One cannot belong to God without belonging to others
From Lima to the world, 144 communities spread across five continents. They are in Angola, Cameroon, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo; they are in China, the Philippines, India, Taiwan, Vietnam, and East Timor; they are in Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic; they are in Australia; they are in Spain and Portugal. They are where no one else wants to be, they are where they are most needed.
Since 1918, they have followed the voice of Father Ramon Zubieta and Mother Ascensión Nicol, always listening to the cry of the weakest, the poorest, the marginalized, the victims of injustice, and, in particular, women.
They are Missionaries. “Women of faith, united by Jesus’ dream of a reconciled humanity. They believe in universal fraternity and that it is possible to build another world from the diversity and richness of each people, community, and person,” and for this reason, they live in small communities that share life and mission. They are Dominican Sisters. They seek “fraternal community, through study and prayer, the necessary light to discover God’s presence in the midst of our reality, recognizing the signs of life and the shadows that traverse our wounded humanity. It is the Word of God that nourishes their commitment to the Kingdom and drives initiatives and projects.”
They are Sisters of the Rosary. “In Mary, they recognize the faithful disciple, the woman who works and prays, who builds fraternity, available, who allows herself to be loved.” Inspired by Mary, they make love for others the center of their lives.
As Sister Deolinda says, “One cannot belong to God without belonging to others.”
And for this reason, wherever they go, they give everything. Wherever they go, they give themselves. They even give their own lives.
Wherever they go, they walk in the shoes of others and journey with them.
Wherever they go, they fight for justice, for peace, for human rights, and for equality. Wherever they go, they build bridges between God and humanity, and among people themselves.
Wherever they go, they sow courage, hope, and light, and give birth to projects in the areas of education, health, social development, and cultural enrichment.
They have also passed through the 6 de Mayo, Fontainhas, and Estrela d’África neighborhoods (neighborhoods that now only exist in the hearts of those who lived and grew up there) and have made these neighborhoods their home. They walked through the narrow alleyways, broadening the horizons of those who lived there. Here they have empowered women, teaching them to read, write, sew, and be self-reliant. Here they have been (and still are!) a haven of refuge, and like many children who, after growing up there, entrusted their own children to them. They have given young people the tools to make their dreams as big as the world, not just the small house or neighborhood where they lived. They taught them to dream without borders. They cared for the elderly, valuing their knowledge, their skills, and their life experience, striving to make old age a better time.
Wherever they go, they leave a mark. They remain in the words spoken, in the works they built, and in the hearts of those who, at some point in their lives, were touched by their presence. And there were so many of them.
Damaia, Portugal
Maria Isabel Gomes Cunha (Bela)
