Dominican Life 
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From the Mexican Province of the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose
Two indigenous Tzotzil Mayan women, Dionicia Díaz Ruíz and Martha Hernández Santiz, entered the novitiate of the Dominican Sisters of the Congregation of the Holy Rosary in San Cristobal, Chiapas, Mexico on October 7, 2021. The Rite of Initiation into Religious Life was celebrated in a small chapel next to their convent.
After the candidates expressed their desire to enter the novitiate, Sister Rosa Pérez Godínez, Prioress of the Mexican Province of Cristo Rey, accepted them. The mothers of Dionicia and Martha blessed their habits with incense according to Tzotzil tradition. Then Sister Rosa blessed their scapulars, gave them their religious titles, and presented to them the Dominican habit.
The decorations in the small chapel reflected the novices’ love for creation and honored their Mayan culture. Long, green pine needles clothed the aisle and the altar. Swaths of rich, green fabric were draped across the ceiling above the pews. The rite of reception began with the “entrance of the flowers” where every participant walked in with a white rose that symbolized truth in Mayan spirituality. Due to the pandemic, only family and a few sisters were present. Most were masked. The beautiful presentation reflected both the solemn nature of the occasion and the joy of responding to God’s call.
Dionicia and Martha learned Spanish to better serve in the health ministry in their village. Education was not a local cultural priority for women, but both young women were driven by their desire to learn. Dionicia was unable to continue school after the elementary grades. Martha could not continue her education due to family financial constraints. The Dominican Sisters offered them, and other young, local women, the opportunity to study courses that fortified their culture. Dionicia and Martha gladly accepted. With their group, they named their school “jchimoté” in Tzotzil or “Our Growing Tree”.
Dionicia and Martha maintained their cultural identity as they pursued candidate formation for the Congregation. In fact, Martha feels that the journey deepened her understanding of herself and her heritage. Both women continue to speak Tzotzil, wear their traditional dress, eat local foods, and practice their Mayan spirituality. They also pray and serve people in their villages. In formation, their relationship with God flourished.
In her studies, Martha has learned about God’s directive to care for the environment. This has strengthened her connection with Mother Earth and reinforced her knowledge that all people are part of God’s creation. Through this, she has gained the understanding that she can be both a Tzotzil Mayan woman and a Dominican Sister. Dionicia finds value in and honors her Mayan culture. She vows that she will not forget it.
The story of Dionicia and Martha is not only about cultural dignity, but their response to God’s loving call to serve. These women did not always have religious life in mind. It was their love of learning and service that connected them with Sisters Helena Im and Francisca Quintero Osorio (Paqui). Sweet friendships and a sense of closeness developed among the four women. As ongoing learning was a desire, the Sisters’ offer to study quickened Dionicia’s heart. As she spent time with them, she heard and admired the way they prayed. The Sisters asked her what she imagined doing with her life. This gave her something she hadn’t had before, a license to dream. Images of walking with the Sisters frequented Dionicia’s nighttime slumber. Through this, God deeply touched her heart. She knew, that despite the potential sorrow of leaving her mother and family, God was leading her into religious life.
Martha found purpose in serving others but yearned for something more. Relationships with Sisters Helena and Paqui also played a key role in discerning her future. Martha took time to learn how to listen to God and hear his direction. She felt some fear and insecurity about committing to religious consecration. However, through contemplation, prayer, and conversations with the Sisters, Martha felt that something called her from within. Her path became clear.
Rites of passage, such as an initiation into religious life, bring about change. Daily existence is not the same. Days filled with prayer and meditation have brought Dionicia a deeper understanding of her emotions and how to share them. This knowledge makes her stronger. Now she desires to use these skills to help women in her village improve their family life.
The advent of Martha’s commitment is marked by happiness and a sense of assurance that she is following God’s path. She feels His presence and is aware of His continual help. Her world and thought life have also broadened. She now lives with women from cultures other than her own. Hearing their perspectives has expanded and further defined her sense of self. Martha has also found a new passion: the Care of Creation. She contemplates the ethics of sufficiency, finds great respect for Mother Earth, and believes humanity should take only what is needed.
Both Dionicia and Martha embrace the future. They know that specific plans remain uncertain but move forward with confidence. They have heard the call of love and are compelled to respond with commitment, devotion, service, and reciprocal love. They honor their indigenous heritage and take their place in society as women with purpose. Martha and Dionicia are loved by God and have committed to being vessels that pour out His love to His people and His world.
Chiapas is in Southern Mexico, and borders Guatemala. It is home to more than 5.2 million people, and it is one of Mexico’s most indigenous states. 36% of population are considered indigenous. 29% of those speak only their native tongue.
Many people would be excited at the opportunity to tour the White House at Christmas time. For Sister Raghad Saeed Saqat, OP, a Sister of the Dominican Congregation of St. Catherine of Siena from Iraq, it was a moving and thought-provoking experience.
Sister Raghad – a doctoral student studying physics at Catholic University of America – was invited to accompany Sister Donna Markham, OP, President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, to a Christmas party at the White House. Because of the pandemic, the party was a tour of special rooms in the White House decorated for Christmas.
“They decorated everything,” Sister Raghad explained. “There were different kinds of trees and beautiful decorations. … It was pretty amazing to see all the decorations of Christmas and all the colors,” with each room honoring something different, from nature to the military.
Sister Raghad said she was also moved by the parting gift of a White House Christmas ornament. “This is a good sign for the new year,” she said. “It will carry something from the White House to Iraq. It’s an instrument of peace.”
The experience at the White House brought mixed feelings to Sister Raghad. When Sister Donna invited her to accompany her to the White House, she said, she was worried. “I didn’t think they’d accept me as an Iraqi,” but she was cleared after her documents were checked.
At a deeper level, Sister Raghad said, the visit to the White House reminded her of her own country, which had been decimated years ago by the 2003 U.S. invasion. It was in the White House, she noted, that the decision had been made to attack her country.
The relationship between the two countries was also an issue for Sister Raghad when, in 2018, she came to the United States – first to study English and then to begin her doctoral studies in nano physics. She finished her academic studies and passed her comprehensive exam, and is working on research and writing her dissertation.
“The challenge when I came here was how I can be in a country that destroyed my country,” Sister Raghad said. “Sometimes I got to a point where I don’t want to stay here, especially at the beginning. You feel you have to be with your people.”
The Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Iraq have faced numerous challenges in recent years. In August 2014, the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena were forced to evacuate their convents on the Nineveh Plain with the coming of ISIS. The Sisters – along with tens of thousands of Iraqi Christians, Yazidis, and other religious minorities – were displaced for years in northern Iraq. In recent years, the Sisters and other local residents returned to their former homes, which in many cases had been destroyed by ISIS.
Sister Raghad said she had originally planned to study at a university in England, but the documents she needed were destroyed by ISIS. “We lost our convent, our books, even our documents – everything – but God was there walking with us, walking in our journey,” she said. “We need faith for sure, and hope that things will be better.”
Since coming to the United States, Sister Raghad has faced her fair share of challenges – as the only Iraqi student and as a doctoral student studying in a second language. “I am the only Iraqi student, and I am a Sister,” she said. “There is a mission here – not just to be studying here, but to show who the Sisters are, especially from a different country.”
Sister Raghad said her fellow students have shown a great interest in her life and in the situation of Iraq. “It’s very interesting how the people want to hear from me, and they are very respectful to hear me tell my story. They are wonderful people and they want to help me. Before I thought about what the U.S. did to Iraq, but the people [here] are amazing, how they try to help.”
Since coming to know people in the United States, Sister Raghad has served as a bridge between the people of the two nations. She tells Americans, “We are not all ISIS. There are really good people in Iraq. Do not look at us as terrorists. We are really kind people, generous people.”
On the other hand, Sister Raghad tells the people of Iraq that, although America is a powerful country, the people of the United States are kind and want to help. “They don’t want to make people suffer,” she said. “They feel our pain.”
Sister Raghad hopes to continue this ministry of good will when, after she completes her doctorate, she returns to teach at the University of Mosul. “I will be teaching Muslims and all kinds of people at the University of Mosul,” she said. “To be there as a Christian is a big thing, to give the people hope. Especially after ISIS, it means a lot to people to have a Christian there.”
In the meantime, Sister Raghad appreciates the people at Catholic University and the support of the Dominican family in the United States. “They are my family,” she said. “They are my Sisters, my friends for sure. Without them I cannot do this in such a short time. They encourage me. They’re walking with me.”
The Dominican Sisters of Hope are launching an intentional community for recent college grads at The Center at Mariandale in Ossining, NY, called the Hope Volunteer Community. This 11-month program will provide young adults with an opportunity to serve others and care for Earth in return for room, board, and a small stipend.
Volunteers will share meals, tend the garden, and serve the local community. Recognizing that young people are often the best “teachers” to their peers and to those younger, volunteers will also help lead high school and college retreats at the Center. The community will meet regularly with Dominican Sisters of Hope to reflect on their experience, gain wisdom and insight, and explore their spirituality.
Mariandale Executive Director Carl Procario-Foley described how the program came to be. “The Center recognizes the need to expand its inter-generational programs, utilize space creatively, and to offer meaningful experiences to engage future generations in transformative ways,” he said. “This program is a direct extension of the mission of the congregation, as it is hope-filled, aiming to cultivate the core values of Dominican spirituality in the lives of young people.” Goals include developing skills for sustainable gardening and serving community-based agencies, and learning new practices of prayer and contemplation.
“The program is ideal for young adults who wish to live in community and integrate service and spirituality into their lives,” he continued. “It may also attract young people who need a nurturing space to discern a new direction for their career.” Requiring a commitment of 15-20 hour per week, the program allows for the pursuit of graduate studies, should participants wish to enroll at a local university. Having previously worked in campus ministry, Procario-Foley understands that in transitioning out of college and entering graduate studies, “students may seek the supportive setting of a community to grow the values they hope to embody.” He sees the community element as key to the transformational impact of such programs. “We expect the volunteers will grow life-long friends and cherished mentors,” he said.
Many elements make the Hope Volunteer Community different from the 120 other programs in the Catholic Volunteer Network, according to Procario-Foley. Situated on Mariandale’s 64 acres abutting the Hudson River, participants will live in retreat center context, and the program will emphasize the integration of eco-spirituality and sustainable gardening with direct social service work. Applications for the cohort which begins in September 2022 will be accepted online through April 1st.
On Sunday, November 19, 2021, the parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Brooklyn, NY, celebrated the 90th birthday of Sister of St. Dominic of Amityville Ann Martin Kelly. That day, the sacristy of the church was named after S. Ann Martin as a way to honor her longtime 50-year service to the parish as a teacher and most recently as a sacristan.
It was a fitting acknowledgement noting her love of the Liturgy: “I love to see the church decorated, to change the linens, to see the priest dressed neatly and to help the priest celebrate with the people.”
As devoted as S. Ann Martin is to the parish is as devoted as they are to her! “It is obvious her love for the people of Our Lady of Guadalupe and their love for her!” said Sister Diane Capuano, a member of the Sister of St. Dominic Leadership Team who attended the special Mass with the Prioress S. Peggy McVetty.
For more than 50 years, S. Ann Martin taught first grade at the school there.
“I never got promoted,” she said with a laugh. “I loved the little children. I loved being with them and seeing their expressions when they learned something new!”
Perhaps her longtime ministry with first graders should not come as a surprise as she was inspired to become a Dominican Sister by her first grade teacher! S. Loretta Anderson in Holy Family School in Brooklyn was her inspiration!
“S. Loretta Anderson was devoted and loving,” said S. Ann Martin. She described how S. Loretta would play the violin for her class and encourage them to sing along. Their friendship continued when S. Ann volunteered in her classroom, helping out by washing the chalkboards and doing other tasks. S. Ann felt called to go to the Dominican Juniorate, but her father felt she was too young. Instead, she attended Bayridge Public High School and worked at a bank after graduation.
But the call persisted! She joined the Amityville Dominicans with S. Loretta as her sponsor.
Over the years, S. Ann served in various parishes including: St. Pius in Jamaica, St. Catherine in St. Albans, St. Hugh of Lincoln in Huntington Station and then back to St. Pius. As her parents aged, she asked to be near them in Brooklyn. She taught at Our Lady of Guadalupe for 29 years and has now been a part of that parish for 51 years.
Although she always taught first grade, she noted that in each parish she was asked to work with the second grade religious education students to prepare them to receive the Eucharist. She said that was her favorite ministry: “I loved working with them, instructing them in their love for Jesus. It gave me great satisfaction when I saw them receive Jesus in the Eucharist and the expression on their faces were filled with such joy — they gave that joy to me!”
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