The Master of the Order, Brother Gerard Francisco Timoner III, OP, made canonical visitation of the Dominican Province of St. John the Baptist of Peru in two parts, the first from 22-26 June and the second from 16-30 August. The Socius for Latin America and the Caribbean, Brother Fernando Delgado, OP, participated in both the first and the second part, while the Socius for Fraternal Life and Formation, Brother Juan Manuel Hernández, OP, participated in just the second part.
In June, visits were made to several communities of the province. They visited the Convent of the Most Holy Rosary in the centre of Lima, where the relics of St. Martin de Porres, St. Rose of Lima and St. John Macias lie. It is the oldest in the Province, as well as the seat of the provincial curia and of the postulancy. The Convent of St. Rose of Lima, also located in the centre of the city, the seat of the student body and the Casa San Pedro Mártir de Verona in Trujillo were also visited. The Latter is a sanctuary with a large number of faithful because the image of the Lord of Miracles of Trujillo is venerated there. The community of the Casa San Pedro Apóstol in Chimbote also attended the meeting with the visitators in this location. Finally they visited the Casa San Martín de Porres in Chiclayo.
In August, visits were made to the Santo Domingo Convent in Cusco, seat of the novitiate, which is noted for its great pastoral activity in caring for the museum, and the San Pablo Apóstol Convent in Arequipa, of great historical importance in the Province. The mission communities in the Amazon jungle located in the jurisdiction of the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Maldonado were also visited: the Casa San Jacinto in Puerto Maldonado, the Casa Nuestra Señora del Rosario in Sepahua, the mission station in Kirigueti (where there is a mixed community with the Dominican Missionary Sisters of the Rosary), the mission station in Timpía, the mission station of Koribeni, and the Convent of the Immaculate Conception in Quillabamba.
The Province carries out various apostolic activities, among them the care of seven parishes in Chiclayo, Trujillo, Chimbote, Arequipa, Quillabamba, Puerto Maldonado and Kirigueti. It also owns five radio stations for pastoral communication: Radio TV Santa Rosa (Lima), Radio Quillabamba TV (Quillabamba, Cusco), Radio San Martín (Arequipa), Radio Santo Domingo (Chimbote) and Radio Sepahua (Sepahua, Ucayali). In addition, it runs two retreat houses (one in Lima and the other in Cusco), two shrines (Santa Rosa de Lima and the shrine of the Peruvian saints in Lima), the mission centres in Amazonia, and four museums: Santo Domingo in Lima, Qorikancha in Cusco, San Martin de Porres in Lima and the Jose Pio Aza Amazonian Ethnographic Museum in Lima. Furthermore, they run a social work ministry called Casa San Martin de Porres, with headquarters in Lima and branches in Cusco and Chosica, a general hosptial in Lima, and three educational institutions: Colegio Santo Tomás de Aquino in Lima, Colegio Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in Arequipa and CETPRO San Martín de Porres in Arequipa.
The visitators thank the prior provincial and all the confreres of the province for the preparation and development of each of the activities, enabling them to see the works of the Lord in Peru.
