New Council of the Lay Dominican Fraternities Latin America and the Caribbean (COFALC) 2022-2025

The elections of the new Council of Lay Dominican Fraternities of Latin America and the Caribbean (COFALC) for the triennium 2022-2025 were held on July 11, via virtual Zoom and Election Runner under the special permission granted by the Master of the Order, and with the presence of Br. Juan Ubaldo López Salamanca, O.P. Promoter General for the Laity. Following the confirmation of the Coordinator of the Council of the Lay Dominican Fraternities of Latin America and the Caribbean by the Master of the Order, Bro Gerard Francisco TIMONER III, the Council is composed as follows:

Born in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, in 1976 (45 years old); married for 22 years to Mr. Javier Marcelo Guillén Alcántara, OP and has one son.

She holds a degree in Business Administration and has completed 3 years of training in Religious Sciences. She participated in the XI and XII Workshop on Self-Sustainability of the evangelising work of the Church in Latin America and the Caribbean.

She currently works as Financial Administrator of the “Seminario Mayor San Lorenzo” of the Archdiocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, where she is also responsible for the Academic Secretariat of the House of Studies of Theological Formation; she was a Member of the Economic Council of the Archdiocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

She belongs to the Community “La Mansión” Catholic Charismatic Centre of Evangelization – “Casa la Santa Cruz” – administered by the Order of Preachers, where she has been a member of the Fraternity of St. Martin de Porres since 2010; she made his perpetual s on November 3, 2018 and is currently President of the Council of Fraternities of the Laity of St. Dominic of the Vice-Province of Bolivia. She served as coordinator of the Family Prayer Group; she was part of the organisational team for the Pope’s visit in the accommodation and food commission; she was responsible and part of the team in the organisation of the V AMERICAN MISSIONARY CONGRESS in the reception, registration and accommodation commissions. She is an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist and currently she is coordinator of the organisation of the XLIII Great International Meeting of the new Pentecost organised by “La Mansión”.

He was born in Costa Rica, is 44 years old, has been married to Carol Garro for 20 years and has three daughters.

He is a member of the Association of Composers and Musical Authors of Costa Rica (ACAM) and of the Association of Performers and Executants of Costa Rica (AIE).

He has been a part of the DYM. in Costa Rica since he was 17 years old, made his perpetual promise on November 4, 2014, and was president of the Council of Lay Fraternities of Central America 2016-2019. He is currently a member of the Lay Fraternity Fra Angelico, where he has served as president, treasurer and currently formator. His main service and preaching is through music.

She was born in the interior of the province of Córdoba, is 66 years old, has been married for 34 years and has two children.

She studied Chemical Engineering and has completed numerous training courses in the areas of teaching, quality management and administration. She is a teaching researcher, participating in projects as a member and as a director. She is currently pursuing specialisations in Engineering Management and University Teaching, the Master’s Degree in Business Administration, without completing her thesis, and is in the process of writing her thesis for the Master’s Degree in Education in Exact and Natural Sciences.

She completed her primary and secondary studies in the province of Córdoba. She was baptised in the province of Mendoza in 1956, received her First Holy Communion in 1965 in the city of Mendoza and was confirmed in 1981 in the city of Cordoba. She took numerous catechetical courses, participated in the Carmelite youth and in the Vincentian Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul, she teaches catechism in the first and second grades of primary school. She obtained the course of Catechist that is dictated in the diocese, offering her services in the Chapel of Our Lady of Peace. She took a CIC course with the Order of Preachers and there she began to participate in the training and life of the Oder of Preachers. She joined the Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic in 2009, and after her temporary promise she participated in the formation team and made her perpetual promise in 2012.  She was elected president of the Council of the Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic, St. Catherine of Siena in 2016 and re-elected in 2019. In 2019 she was elected president of the National Council of the Lay Fraternities of St. Dominic, Province of St. Augustine. She conducts various retreats and workshops in her community.

Born in Venezuela, 55 years old, married

Education: Doctoral Studies in Security and Defence. Instituto de Altos Estudios de la Defensa Nacional “Mariscal Antonio José de Sucre” (IAEDEN). Completed schooling. No thesis.

Master in Fundamental Theology. Andrés Bello Catholic University (ITER-UCAB). Awaiting thesis defence. Master’s Degree in Police Management and Administration. University Institute of Scientific Police (IUPOLC). Specialist in Police Management and Administration. University Institute of Scientific Police (IUPOLC). Degree in Public Accounting. Santa Maria University (USM). Higher University Technician in Naval Sciences, mention in Logistics.  University Military Institute of the Navy Non-Commissioned Officers School (ESOAR). Diploma in Higher Education Teaching. Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertador (UPEL). Diploma in Higher Theological Studies. Institute of Theology for Religious (ITER-UCAB). Retired military from the Navy. Specialities: Logistics and Intelligence.

Service as a Lay Dominican

Temporary promise on August 8, 2013 in the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, before Sister Miss Andreina Carradini, OP and Bro. José María Bueno, OP, representing the Master of the Order.

Perpetual promise with the Master of the Order, Br Bruno Cadoré, MO, on 24 September 2016 during the celebration of the Jubilee Year.

President of the Fraternity of St. Hyacinth of Poland, with which the Order of Preachers was restored in Venezuela on August 4, 1899.

President of the Vicarial Council of Lay Dominicans of Venezuela. Elected in 2015 and re-elected for a second term. Vice-president of the Archconfraternity of the Rosary. Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist.

Recently appointed as adult catechist at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish.

He was part of the formation commission at the III International Congress of Lay Dominican Fraternities, held in Fatima, Portugal, in October 2018.

He has collaborated as a speaker for the Dominican Laity in Puerto Rico and Peru.

Appointed by COFALC OP to support the ICLDF in the elaboration of the Ratio Formationis Generalis for the Dominican Laity in the world.

Recently elected as deputy coordinator of the Bolivarian zone of COFALC OP, (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela) and currently titular coordinator.

Recently elected as trainer of COFALC OP.

Born in Guatemala Zona 11 Capital City, he is 40 years old, married, and has 2 children.

He is studying Industrial Chemical Engineering.

He belongs to the Parish of the Evangelising Community of St. Martin de Porres in Guatemala and made his perpetual promise three years ago.

Activities carried out as: Coordinator of the Parish Group – Youth for Jesus (Young Adults) San Martín de Porres Parish. Founder of the Values Formation Project for Youth: “Limón Chispudo” in the marginal area of zone 18, Colonia El Limón Guatemala. Coordinator of the Parish Group – Youth for Jesus (Adolescents) San Martín de Porres Parish.  Eucharistic Minister in the Parish of San Martín de Porres.  Founder of the Marriage Counselling Project: “Casados” (Married) St. Martin de Porres Parish. Member of the Executive Committee – St. Martin de Porres Parish.  Coordinator of the Lay Fraternity of St. Martin de Porres. Currently Secretary of the National Council of Lay Fraternities of Guatemala. At present he is Vocalía Mission, Justice and Peace / Secretary – Council of Lay Dominican Fraternities of Central America (COFLAC).

The new Council of the Lay Dominican Fraternities of Latin America and the Caribbean (COFALC) is grateful for the confidence of all the brothers and sisters to carry out this new service, and commends itself to your prayers, that the Holy Spirit may enlighten this new function and that our Holy Father Dominic and Our Blessed Mother may intercede for all of us.

Margareth Velásquez, OP
COFALC Coordinator