In Rome, the X Association of the International Dominican Sisters Union

Wall Eileen Castro Matthews – Vatican City

Dominican spirituality, which focused on searching for the truth, preached the word and mission of justice and peace, was the center of this meeting. The presence of sisters from all continents, who are cultivated from prayer and the reflection of society rooted in Santo Domingo Sufism as an advocate, symbolizes the strength of brotherhood in the mission. The regime’s mysticism, which is constantly looking for truth and communication, feeds active hope in the midst of the social and spiritual challenges facing gatherings worldwide, which reaffirms the spirit of preaching as a testimony to life and the message of hope in the world.

The reality of Dominican societies: challenges and reactions

The meeting was opened with the participation of HNA. Margaret Mays, DSIC International Coordinator, who participated with the Vatican News Analysis of the situation of societies. He pointed out that “gatherings face a decrease in small professions and an increase in the number of older sisters,” a phenomenon that involves difficult decisions such as integration operations, appointment of commissioners and forms of new governance based on trust and faith.

Mays emphasized that “pain, change and hope are part of our reality,” and stressed that “the wider charisma, which we are part of, will survive to the extent that we organize sincerity to the Bible, and takes care of our sisters and accompanying new generations in their professions.”

Thinking about leadership and sustainability in the professional context

Mr. Kelly Konors, the Prime Minister, called on the participants to think about the established perceptions of the growth of societies. He said: “The decrease should not be considered only statistical data, but as a concept that can be converted,” he said. He motivated his presentation on the sisters on the question: “Do we focus on the quantity or depth of our missionary existence? How can we inspire in the midst of social and cultural transformations?”

Promoting leadership and advocacy in young sisters

During the association, the leadership development program was presented, and it was developed online from May to October 2024, in which 152 brothers from 45 groups participated. DSIC’s cooperation allowed Fayh and Praxis to enhance leadership skills, as well as enhance a deeper understanding of society’s feeling and mission. Sister Daniela Kiruti, the protocolic (Argentina), shared that “this program has allowed more communication sympathy, based on weakness as a source of strength to work with sympathy”, while highlighting the importance of accompanying young sisters in its career.

As part of its prophetic mission, HNA. Ezid Santina, coordinator of the Dominican Sisters Union in Latin America and the Caribbean region (Code) and a member of the Dominican Sisters group in Santa Catalina de Siena, from the Portuguese origin, “tightened” our main mission to strengthen the unit between the entire cars of the region. In addition, he highlighted the active presence of sisters in the land of the mission, such as Amazon, and in conflict areas, such as Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. There, preaching becomes a sound of hope and resistance, and it carries strength in weakness. “We are accompanying more than 37 of the indigenous population in their pastoral and spiritual service, as we are a pulse of breathing on the weaknesses they face. Our work is a silent but continuous presence, and through listening and prophecy testifies to life and communication, and enhances hope and dignity in the most vulnerable places.”

Voices of youth and drop for the future

The assembly kept a special space for the sounds of young sisters. Sister Margaret Mays shared a reflection of the Dominican mission. He pointed out that Santo Domingo, sending his monks to universities, all of them interrogated them, but he responded with confidence: “The accumulated seed, it works, but if it is scattered, it will bear a lot of fruit.”

He also recalled the trip to Caleruega, where the sisters drank from the water of the well where Santo Domingo was born, as a symbol of humility and deep root of our attractiveness. Mays stressed that the diversity of sisters of voices from different regions sparked the interpretation of the preacher in the plural world.

He said: “The association continues to listen to the younger sisters,” which highlights that five young actors, from different regions of the world and participants in the Caleruega meeting in August 2024, shared their dreams and tangible proposals with the Barreen. The goal is to enhance communication, deepen our joint domain identity and open more training spaces for new generations.

This meeting, which bears a strong Dominican identity, found that “in challenges there is a lot of grace and hope.” An example of this is the value of dialogue between sisters, with regard to diversity and evaluation of diversity as a transformative power. It has been confirmed again that we share larger charisma than any individual group: each society reflects a living commitment to the same call, which goes beyond and extends to the future.

This level of a women’s club between the Dominican gatherings is a blessing and a challenge: it encourages a greater sense of responsibility between the higher and sisters, in sincerity to preaching the truth, and in building a society, in diversity, strengthens and progresses to the light and hope in the world.