ÐÔÊÓ½ç

Founded by Dominic de Guzman in the 13th century, the Order of Preachers was a bold experiment that integrated contemplation and rigorous study with an itinerant life of teaching and preaching. Dominic wanted the order to serve from the heart of the church and to offer a response to the needs of the world out of an active dialogue with the best learning of the time. The unique gift—or charism—of the now global ÐÔÊÓ½ç family is a passion for truth, a passion pursued through communal study and contemplation and expressed in works of preaching and teaching. In more recent times, the foundational and sustaining elements of ÐÔÊÓ½ç life and mission have been named as prayer, study, community, and service. 

From the day you join the ÐÔÊÓ½ç community, you will come to view these four pillars as a way of understanding and supporting our mission to seek truth, offer compassion, and create a more just and humane world. We invite students, faculty and staff of all backgrounds and faith traditions to explore ways to integrate their personal beliefs with the four foundational pillars to advance their work and continue to help us grow as a community.

The Four Pillars of ÐÔÊÓ½ç Life

These essential elements guide us in fulfilling our founders’ mission and our institutional values.

Femail student walking on campus

Prayer

In private contemplation and communal worship, we meet the mystery and are nourished by the friendship of God.

Study

A lifelong commitment to study—through every discipline and subjects—both a distinctive feature of ÐÔÊÓ½ç life, and the essential purpose of the university.

Community

The university motto of Caritas Veritas, meaning love and truth, is a living reality on a campus where collegiality, collaboration and respect define relationships among faculty, students and staff members.

Student moving through a grpooup of students in the hall

Service

Education in the ÐÔÊÓ½ç tradition is meant to respond to the needs and address the injustices of the time in order to promote the flourishing of every human person, especially the most vulnerable.