Gathering of Dominican Sisters at the UN CSW62
By Jareen Aquino, MM (Maryknoll Sister of St. Dominic)
For the past six years, the Dominican Sisters International has been sending sisters to participate in the United Nation’s Commission on the Status of Women. This commission invites the Thinkers-Shakers-and-Doers to work together and strengthen their relationship to make our society a better place for all, especially for both women and girls. The theme for this year is “Empowering Rural Women and Girls.”
This CSW62 is currently being attended by eleven sisters coming from different parts of the world. These eleven Dominicans represent all the continents under the Dominican Sisters International.
• Trish Madigan – Eastern Australia (Dominican Sisters of Eastern Australia and the Solomon Islands)
• Rosa Maria Sanchez – Mexico (Laity, Volunteer San Martin de Porres Convent in Chapas)
• Else-Britt Nilsen – Norway (Dominicaines Notre Dame de Grace)
• Juana Sanabria – Paraguay (Dominican Sisters of Monteil)
• Cecilia Espenilla – Philippines (Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena)
• Tabiria Tabeaua – Solomon Islands (Dominican Sisters of Eastern Australia and the Solomon Islands)
• Sr Mary Tuck – South Africa (King Dominicans)
• Jareen Aquino – Tanzania (Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic)
• Roberta Miller – USA (Dominican Sisters of Peace)
• Christin Tomy – USA (Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa)
• Mary Ryan – Western Australia (Dominican Sisters of Western Australia)
Each sister brought her vast knowledge, experience and understanding on the current situation of women and girls from the grassroots level. They are currently involved in ministries and issues that focused on:
When the sisters first met and gathered at the Sower’s Room at Mariandale, Sr. Margaret Mayce invited the sisters to share something about themselves. They shared about their passion, interest and their ministries. The word cloud of ministries highlighted the focus of their ministries – WOMEN-EMPOWER-JUSTICE-ISSUES. It is but appropriate that the passion/ministries of the sisters are in-line with the gatherings main agenda: the status of women and girls.
Their passions and interests come from the different roles and responsibilities that they are currently handling (or had handled) within their respective ministries. They are not just Dominican Sisters to the people whom they accompany, they are also:
Knowing the backgrounds and passions and ministries of the sisters, it is appropriate to share their hopes for this two-week gathering:
A common theme among the participants is the desire to bond and build Dominican relationships. With their different and yet similar experiences, all of them are open to learn more and expand their minds with all the things that they will be experiencing and learning during the UN CSW62.
Christin Tomy shared her hopes, “to soak in as much as I can, and then wring it out for others when I get home. Specifically, I hope that what I learn can help me better situate my work in a global context. I also hope to form bonds with my OP sisters and learn about how they’re living out our shared mission.” The other participants also share similar hopes for this gathering.
All the preparations and logistics would not be possible without the hard work of both Sr. Margaret and Viviana Garcia, Dominican volunteer. Muchas Gracias!
The participants hope to share their reflections with everyone for the whole duration of the CSW62. May this two-weeks be a time of bonding and learning for all of them.
Dominican Leadership Conference