We are the Saint Mary Magdalene Lay Dominican Chapter of the Southern Province of St. Martin de Porres, also known as the Raleigh Lay Dominicans. We are a lay community of men and women (married, widowed, and single) who are passionate about the charism of the Dominican Order (O.P. - Order of Preachers). We intentionally chose our website name (www.homeintheword.org) because of our deep love of scripture and our desire to share the good news of the Gospel with those we meet.
On December 6, 2017, the Saint Mary Magdalene Group officially became a Chapter upon receiving the formal recognition of the Southern Province of St. Martin de Porres and the approval of His Excellency Louis Rafael Zarama, J.C.L., Bishop of the Diocese of Raleigh.
Our community meets once a month on Saturday afternoons (from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.) at the Immaculate Conception parish in Durham, NC. While we encourage in-person attendance, we recognize that this is not always possible. For this reason, our Chapter offers a hybrid meeting option to bring those who, for whatever reason, are unable to attend in person.
Our meetings consist of breaking open the word of God in our monthly Preaching Circle, ongoing formation through the study of Dominican Saints, and a sharing of our community "Joys, Concerns, and Challenges" in which we support each other. Our monthly preaching circle is somewhat unique to our Chapter. During this time we break open the word together listening for what God has to share with each of us at this time in our lives AND listening for what God is calling us to share with those we meet in our daily lives.
Our Chapter also offers formation classes that include Inquiry, Candidate, and Temporary Promise for those interested in learning more about lay Dominican life. Our Religious Assistant is fr. Jude Siciliano, O.P. who we have been blessed to have served in this role throughout the formation of our Chapter. Fr. Jude currently resides in Irving, TX, and joins us via Zoom each month for our meetings.
If you are 18 years or older and would like to visit us or learn more about the St. Mary Magdalene Chapter of Dominican laity, contact Mr. Joe Randazzo. at 410-841-4817 or email josephjrandazzo1@gmail.com.