West
Coast Dominicans Meet
New Wave Gathering
 |
Roseli (SR), Norfelly (Tac)
and Jane Ann (MSJ) share a cultural moment. Each one is from
the Philippines. |
Los
Gatos, CA, September 16, 2007-- On an Indian Summer’s
afternoon, 20 Dominican women religious from the communities
of Tacoma, Mission San Jose and San Rafael met at Presentation
Center in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains of California.
The
purpose of the gathering was for these West Coast women newer to
religious life, to pray, converse, preach and share recreation
in order to foster relationship-building in the call to Holy Preaching. At
the opening assembly on Friday evening, this New Wave of Ocean
Pacific Dominican women was reminded by S Pat Farrell, OP (San
Rafael), that the call to the Holy Preaching is not limited to
our words and actions; it is the very community that sustains our
life in service to God.
Time together
included reflection on Scripture as well as excerpts from the will
and testament of Saint Dominic and Henri Dominic Lacordaire’s “Essay
on the Re-establishment in France of the Order of Preachers”. Yet
the most powerful witness to our life in common was the shared
preaching on Saturday evening. In advance of the gathering,
sisters were invited to bring with them a sample or symbol of their
preaching for mutual sharing in the medium of their choice. Moreover,
if spontaneous preaching was the preferred method of sharing, that
too, was welcomed.
 |
The West Coast Gathering
included members from group representing Domincians from San
Rafael, Mission San Jose, and Tacoma. |
After a
relaxing dinner in one of the gardens, the sisters convened in
the Center’s new “green” Welcome Center where
for two hours gifts of individual preaching were offered to the
assembly. One by one these talents came forward: gifts of
poetry, photography, essay, song, and dance. Also offered
were insights from ministry experiences in prisons, in hospitals,
in home health care, in schools, and in campus ministry. The
gathering was moved by a reflection of what it was like to be an
immigrant passing through vigorous inspection at an American airport,
as well as a description of one sister’s witness to a group
of South Korean women who are calling for the cessation of valuable
land in their country being used for an American airbase which
could be utilized for farming. It was an evening of laughter,
tears, gratitude and awe. Later, many voiced how moved they
were in the recognition of talent, spirit and compassion among
their peers in Dominican life.
 |
Dominican
Sisters of Tacoma: Senaida Rivera, novice, Sharon Casey,
(prioress) Teresa Montes Lara and Norfelly Escander |
Sunday
morning was blessed by a celebration in the Presentation Sister’s
Convent Chapel with music provided by members of the three participating
congregations followed by a final assembly to discuss the possibility
and value of further gatherings of this nature. The participants
in this New Wave assembly enthusiastically agreed that future gatherings
of this peer group will be greatly welcomed. It was a weekend
of new beginnings, new relationships and a sharing of ideas from
the Ocean Pacific New Wave of West Coast Dominican Sisters.
Mary Kieffer, OP |
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