Living and preaching in the peripheries

MANILA, Philippines - Dominicans are recognized around the world as preachers of the good news. A few good examples are St. Catherine of Siena, who used dialogue to convince a fearful pope to return to Rome from exile; St. Thomas Aquinas, known for his great intelligence in developing theological studies; Antonio Montesino and Bartolome de las Casas, who were champions for the indigenous peoples of the new world;  St. Rose of Lima, a simple woman, preached through her unceasing prayer for missionaries and advocated for the poor; and finally, St. Martin de Pores, who cared for beggars and the hungry of Lima, Peru.

These are the Dominican saints along with thousands of men and women who followed the spirit of Dominic and helped keep the Dominican legacy alive and strong in the world even to this day.

The Year of Consecrated Life and Year of the Poor proclaimed by Pope Francis highlights the life and ministry of one of the congregations of Dominican women who are not only living and preaching in their educational institutions but are also ministering in rural areas and in the peripheries of society.

The Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of Remedies was born amidst the winds of change after Vatican II in 1965. They were founded by Archbishop Emilio Cinense and the Adrian Dominican Sisters in Michigan, the cradle of their birth.

Four young Filipina women, namely Evangelina Fernandez, Esperanza Bonifacio, Digna San Vicente and Milagros Garcia were sent to Adrian, Michigan in 1962 where they had their initial formation.  After four years of learning, community building and other experiences, the sisters returned to the Philippines on Oct. 2, 1965 and became the nucleus of the new Dominican community. They are now known as Sr. Mary Dominic, Sr. Mary Joseph, Sr. Thomas and Sr. Regina.

The first residence of the sisters was in San Fernando, Pampanga in the marketplace where they encountered the many faces of poverty. In their mission, they manifested the undying vibrancy and enduring courage coupled with the mark of Dominican charism that is preaching the truth.

Dialogue of life with the different sectors was their means to be among people in the peripheries.

In response to catastrophic situations, the sisters of Our Lady of Remedies committed themselves to assist in uplifting the survivors from their suffering.

Breaking the barriers of cultural and social biases, the sisters opted to live and preach the gospel  with the Aetas in Villa Maria, Porac, Pampanga, exemplifying Jesus’ preference for the poor and St. Dominic’s unrelenting mission for the “salvation of souls”.

In schools, they serve the sisters’ ministry caters to poor families. The Holy Rosary College Foundation in Tala gives free quality education to the Hansen patients and their children.

During the pastoral visit of Pope John Paul II to the Philippines in 1995, he challenged Filipinos to share faith and life to neighboring countries in Asia. Keeping this in mind, the congregation established its first foreign mission to Taiwan through the invitation of Fr. Theodore Kuchniertz, OP, parish priest of St. Michael Parish, Tungkang, Taiwan.

In Taiwan, they ministered to overseas Filipino workers who were victims of human trafficking. The sisters were instrumental in the liberation of 23 Filipino and one Indonesian detainee smuggled from Davao City and later sold to Taiwanese groups for almost free labor.

In Norway, the Filipina sisters found their way to the doorsteps of some Filipino families in Bodø who hungered for growth in their spiritual life. They visited the homes of Catholics, and led prayer sessions. These activities were very effective in bringing back Catholics to the church, hence increasing mass attendance among the Filipino faithful in Bodø.

As Pope Francis exhorted the religious to go to the peripheries, the Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of Remedies will continue to minister to the people at the peripheries, to embrace them with love and compassion as they move forward to their centenary celebration of their Adrian Mission Chapter in the Philippines on October 2, 2015.