1221, the tree came to have special meaning for the early Dominicans, often representing the life of the Order. What is more, in AD 1379, St. Catherine of Siena gifted candied oranges from Dominic’s tree to Pope Urban VI, reminding him that one’s bitter sufferings turn sweet when united with Christ. Continuing the legacy today, an orange tree propagated from St. Dominic’s tree grows at St. Albert the Great Priory in Oakland, the house of studies for the Western Dominican Province. The 1216 Society takes St. Dominic’s orange tree to represent the fruitfulness of your giving, connecting your generosity to our apostolic efforts over the last eight centuries through today.
Your Benefits of Membership
Thank You for Helping Us Bring Souls to Christ
Satisfaction Each month you make an impact and help the Dominicans lead souls to Christ. Connected You’ll be the first to receive important updates, announcements, and invitations to special events.
Dominicans are mendicants, which means we trust God to provide for our temporal needs through your kindness.
Control Call us or login to your donor portal to suspend, decrease or increase your gift whenever you need. You can even create multiple monthly gifts for all the projects you care about.
It has been this way since our founding in AD 1216. As such, the ongoing generosity of the faithful has formed a foundation of support that has made our life of preaching possible.
NoYour text Donor here; inside back flap pocket. Portal:ofwdp.givevirtuous.org
Today, you continue that mendicant tradition in our 1216 Monthly Giving Society. Your gift each month provides essential support for our efforts to address the intellectual and spiritual poverty of our time. Thank you for investing in our mission to preach the Gospel for the salvation of souls.
“ The priest is not his own, he belongs to Christ and the Church. He brings with him all those who have put him there through their own gifts and contributions. Your generosity reminds me how my priesthood is meant to be a gift to the Church and a sacrifice for the people of God.” —Fr. Brad Elliott, O.P.
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Convenience and Security Giving monthly is easy to budget and manage throughout the year. Your gifts are protected by bank-level encryption and security. Your information is never shared or sold to other parties. Reduced Paperwork and Expenses Monthly giving is automated, saving time and resources. That means your philanthropic dollar is stretched further, sending more funds directly to the apostolic work of the friars.
Recognition
Your membership is recognized on the special Honor Roll of Members in the private cloister of St. Albert the Great Priory, the Dominican house of studies in the West. When the Dominicans pass by, they give gratitude to God for your kindness and remember you in prayer.
“ I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” John 15:5