About St. Dominic Priory · Saint Louis, Missouri
St. Dominic Priory is the house of studies (studium) of the Dominican Friars, Order of Preachers — Province of St. Albert the Great — located in the Gate District of St. Louis, Missouri at 3407 Lafayette Avenue. Established on July 1, 1981, the priory is home to student brothers preparing for priestly ministry in the Dominican tradition, including members of both the Province of St. Albert the Great (Central) and the Province of St. Martin de Porres (Southern). The community's daily life is centered on the four Dominican pillars — Prayer, Study, Common Life, and Preaching — and is closely integrated with the nearby Aquinas Institute of Theology. The student brothers also run the website Friarly.com as an outreach for discernment and Dominican spirituality.
- Established
- 1981
- Patron
- St. Dominic (de Guzmán)
- Rector
- Rev. Raphael Christianson, O.P. (Student Master)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis
Why belong here
St. Dominic Priory is a Dominican house of studies, so 'joining' here is less about parish registration and more about entering into the rhythm of a praying, studying, and preaching community. Visitors are welcomed into the full Liturgy of the Hours — Lauds, Vespers, and Compline each day — and into daily Mass, with the Sunday highlight being Vespers followed by Exposition and Benediction. Those discerning a vocation can take part in the priory's Come & See Weekends and explore the 'Friarly Process' (Prayer, Study, Common Life, Preaching) that the student brothers share online at friarly.com. Anyone drawn to deep Catholic intellectual life, the Dominican charism, or simply a quiet, liturgically rich worship space in midtown St. Louis will find a home here.
Mass times at St. Dominic Priory
Weekly Mass schedule
Adoration times
- Sunday 5:00 pm — Vespers with Exposition and Benediction
St. Dominic Priory — Identity & History
St. Dominic Priory is the Dominican studium in St. Louis, established July 1, 1981 by the Province of St. Albert the Great. It is home to student brothers preparing for priestly ministry in the Order of Preachers, drawn from both the Central (St. Albert the Great) and Southern (St. Martin de Porres) provinces. After years without a dedicated residence, the community moved into the renovated former Loretto Academy at 3407 Lafayette Avenue in the Gate District around 2010–2011.
- Established July 1, 1981 as the studium of the Province of St. Albert the Great
- Aquinas Institute of Theology relocated to St. Louis at the same time
- 3407 Lafayette Avenue (former Loretto Academy) renovated and occupied c. 2010–2011
- Patron: St. Dominic de Guzmán (feast: August 8)
The Dominican Four-Fold Life
The priory's life is organized around the classical Dominican pillars: Prayer, Study, Common Life, and Preaching. Student brothers pursue graduate theological studies at the nearby Aquinas Institute of Theology, live in common with the broader fraternity of friars, and preach the Word through the priory's outreach — most visibly through Friarly.com.
- Prayer — full daily Liturgy of the Hours (Lauds, Vespers, Compline)
- Study — graduate theological formation at Aquinas Institute
- Common Life — fraternal community of priests and brothers
- Preaching — weekly Lectionary preaching and Friarly online outreach
Daily Liturgy of the Hours & Mass
The priory is structured around the full Liturgy of the Hours, with daily Lauds and Mass in the morning, Vespers in the late afternoon, and Compline at night. On Tuesdays the community celebrates Mass at Aquinas Institute at 11:30 a.m. The schedule below is published on friarly.com.
- Monday–Friday 7:00 am — Lauds & Mass
- Tuesday Mass 11:30 am at Aquinas Institute
- Monday–Friday 5:00 pm — Office of Readings & Vespers
- Monday–Thursday 8:45 pm — Compline (not on Friday)
- Saturday 8:00 am — Lauds, Mass, & Rosary
- Saturday 5:00 pm — Office of Readings & Vespers
Sunday Schedule
Sundays at St. Dominic Priory follow a monastic rhythm centered on the Liturgy of the Hours rather than a parish Mass schedule. The highlight for visitors is the 5:00 pm Vespers with Exposition and Benediction, followed by Compline at 8:45 pm.
- Sunday 8:00 am — Lauds
- Sunday 5:00 pm — Vespers with Exposition and Benediction
- Sunday 8:45 pm — Compline
Community Leadership
The community is led by the Student Master, the Dominican priest responsible for the formation and life of the student brothers. Province oversight is provided through the Socius, who also serves as Vicar Provincial.
- Rev. Raphael Christianson, O.P. — Student Master
- Br. Joseph Trout, O.P. — Socius, Vicar Provincial
Friarly — Online Discernment Outreach
Friarly.com is the priory's online platform for engaging men and women around the world in the Dominican way of life. It began in the Fall of 2010 as a classroom project called 'Preaching Friars' to share the student brothers' weekly Lectionary preaching, and has grown into a broader discernment and spiritual resource.
- Originally 'Preaching Friars' (Fall 2010)
- Collaborative project of the Dominican Student Brothers of St. Dominic Priory
- Showcases regular student preaching on the Lectionary
- Engages men and women in vocational discernment
- Articulates the four-fold Dominican life: Prayer, Study, Common Life, Preaching
Friarly Content Team
The Friarly website is produced and edited by a team of Dominican student brothers, listed on the 'Our Team' page of friarly.com.
- Br. Carlos Salas, O.P.
- Br. Dominick Jean, O.P.
- Br. Greg Dunn, O.P.
Come & See & The Friarly Process
The priory offers 'Come & See' weekends for men discerning a Dominican vocation, alongside a structured 'Friarly Process' that walks inquirers through Prayer, Study, Common Life, and Preaching. These are the main public pathways for those considering a call to the Order of Preachers.
- Come & See Weekends
- Friarly Process (Prayer, Study, Common Life, Preaching)
- Outreach via www.friarly.com
Contact & Visit
St. Dominic Priory is listed in the Archdiocese of St. Louis directory as a religious-order community. Visitors are encouraged to contact the priory directly for visiting hours, parking, and accessibility information.
- Address: 3407 Lafayette Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63104
- Phone: (314) 678-9427
- Website: www.friarly.com
- Diocese: Archdiocese of St. Louis
- Neighborhood: Gate District, midtown St. Louis