The Lay Dominicans of the Central Province of St. Albert the Great are a Third Order fraternity of lay men and women living out the Dominican charism across nearly the entire American Midwest. Before they approached 5 Stones, the Province’s existing digital presence was limited to a monthly newsletter and simple website. Their digital presence was not built to support the growing needs of both prospective and current members. As they experienced an exciting increase in vocations, the Lay Dominicans needed a better way to introduce prospective members to their way of life and connect existing members across dozens of local fraternities.

They came to 5 Stones looking for a stronger website that could better reflect their Dominican identity and invite prospective members into discernment. As the project developed, it became clear that the province also needed a member platform to support communication and administration between the numerous fraternities across the country. Our team conducted a technology audit to identify the right solution, then built both the new public-facing website and member platform as a connected system. Our partnership grew from an initial website build into a broader digital effort designed to serve both prospective members and the existing community.

The new website gave the province a clearer way to welcome prospective members and support their application and formation process. The member platform quickly gained traction, with hundreds of members creating accounts within the first few months. This also simplified a burdensome manual dues collection process for the province by moving payments online and automating renewals. With better record keeping, easier administration, and stronger connection across fraternities, the province now has a digital foundation ready to support continued growth.