You are an integral part of this mission.
Forming Priests Who Deliver Hope & Peace
Our world is hurting. God’s Word provides peace to troubled minds and hope to broken hearts. Your generosity empowers DHS to spread His light in a darkened world.
Make a Donation
With Credit Card:
What Your Gift Supports
Bringing Light To A Darkened World
Preparing the brothers’ spirits for today’s many challenges so they may share the hope that comes through Christ.
Rigorous Academic Curriculum
By acquiring knowledge to understand the nature of God and the human condition, DHS trains preachers uniquely qualified to pray fervently on behalf of those in need of His grace, and to preach the Good News.
Alumni Who Preach the Gospel
Bearing witness to truth in varied communities worldwide, Dominicans preach in word and action, with names on their hearts as they appeal to God in humble prayer.
Rev. Thomas Petri, OP, President
A Story of Prayer and Mercy
Even when all may seem lost, even if we feel alone, God’s comfort and mercy are available to us through the power prayer.
I know firsthand the miraculous nature of prayer. Without God’s providence, a significant yet silent health challenge could easily have turned fatal. By answering the prayers of the faithful, God inspired a commitment to ensure every moment, conversation, and interaction is devoted to serving Him.
Click below to read my story and learn more about God’s hand in blessing and directing our lives every day.
Brothers in prayer
My life could easily have ended in an instant.
People often say this because of a poor decision or because they found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s not what happened to me. I had only recently made vows as a Dominican and thought I was walking the path God laid before me. I wanted to know Him more and to serve Him as He saw fit.
I was 26 years old and studying at the Dominican House of Studies. I felt like I had never had greater clarity in my life. I felt close to God and surrounded by like-minded friars guiding me toward my calling in His work.
Then everything changed.
What unfolded was a profound reminder of the power of prayer, God’s plan, and the humbling realization that we are not the heroes of our own stories but players in a more remarkable story authored by God Himself.
It was January 3, 2004—exactly one year since my father had passed away. That morning, my mother and I went to visit his grave, laid flowers, and attended Mass said for his soul. Afterward, I returned to my mother’s house, where I was staying for the first time since leaving for college. She went out shopping, and I found myself alone, making breakfast.
I felt “off.” The night before, I had enjoyed a late-night movie marathon, and I blamed my slight confusion, heavy head, and clumsiness on not being as young as I used to be, even at the ripe old age of 26.
But the symptoms progressed as I was doing the dishes. When my brother entered the kitchen, I couldn’t understand what he was saying. I felt like I was drifting. I ran into every doorframe as I made my way to the guest room, and when the phone rang, I could not hold it in my right hand. I switched to my left and tried to speak to my mother.
At this point, I did what they say you should never do. I laid down to take a nap. When I woke up three hours later, I felt better, but still not quite right. My mom, alarmed by my symptoms and apparent slurred speech on the phone earlier, rushed me to the emergency room.
At my age, the idea of a stroke didn’t cross my mind. But the hospital scans revealed I had suffered what medical professionals call a “mini-stroke,” a transient ischemic attack (TIA) resulting from a temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain.
The news didn’t end there. The doctors discovered I had a brain aneurysm—it’s likely that it had been there since birth. It hadn’t ruptured, but it was a serious threat. My doctor explained that it wasn’t a ticking time bomb but needed to be taken care of. The aneurysm was located on the circle of Willis, a critical artery in the brain.
God’s Hand in the Details
As shocking as this news was, God was already working through the power of prayer and providence. A friend of mine, a gastroenterologist, knew one of the world’s best neurosurgeons, Dr. Rafael Tamargo, at Johns Hopkins. They had gone to high school together in Puerto Rico, and my friend called in a favor.
Within a week, I had an appointment with Dr. Tamargo, who confirmed the diagnosis and gave me the same reassurance: “Don’t worry, it’s not a ticking time bomb.” Surgery was scheduled in a couple of months, but Dr. Tamargo had a sudden cancellation, and I was able to get my surgery rescheduled for just a few days away.
As the date neared, word of my condition spread through my community. Unbeknownst to me, prayers were being poured out to God on my behalf—from my fellow Dominican friars, parishioners, Dominican sisters, cloistered Dominican nuns, and even a Cardinal at the Vatican. On the day of my surgery, my home parish held eucharistic adoration, and my community dedicated the entire day to prayer on my behalf. Hundreds of people I didn’t even know were lifting me up in prayer, offering their time and hearts for my healing.
The Miracle of Healing
The surgery took place on January 25 (the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul), just 22 days after my initial TIA. I had been told the operation would be routine. Dr. Tamargo’s confidence reassured me when he said, “There are doctors equal to me, but no one better at performing this surgery.”
Still, he warned that there was a 10-15% chance of serious complications, including permanent disability, total loss of brain function, or even death. The thought was terrifying, but the alternative—doing nothing—was far worse. Without surgery, I was looking at a 100% chance of death if the aneurysm ruptured.
When I woke up after the operation, I was physically fine—no limitations, no disabilities. I was relieved and grateful to God for His healing hand.
The real shock came later when Dr. Tamargopulled up a chair and sat beside me. Eyes glistening with tears, he said, “God must love you very much because you should be dead or, at the very least, severely disabled.”
It turned out that despite the scans, tests, and reassurances, my aneurysm was indeed a ticking time bomb. When Dr. Tamargo saw it with his own eyes, the arterial wall was so thin that he could see the blood circulating through this main artery. I had been mere hours, maybe even minutes, away from a fatal rupture.
Moreover, during the operation, the worst-case scenario complication occurred. A clot formed that should have starved the left side of my brain of blood and oxygen for 30 to 45 minutes. What Dr. Tamargo called “an ungodly amount of time.” They had to use experimental medicine to break down the clot.
Yet, miraculously, I was fine.
Dr. Tamargo called it a miracle, but the true miracle came in the form of something I didn’t even know I had—a unique network of arteries that connected the left and right sides of my brain. He had never seen such a thing before. These connections allowed the right side of my brain to continue feeding the left, even when the main artery to the left side was blocked. It was as if my body had been made specifically to withstand this moment. He asked if he could share my case with his students and colleagues, as it was something he had never encountered in all his years of neurosurgery.
The Very Rev. Thomas Petri, O.P., President, Dominican House of Studies
Living for God’s Purpose
In the months following my recovery, I often reflected on the power of prayer during those 22 days. Without the prayers of my family, friends, and community, I know I would not have survived. The outpouring of faith, love, and trust in God from so many people wasn’t just comforting—it was life-saving.
We often think we are the protagonists of our own stories, as though everything revolves around us. But this experience reminded me of a humbling truth: we are not the main characters in our lives. That role belongs to God. Sin tempts us to believe otherwise, to think that we control our destinies, but the reality is that we are merely supporting actors in a much larger narrative. God is the author of this story, and our role is to trust in His plan, no matter how unpredictable or frightening it may seem.
Every day since that surgery has felt like bonus time like I’m living in overtime. I often wonder why God spared me. Maybe it was to perform a great work or to allow me to be President of the Dominican House of Studies, where we form and sharpen some of the most learned and zealous minds to go forth and spread God’s word, clarify confusion, and bring souls to Him.
However, I think it was more likely to ensure I was still in this world for conversations, moments, and interactions that at the time might seem insignificant. Our limited understanding of God’s providence cannot fathom how these moments can, in fact, change the trajectory of someone else’s life and create a ripple effect of faithfulness in a world in desperate need of hope.
In fact, years after the surgery, a Dominican sister told me that a conversation we had shortly after my recovery helped her find the strength to stay in her vocation when she was on the verge of leaving. Reflecting on moments like these makes me realize that my life, my survival, was certainly not for me. It was for others, and most importantly, for God’s greater purpose.
The power of prayer is not just about getting what we ask for; it’s about aligning ourselves with God’s will and trusting in His plan, even when we can’t see the whole picture. When we pray, we acknowledge that we are not the main characters, but rather, participants in a divine story that is far greater than ourselves and richer than we can imagine.
In my case, God has directed me to the Dominican House of Studies, where I am positioned to guide these future priests who will spread God’s love through prayer and teaching.
This work cannot be performed without your help. Please consider making a donation to the institution so we can continue to form learned men and women who will share the hope and peace only God can bring to a world in desperate need.
"The power of prayer is not just about getting what we ask for; it’s about aligning ourselves with God’s will and trusting in His plan, even when we can’t see the whole picture."
Father Petri
donate
Support the Dominican
House of Studies
Through God's grace, an increasing number of young men and women come to the DHS each year, dedicating their lives in service to the clarity of Christ and His Gospel. Your generosity supports our mission of educating and training the future generation of preachers and teachers as we unite to offer the hope and peace of God to a hurting world. We sincerely thank you.
