The apostolic sisters of the Order of Preachers belong to many distinct religious congregations throughout the world, each with its own history, constitutions, governance and apostolic works. These congregations are not branches of a single centralized institute; rather, they are autonomous communities of consecrated women united by their participation in the Dominican spiritual tradition and their formal affiliation with the Order of Preachers.
– LCO, 144
The apostolic sisters of the Order of Preachers belong to many distinct congregations throughout the world. Each congregation possesses its own history, governance and apostolic mission while sharing in the spiritual heritage of St. Dominic and the preaching mission of the Order.
The contemplative nuns at Prouille supported the preaching mission of St. Dominic through prayer and hidden sacrifice.
Inspired by St. Catherine of Siena and the Dominican tradition, women began engaging in education, charity and missionary works outside the cloister.
Dominican sisters now serve the Church globally through teaching, healthcare, evangelization and pastoral ministry.
Today, Dominican Sisters, who are granted affiliation according to the norms of the Church and recognized by the Master of the Order, share the spiritual inheritance of St. Dominic and live the Order’s mission of preaching.
Together with the friars, cloistered nuns, lay fraternities and other members of the Dominican family, Dominican Sisters draw their life from the same fundamental sources: sacred liturgy, prayer, study, common life, observance and apostolic charity. In this way, the one Dominican vocation is expressed in complementary forms of consecrated and apostolic life.
Many congregations of Dominican Sisters were formed in response to concrete needs in the life of the Church: the education of young people, the care of the sick, the formation of the faithful, missionary work and service to the poor. In each case, their apostolate is rooted not simply in social service, but in the preaching mission of the Order: the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the teaching of the faith and the salvation of souls.
Education
Healthcare
Missionary Work
Formation
Care for the Poor
Dominican Sisters International Confederation (DSIC) serves this communion among the apostolic sisters of the Order at the international level. It brings together congregations affiliated with the Order of Preachers, helping them to strengthen their Dominican identity, foster collaboration in formation and mission, and respond together to the needs of the Church.
While each congregation remains autonomous, DSIC provides a structure of encounter, mutual support and common witness, so that the sisters may more fully live their consecration and share in the Order’s preaching mission throughout the world.
