800 YEARS | Dominican Family | Truth & Justice | Archives | Arts | What's News? | Quick Links
Dominican Beginnings .... In 1206 at the end of the summer the first group of Dominican women were gathered together by St Dominic in Prouilhe in the South of France.
St Dominic receiving the Sisters 1206 - used with permission of DSI - from a window in Japan by Carpentier op "Some of the names of the first Sisters were : Sister Raymonde Claret, Sister Alazaice, Sister Richards, dame of Barbaire (Aude), Sister Guillelmine de Belpech (Aude), Sister Guillelmine de Fanjeaux (Aude), Sister Raimonde-Passerine, Sister Berengere, Sister Jourdaine, Sister Curtolane, Sister Gentiane, and Sister Ermessende. The first twelve women were soon joined by seven more." (from "Saint Dominic - His Life and Times" By Marie-Hubert Vicaire. 1964) |
||
New Zealand Dominican Sisters - Who Are We? We are engaged in a variety of ministries which spring from our contemplative
/ preaching tradition. These ministries include education at every level, exploring
and nurturing spirituality - our connectedness with God and life, working for
justice and peace, preaching, ministry with the sick, dying and poor, ecumenical
work, counselling and spiritual direction. We are God searchers. We continually
seek to be aware of God's presence in the universe, the world we live in, the
Scriptures and in all people. Our commitment is to give God and God's people
first place in our lives. The founder of our group in New Zealand was Mother Gabriel Gill who with nine other Sisters, arrived in New Zealand in 1871 from Dublin Ireland, settling first in Dunedin, then gradually moving elsewhere. Mother Gabriel Gill worked in New Zealand until 1899. She then moved to Western Australia to work
with the families of gold miners in Dongara and Geralton.
Dominican Sisters of Aotearoa New Zealand The following paper was prepared by Judith McGinley op for the Preparatory Dialogue for the 6th DSI General Assembly, 2010 in response to questions sent by the Dominican Sisters International.
Background Our sisters first came from Ireland to Dunedin in 1871 in the early days of European settlement in New Zealand. Our roots are still in Dunedin, a small city in the south island, which has a strong commitment to education of every kind. Our sisters live mainly in the southern provinces of New Zealand and in our largest city, Auckland. Auckland is a large multi-ethnic, multi-cultural city, with all the social disparities brought about by recent immigration, extremes of poverty and violence, education and lack of it and differing value systems : individual versus community and the common good; business / wealth - profit for the individual versus a fair deal for all. Auckland is a good place for Dominicans to live, minister, pray, study, preach and challenge unjust structures. There is a community of Dominican Friars in Auckland.
As I see it, seven themes form the NZ context of our lives and preaching at this time.
1) New Zealand society is very secular. There is no state religion. Everyone has freedom to practise his / her own religion, but the ambiance in our society is definitely secular. This creates a spiritual void in political discourse and the public arena; there is little recognition of symbol and a life other than material. At the same time ordinary people are trying to rebuild community - to find a place to belong. They are longing for their spirits to be nurtured and searching for deeper meaning in their lives.
2) Huge and rapid changes in economic systems over the past twenty five years have changed our concept of ourselves as a people and have resulted in extreme materialism and individualism in the dominant and more vocal areas of our society. There is no longer a general acceptance of the value of community or the common good and the sense of service and self sacrifice which this calls forth i Immigration has also brought large numbers of faith-filled Christians and Catholics to our shores from the Pacific Islands and South Asia. n a people.
3) During the past thirty years there has been a growing understanding and recognition of our (settler) relationship with Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. This relationship was officially sanctioned through the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 – but ignored in practice. As a congregation we have a strong commitment to honouring the Treaty and promoting the well-being of our indigenous people.
4) Over the past twenty years immigration has brought a growing number of people of the Hindu, Muslim and Bhuddist faiths to our land. These religions have also made energetic converts among New Zealanders. As a congregation we are committed to understanding world religions and making friends with those around us who practise them. In the areas where we live we try to promote hospitality and peaceful living alongside those who are different from us.
5) Our churches are learning to welcome, understand and include these people in our faith communities. We are graced by their presence, their strong, living faith and by their commitment to family and community. As New Zealanders we are challenged by the fact that their religious practice is different from ours. As Dominicans we strive to act as interpreters and bridge makers in our parishes.
6) Our relationship with and in our New Zealand catholic church is changing and sometimes ‘uneasy’. I believe our congregation lives the spirit of Vatican II and as communities and individuals we are faithful to its call. This can make life difficult for us now. For the past ten years or so, there has been a growth in fundamentalism in all religions throughout the world – including the catholic church. There is much less understanding and living of Vatican II in our own New Zealand church. Many of our sisters walk with integrity and loyalty the line between what they personally believe - as women committed to prayer, study and Vatican II and what is being promoted in their local areas. I believe this calls us as Dominicans to faithfulness to Gospel living, to deep contemplation of the Word, to assiduous study of Scripture and theology, to actively seek opportunities to preach and be involved in preparation and celebration of liturgy as well as strong commitment to social justice and community building.
7) The sense of isolation, aloneness, abandonment and alienation in our society is huge. This can be a source of, or aggravate a tendancy to depression, suicide, crime and violence. I believe that we Dominicans are called to be prophets – to cry out about this; to be facilitators of communion and community among our people.
History of personal ministry My life in community and ministry has been rich and varied – a gift in every way. This is a summary of the ministries I have been called to in our congregation. - teaching and leadership in many Catholic parish primary schools (5 – 13 years); - care of boarders (high school) and tertiary students in hostels; - tertiary chaplaincy in university, polytechnic and teachers’ college; - youth ministry in parishes and local communities; - religious education for children unable to attend Catholic schools; - marriage preparation and marriage enrichment programmes; - teaching and missionary work in Vanuatu (small Pacific country); - leadership in our congregation; - education of teachers and trainee teachers (scripture, theology, catechetics); - pastoral and catechetical ministry in rural areas; C urrent ministry Since September 2000 I have lived in a Dominican community in Wellington. My main ministry is with a small independent community agency called Challenge 2000. www.challenge2000.org.nz I believe that my role at Challenge 2000 is to nurture and encourage deep faith and a spirit of service in young people, to be a loving Gospel person, to discern with and accompany young people in their search for truth and integrity in their lives and to witness to the possibility of a lifelong commitment to prayer and community, service and living simply. - I am involved with the faith and personal formation of young Christian leaders; - My main ministry is with ‘at risk’ youth – young people who have been born into difficult situations, some who live on the streets and others who live with drug and alcohol addictions and violence in their families. My life /work at Challenge 2000 is a mixture of teaching, social work, counselling, advocacy and family support. - I work ten hours each week with the L’Arche Kapiti Community as friend and counsellor and provide quite a lot of administrative support. - I am involved in parish ministry, especially promoting social justice and youth. - For the past seven years I have been part of our congregation’s Mission Formation committee. This is a very important commitment for me – and a joy. I am also working with lay Dominicans in the formation and growth of Dominican Family. Education : Dip Catechetics, Dip Teaching, BA, Dip Ed, Dip Counselling.
Your congregation, your region and the future … * Are you concerned about the future of your congregation? If so, what are your areas of concern? Yes, I am concerned; and also No. The Irish Dominican community out of which we were born was founded and re-founded many times in the three centuries before the sisters came to New Zealand in 1871. This gives me hope that if we are faithful and open to the call of the Spirit, new ways will open and new members will be called.
- My concern is that we have few younger sisters in our communities – no new members for twenty five years. I wonder why and I feel responsible. Have we wandered away from the path of Dominican life? This concern is shown in our daily lives where we who are younger need to make careful choices about what to do with our time and energy and as a congregation we are limited in mission by ageing. The challenge is to balance deep prayer and a strong sense of community with ministry. - Another area of concern for me is that we have no visible structures around the welcoming of new members - no novitiate or initial formation programme. And we are often lack confidence in ourselves about inviting young people to join us. * As a Dominican congregation, what other forms and spaces of preaching ministry do you envision for the future? - I believe that our small local communities need to become preaching spaces – perhaps like the house churches described in the Acts of the Apostles. We have become very good at ‘going out’ to people. I believe we need to re-focus and welcome God-seekers into our homes and communities. - Our sisters are connected with environmental groups, advocacy for new immigrants and the poor and groups of people searching for faith and spirituality. I believe we need to become reflective theologians and Gospel preachers in these groups. - We have two new preaching spaces – a Dominican Family Community in Dunedin. Here two sisters, a friar and a married couple (who continue to live in their own home) form the community. Other people join them daily for morning and/or evening prayer; and for times of meditation, community study and preparation for preaching and, of course for wonderful Dominican celebrations. - The other new preaching space, Korimako is an ecology centre in Invercargill. Here people gather to contemplate and study and work on the land. Preaching and teaching happen. Initiatives in care of the earth and creation spirituality are explored and fostered. There is commitment to learning and using the language of our indigenous people. Here too informed, committed citizens prepare submissions for the political arena and find creative ways to highlight environmental issues in the media.
* How does your congregation respond to the challenges of the decline in religious vocations? - At the moment we do not have a recruitment policy or plan. I think as a congregation we are uneasy about inviting new members to join us. My deep hope and prayer is that we can be more open and courageous about this. - We are part of collectives (variety of religious communities) which plan and facilitate retreats for the discernment / exploration of religious vocations. - We are creative, energetic and generous in sharing our education and financial resources in the formation of lay leaders nationally and locally. We have a strong commitment to providing opportunities for study of scripture and sound theology. - Those of us who are able work hard to be visible and active in our own places.
Our world today and tomorrow … * As you consider the realities of our globalised world, what are the most significant mission challenges facing your congregation in your part of the world? - Aotearoa New Zealand is a tiny group of islands in the south of the world. It looks to the Pacific and in a way to Asia as its outward focus and challenge. - We are called to be Spirit-filled, God women in our New Zealand secular society. - We are challenged as individuals and communities to live simply, to choose to do without and to share our personal, spiritual and material gifts with those who lack. In a world where there is high immigration and cultural differences are very obvious we are called to recognise, welcome and respect others; and to witness to and preach a society where everyone as equal before God – no matter what their race, religion, status or education. - In a country where money seems to be the god, we are called to witness to and preach other values of social justice and community in the market place and in our church. - I believe one of the strongest mission challenges is to be catalysts for re-building a sense of community and caring in our streets and parishes. Everyone is too busy surviving individually, to be aware of and concerned for the other. - How to share adult faith with a growing community of younger families for whom the faith community is irrelevant is a huge challenge. - The survival of the planet raises theological issues with which we need to be and strive to be engaged.
* As Church in communion and mission how do you envision religious life 10 years from now? - I envision a greater focus on deep prayer, contemplation and community hospitality. - I envision communities as places of study, teaching, preaching and faith sharing. - Our homes will be like small alternative churches – offering space for good liturgy, for pondering scripture and doing theology together. (The Dunedin community is a good model.) - Some of our sisters are gifted writers of poetry and prose, theologians and teachers; and Mary is a contemplative, artist and poet. I believe that these creative ways of preaching will be more at the heart of Dominican religious life into the future. - The outside work / ministry of religious will still be path-finding and prophetic, as we recognise the signs and calls of new times. - Involvement with prophetic movements in our own country and worldwide. (I asked a young friend for her thoughts. I believe her response is worth considering. * intertwined with lay life * creative, on the edge * a religious person would be a ‘ person for others’ * present where there is despair, chaos, miracles, difficulties, hope.) * Have you been considering alternative structures that you hope will enhance and support your Gospel mission into the future? Please explain. In our congregation in my lifetime we have moved from living in enclosed, large, very formal, highly structured and heirarchical communities living in convents to small, intimate and informal groups of two, three or four sisters living in ordinary houses in local neighbourhoods. Both lifestyles have their pros and cons. - I hope that we will have some communities where vowed Dominicans, men and women, will live with or close to lay Dominicans, married and single. - There will be a place in these communities for people who have lifelong vowed commitment or commitment for a limited time. - Dominican formation will be more geared to deepening contemplation and Gospel living in a broad sense than to preparing women for a particular lifestyle.
* How best can we prepare Dominican women to continue the Holy Preaching? These are the things I believe are needed to prepare Dominican women for preaching. Community prayer, good liturgy, contemplation of the Word and study of scripture and theology are foundational. These need to be supplemented by some life choices : > to daily living as warm, loving, caring listening human beings; > to real, honest, generous community living; > to on-going nurturing of each person’s spirit and awareness of beauty … through art, music, poetry, literature or dance and an appreciation of the natural world; > to real awareness and understanding of the world and society in which we live; > to the importance of being truly present and attentive to whoever we are with; > to actually experience from time to time being poor, lonely, alienated and afraid. ( My young friend says : * by immersing them in life and letting their example be their preaching. * by giving them examples of beautiful liturgy, inspiring reflections, meaningful prayer. * by allowing them to be the best possible version of the person God created them to be – themselves! * by supporting them.)
* What are the expectations of the young people of today from us, the religious? In our New Zealand church and society there are many young people who have no personal connection with religious sisters, so I tend to think there are many who have no expectations whatsoever. 2008 World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia exposed many committed catholic young people to religious for the first time. They were entranced and attracted by who they met and what they experienced. This is good.
In New Zealand, for young people who know religious, I believe they want and hope to see (rather than expect, I feel) in religious : - deep prayer and communion with God; - a personal experience of knowing God and being a friend of God; - real and strong relationship with Jesus; - hospitality always : accepting and welcoming everyone – no matter who they are; - sharing life : feeling welcome to prayer, meals, companionship, study, discussion; - spending time with, listening to and accepting young people and their view of life; - willingness and ability to pass on faith, wisdom, stories of the saints; - willingness and ability to speak out in public - about poverty and injustice; - willingness to be and to share a different model of church – servant, peace-maker; - a sense of being ordinary and in touch with everyday life; - and the ability to put young people in touch with the sacred, the other; - an example of real counter-cultural living (loving without sex; sharing without wanting to possess material things; a sense of community – unselfish caring.) - commitment to mission – being a Jesus presence wherever we are; - readiness and willingness to ‘be more than’; to go beyond the ordinary when called;
(My young friend says : * That religious will share their wisdom, knowledge and their lives. And their stories! * That religious will listen and journey with us (as young people). * That religious will need us too (that we can inspire, support and befriend a religious person, in a two way friendship.) * That a religious could also be a true friend and guide. * There is an expectation that religious will understand our ways of life / the era we live in (even if different from their own.)
|
 |
