Acts of the 7th European

Assembly of Lay Dominican

Fraternities

Annex IIt
Lay Dominican Fraternities
in the Swiss Province

St. Dominic: Monastery of Bethany (OW)

FOUNDATIONS

On 17 November 1895, after three

years as a group, the first
fraternity of
the Third Order of Penitence
of St. Dominic, under the
patronage of the Queen
of the Holy Rosary

was erected in Fribourg by Fr.

Hyacinth Coconnier O.P, of the
Convent of Saint Albert the
Great, (known as the
Albertinum). Today there are
eleven members and a
sympathiser, who meet in St
Hyacinth's convent.
On 12 April 1922 it was the turn of the fraternity St Dominique in Geneva to be
founded by Fr. Duriaux O.P. Today there are twenty-three members. Ten people
come regularly to meetings, five are sympathisers and the remaining eight can no
longer attend due to age and infirmities. They study anything from St Paul's
writings, pope Jean-Paul II's encyclical on "The Church lives by the Eucharist",
to subjects in the news.

Convent of St Dominique and St Peter Martyr in Geneva, with the church of St

Paul in the background
 In 1942 Fr. Jerôme Schaffer O.P. founded the fraternity of St Dominic in
Neuchâtel. Today only two members remain, one of whom has been
recently admitted into an old people's home. The other, who is younger,
valiantly rejoins the monthly reunions with the fraternity in Fribourg,
which implies a train journey of xh and x changes.

On 13 February 1943 the fraternity

of L'Annonciade à Lausanne was
founded by Fr. Pierre-Marie Schaff
O.P. Today there are five members
and two sympathisers. They
describe themselves as being of the
4th age, and as such have difficulty
even to have regular meetings.
They feel that in the world of today
they cannot speak of religion and
that even their example of "a life
lived in a way that is as edifying as
possible, has no influence".

R.P.Pierre-Marie Schaff O.P.

In 1994 the fraternity of Sainte Marie-Madeleine in Fribourg consisting of
five members was erected in the convent of St Haycinthe by Fr. Jean-
Bernard Dousse O.P. Today the members are dispersed and are no longer in
contact with each other. Then on 9 January 2005 the Fraternity of Sainte
Rose de Lima was founded in the chapel of the Convent St Hyacinth by
Fr. Jean-Bernard Dousse O.P. This group of nine people started as a Bible
study group and after some years asked to be included in the ranks of the
Lay Dominican Fraternities. There are nine members and they continue to
study the Bible at their monthly meeting.

Chapel of Convent St Hyacinth (Fribourg)

 ACTIVITIES
Due to the fact that most members are advancing in years we have, in the
French speaking part of Switzerland, few activities either in common or as
individuals.
The fraternities meet on a regular basis according to their statutes and we share
an annual recollection. The highlight of the year is, however, the 8th of August.
Those who are able, converge on the Nuns monastery in Estavayer-le-Lac,
where we are invited to celebrate a solemn mass in honour of our father St
Dominic. Often, despite the holiday season, there is a crown of brothers
gathered round the altar which is heart-warming. After mass the sisters offer an
aperitif to all those who attended the ceremony. Then we of the Dominican
family, brothers, sisters and laity, have lunch together joyfully in the sister's
refectory. The day ends with sung vespers.
Monastery of Estavayer-le Lac
 Most of our members are or have been useful in their respective parishes as:
Readers, Auxiliaries for communion, Catechists, Visitors of the sick,
Accompanists of the dying, Animators for "La Vie Montante" (a movement for the
elderly), Social Assistants, Priest's/Convent helpers.
We also try to remember to inform any new parish priest of our Dominican
engagement, which is not always immediately visible.

Dominican Saints: Monastery of Estavayer.

Then there are those who read to the blind. Some people are proofreaders
for the brothers’ publications, others give help to the young foreign brothers
with their language studies, and others are translators and sometimes
interpreters.
University of Fribourg: Misericorde Building.

Those who are lucky enough to

live near a University, especially
one that, like Fribourg, has a
theology faculty animated by our
brothers, continue their personal
formation in the realms of their
interests.

My thanks go to:
R.P. B-D. de La Soujeole O.P. prior, for the photos of L’Albertinum
R.P. A. Gavric O.P. prior, for the photos of St Hyacinthe, and R.P. P-M Schaff O.P
R.P. M. Fontaine O.P. prior, for the photos of Geneva
R.P. P. Philibert O.P. for the photo of the University and to
R.M. M. Ribeaud O.P. prioress, for the photos of Estavayer