Sr. Margaret Ormond, O.P.
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As we face the millennium, what are the main challenges for me, as the representative of the Dominican Sisters International for Dominican sisters international regarding the mission of the Order? The answer is closely related to the implementation of the four objectives, voted on by the DSI General Assembly in May 1995: (See page 3 in the booklet) This booklet is available in English and Spanish and will explain in more detail what DSI is and what we want to be and do. I will elaborate on the challenges involved in the realization of each objectives.

1. To support one another in living out the Dominican charism and to claim and promote our identity as women preachers.

How can we support one another given our many differences, e.g. in language, in distance, in mentality, etc. and our limitations, e.g. lack of available personnel and resources? One of the reasons DSI was created was to offer one another this support. It was a great heartache for many of us when our Dominican sisters in Iraq were isolated from any other Dominican sisters during the war. We hold a General Assembly every three years and this meeting affords us a good opportunity to get to know each other and to support each other. This movement of solidarity was especially evident this past May when the Assembly acted unanimously to support our Sister Nassem George in her protest against the blasphemy laws in Pakistan. Another challenge is to encourage sisters to claim and promote our identity as women preachers. Traditionally, most sisters have been formed to believe that we are sisters who teach, or engage in pastoral work and in health care. This is a misconception. We are first and foremost preachers who proclaim the Good News of God's love through these various ministries. Essential to our vocation as preachers is theological education. In some cultures, this is very possible; in others, it is extremely difficult. How do we bridge this gap? How do we share with those who do not have access to such theological formation? We are not alone in this challenge for certainly these are some of the questions that surfaced in the reports of the Curia and the Master. However, our organizational structure, at least historically, is such that we are not as accustomed to such sharing across congregational lines. The CODAL meeting of women theologians in Cochabamba next month and the Blauvelt Conference on Globalizaiton last month are good steps forward for us in meeting these challenges. Because we are more conscious of being in this together and of our common vocation as preachers, we are more apt to not give up, to struggle, and to explore new ways.
2. To facilitate communication and networking among Dominicans at both regional and international levels.

DSI has set up a Coordinating Council consisting of an international coordinator and five regional coordinators from different parts of the world: Asia/Pacific, North American, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Africa. Within these areas there are different structures. Some are very well developed, etc. while others are in the process of developing and even becoming! At the recent DSI Assembly, each region selected a regional coordinator: for Latin American and the Caribbean, Sister Veronica Rafferty, for North America, Sister Mary Hughes, for Asia-Pacific, Sister Zenaida Nacpil, for Europe, Sister Rosario de Meer, for Africa, Sister Michael Mdluli, at least until the Nairobi meeting. Together with myself, as International Coordinator, we form this Council and we meet yearly to facilitate communication and networking. Some challenges in this area are: How to find time as full time Congregational Prioresses to work for DSI? How to create an effective continental structure in Europe, given its diversity in language? How to encourage more congregations to participate in DSI? How to engage membership and not just leadership in Dominican Sisters International? How to encourage a more collaborative approach to the mission rather than such a autonomous one? How to acknowledge the differences, e.g. size of congregations, mission perspectives, etc. while supporting the common elements? How to work with different congregations who have varied access to the INTERNET? DSI has just begun a WEB PAGE and that should help communication and networking among Dominican Sisters with the INTERNET; hopefully it will not widen the gap between those who do not have such access. Admittedly there are many challenges; but there are many opportunities too!
3. To foster a more compassionate world order through the promotion of peace and justice, integrity of creation and human rights, especially those of women.

It is overwhelming and inspiring to hear about many of the ministries Dominican sisters are involved in throughout the world! Their ability to enter into the sufferings of people never ceases to amaze me. Many know no limits to the preaching of the gospel. How do we communicate with and about these courageous women? How do we share materials about the promotion of justice and peace and the development of women's groups. The International Commission of Justice and Peace is invaluable in this promotion and collaboration. How do we connect Dominican Sisters involved in the promotion of the integrity of creation? Dominican Sister Nassem George challenged us on this point during our 98 Assembly . She said "we are surely all aware of ecology issues and the damage being done to our earth: global warming, pollution, destruction of plant, animal and human life through debt, vandalism, greed terrorism, fundamentalism and indifference. As Dominican women whose motto is truth, what will be our prophetic role to comfort Mother Earth and her children and to heal our Cosmos?" All of this sharing requires financial assistance so how does DSI discover creative ways to expand its recently created solidarity fund and to find alternative sources of funding, other than congregational dues. Again our usual pattern of working independently needs to be looked at in order to avoid duplication of resources. Thirty one thousand sisters can effect change if they speak together on these issues of justice and peace, integrity of creation and human rights, especially those of women.
4. To explore and foster collaborative initiatives among the Dominican Family.

And the challenges are many here also. How to engage sisters in more collaborative endeavors? Some sisters are competing with each other in the area of vocations, etc.? How can we let go of the need to continue our own congregational ministries when the demands of the gospel call us elsewhere? How willing are we to put our resources at the service of an international collaborative project? Sometimes our national or congregational identities get in the way of such collaboration. How to overcome prejudices among the sisters towards other sisters, and other members of the Dominican Family? How do we collaborate with members of the Family who seem to be reluctant and in some cases opposed to such collaboration? How do we overcome the inclination to give up on some of our brothers and sisters in the Family? How do we acknowledge the presence of new groups within the Family and welcome them as part of the Family? This is an especially significant challenge for those congregations of sisters who have associates. Associates are lay women and men who want to be involved in the mission with sisters. There is a formation program involved in this movement, and generally a commitment is made. How do these groups become officially recognized.? And the challenges continue! This call for closer collaboration among Dominican Sisters has been growing in the minds and hearts of Dominican Sisters throughout the world. DSI hopes to further this call and develop it for the sake of our common vocation and mission. Though we are emphasizing at this early stage of its development collaboration among the sisters, one of our main objectives is to explore and foster collaborative initiatives among the Dominican Family.

I would like to present these challenges in three sections.

1. How do we work with each other and not just for each other? This type of collaboration implies that decision making is shared and not made unilaterally. Such collaboration takes time and skill; it is not our practice historically and it is not known instinctively. How willing are we to commit ourselves to learning how to collaborate in this way? How do we encourage each branch within the Family to speak for itself? Or when need be, how to enable each entity to select its own spokespersons?
2. How can you friars support the other branches in their struggle to preach the gospel? How can you help us deal with the restrictions on lay preaching within the Church? How do you assist us, the laity, in bringing about a change in Church law? Though I understand that the pulpit is not the only place to preach, in many instances, proclamation in many parishes usually and only takes place during the Eucharistic celebration. What is the best way to effect such change? Some say it is to go around the law, others say it is to disobey the law; others pretend it is not a problem and encourage people to forget about lay preaching in the liturgy and look for other preaching opportunities. None of these possibilities are really effective. How do we demonstrate resolute resistance in this regard and still remain faithful to the Church? Having you share more in this struggle would be a great source of strength. And how can we build structures in the Order and the Church based on the principles of inclusion and reciprocity, thus minimizing exclusionary and exploitation structures?
3. How can we encourage the development and in some cases the creation of structures that facilitate communication and networking within the Dominican Family ? How can we ensure that our members participate in such structures on a continual basis, (and not just when Timothy is there on visitation), in such a way that we can address the problems that militate against collaboration within the Family, such as resistance, reluctance and opposition? How do we address the juridical questions about the Dominican Family in a way that is both clarifying and encouraging? We cannot let our brothers and sisters lose heart and connection because of the law. How do we learn to be prophetic preachers together? Are we really an answer to the cries of God's people? How do we confront the consumerism that is rampart in some parts of the world and the desperate poverty that is pervasive in so many other areas?

CONCLUSION:

1. Who is missing, who is excluded? Who ought to be present in this encounter, conference, celebration?
2. Why are they not here;
3. What can I do /we do to include our brothers and sisters more in this communal endeavor?.

© 1998 Order of Preachers  General Chapter, 1998  Internet site by Scott Steinkerchner OP  email: steinkerchner@op.org