From August 19-25, 45 young Dominican sisters representing the five continental areas of Dominican Sisters International Confederation (DSIC) gathered in the birthplace of St. Dominic – Caleruega, Spain, to reflect on God’s dream for women preachers in today’s world.
“Each one of you belongs to an individual congregation – each congregation is a manifestation of a charism much larger than each one of us. We hope that you will grow in appreciation of the larger Dominican charism, of which we are all part. You are here today as a dream come true – so never underestimate the power and potential of dreaming.” – with these words sr. Margaret Mayce, International Coordinator of DSIC welcomed participants during the first joint session of the meeting.
During the week, the participants’ reflections were enriched by presentations from two outstanding Dominican sisters. Barbara Reid, OP (USA), who is one of the leading voices in feminist interpretation of Scripture, gave a talk entitled “A Spirituality of Open Eyes: Reading the Signs of the Times”, in which she encouraged the sisters to consider how to engage with the other; how be inclusive in every way and to define what we want to advocate for as women in the Church.
Ana Francisca Vergara, OP (Colombia), shared her vision in the presentation “Theological study and contemplation at the service of our preaching as women”, inspiring the participants to harness prayer, voice and contemplation to act and respond to the needs of the times.
Sr. Sabine Schratz (Ireland), who was also one of the participants of the meeting, provided an overview of the historical context of Dominican religious life from its inception to the present day, inviting us to look at historical trends and some highlights.
Throughout the days, the sisters shared in both language and regional groups, deepening the topics and ideas presented by the speakers. This space encouraged exchange of experiences, looking closely at challenges and opportunities in mission of each sister and reflection on what it truly means to be a prophetic voice today.
In addition to the reflections and presentations, the participants undertook pilgrimages in the footsteps of the founder of the Dominican Order, to places such as the Benedictine monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, where Dominic’s mother, Jane of Aza, sought counsel after her dream of a dog carrying a flaming torch; and Burgo de Osma, where St. Dominic was ordained a priest.
At the end of the week, the names of the five sisters elected to represent the younger Dominicans at the DSIC Assembly to be held in Rome in May 2025 were announced:
- Mila Diaz Solano (North America and Canada)
- Alma Zapanta (Asia-Pacific)
- Mary Onoshokhue Ekwe (Africa)
- Emilie Ruzickova (Europe)
- Alcira Guerrero (Latin America and the Caribbean)
It was a week of dreaming the future for women preachers around the world, walking together, discovering richness in the diversity of voices, attentive listening, sharing and laughter.
The participants have now returned to their countries and communities, carrying all learnings of this experience with them – and hopefully will to continue to dream, together.