Dominican Study Week in Dubrovnik

At the beginning of September three Dominican students from Blackfriars, Oxford travelled to the Croatian city of Dubrovnik to take part in the tenth Dominican Study Week. The theme this year was 'Dominican Spirituality in the modern world', and during the course of the week talks were given on topics relating to the way in which Dominicans live out their Christian vocation today. The Study Week is an important opportunity for Dominican students from different European countries to come together and share their experiences. This year students from England, Croatia, Poland and Spain took part.



To reflect the international character of the Study Week, we sang the Divine Office and the Mass in Latin each day, although the talks were given in English, Italian and Croatian, with a simultaneous translation service.

During the week we were guests of the community of friars at the beautiful 14th-century Dominican priory which clings to the walls of the old city. With its rich religious and cultural history, Dubrovnik is a true gem of a city nestled on the Adriatic coast in the extreme south of Croatia; the Dominican priory is just minutes from the beach and enjoys fantastic views of the sea. Although the city suffered heavy damage during the Balkan conflict some sixteen years ago today the city has been fully restored to its original splendour and tourists throng to the city. Bernard Shaw was surely right when he wrote that “those who seek paradise on earth should come to Dubrovnik and see Dubrovnik”.

On one day during the visit we were all taken on an excursion to three of the nearby islands of the coast of Croatia. We sailed on a replica of a sixteenth century ship. Although we fought bravely to fight off an unseasonably cold wind, wrapping ourselves in blankets, we were cheered on board by a hearty fish lunch with wine to the accompaniment of the accordion and Croatian folk songs.


The day before we returned home we were able to attend the ordination to the priesthood of our Dominican brother Mihael Mario Tolj in the Cathedral of Saint Mark on the island of Korčula some sixty miles from Dubrovnik. The ordination was followed by a substantial meal for about a hundred people hosted by the thriving community of Dominican sisters whose motherhouse is on the island. There was much laughter and singing at this celebration and it was a chance to experience what we had reflected on during the week - the joy of Dominican life.

We had much opportunity during this Study Week to reflect with other friars on the way the Dominican charism is lived in our respective countries, and we came away from Croatia with a deeper appreciation of the fraternal bonds that we share in St Dominic, love for our common mission, and gratitude for the hospitality we received from our Croatian brothers and sisters.