Our mission of Preaching the Truth is expected, among all other things, to engender justice and peace in the world. Therefore, Justice and Peace is an integral part of our mission. The brothers and sisters responsible for promoting Justice and Peace in the Order gathered at Santa Sabina between the 15th and the 18th of April, 2013 to take stock and fine-tune their strategies for a more effective mission. They gathered under the umbrella of the International Dominican Justice and Peace Commission (IDCJP).
fr Carlos Rodriquez Linera (General Promoter for Justice and Peace) and Sr Toni Harris (International Promoter for Justice and Peace for the Dominican Sisters International) are Co-Presidents of this collaborative commission. They were at hand to organize the encounter, welcome the brothers and sisters from different parts of the world and also to make sure they had a successful meeting.
Every part of the Order was represented; Asia-Pacific – fr Andreas Kurniawan, Latin America and the Caribbean – fr Miguel Angel Gullon and Sr Migdalia Perez, North America – fr Chuck Dahm and Sr Lucianne Siers, Africa – Sr Paulina Chioma Ogbonnaya and fr Michael Deeb and Europe – fr Daniele Aucone.
Also present were; Sr Margaret Mayce, the representative of the Dominican Leadership Conference to the UN, fr Olivier Poquillon, the representative of the Order at the UN and Sr Fabiola Velasquez Maya, the coordinator of the Dominican Sisters International. Sr Celestina Velosa who was recently appointed as the new International Promoter for Justice and Peace for DSI was also present. She begins her mission in September 2013.
In many provinces and congregations of the Dominican Order, Sisters, Friars and Lay Dominicans live the Dominican spirituality in a fraternal way, through preaching which is lived and enlivened by acts of compassion and mercy. The reality and vitality of the fundamental option for justice and peace as understood by the Order is manifested in this way.
(April 18, 2013)