From 27 June to 18 July, the Master of the Order, Bro Gerard Francisco Timoner III, OP, made the canonical visitation of the Province of St. Vincent Ferrer in Central America, accompanied by the Socius for Fraternal Life and Formation, Bro Juan Manuel Hernández, OP, and the Socius for Latin America and the Caribbean, Bro Fernando Delgado, OP.
The Province of St. Vincent Ferrer of Central America comprises six countries in its territory: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. And its communities are the Casa de Nuestro Padre Santo Domingo, in Panama; the Convento Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles, the Casa Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas and the Casa de La Dolorosa, in Costa Rica; the Casa San Luis Beltrán and the Casa San Francisco de Asís, in Nicaragua; the Casa Fray Pedro de Córdoba, in Honduras; the Convento Santo Domingo de Guzmán and the Casa Nuestra Señora del Carmen, in El Salvador; the Convento de Santo Domingo, the Casa de Santa María del Rosario and the Casa de Santo Domingo, in Guatemala.
Throughout the tour of the convents and houses, the visitors met and talked with the brothers, and shared in the celebration of the Eucharist, the Liturgy of the Hours and community moments in the refectory. They were also able to get to know the various places of preaching such as parishes, the university, schools, university and school chaplaincies, the preaching of retreats, social projects, research centres, initiatives of attention to migrants, basic ecclesial communities, initiatives of accompaniment to brotherhoods and confraternities, retreat houses and the centre of indigenous studies. All these pastoral fronts are classified into three mission areas: pastoral work with indigenous peoples, educational pastoral work and parish pastoral work, whose transversal axis is the commitment to justice, peace and care for the common home.
Regarding the initial formation of the Brothers, the pre-novitiate is in the capital of Guatemala, while the novitiate and the studies of philosophy and theology are carried out in collaboration with the Province of Santiago de Mexico, where the students are sent. Vocation promotion is articulated in each country through the accompaniment that the communities give to the candidates.
Each convent and house visited had carefully organised the meetings with the friars, as well as the various meetings with the Dominican Family, to allow the richness and creativity of the preaching to be appreciated. The meetings with the academic and pastoral groups were of great value for the understanding of the welcome and appreciation that the friars have in each assignment community. In several countries there were fraternal meetings with the bishops.
Ricardo Guardado, OP, and all the confreres for the preparation and all the necessary attentions during the visitation.
