We are delighted to share the link to a guided tour of the Convent Bom Sucesso, Belém, Lisbon. The program was aired on the Portuguese national TV station RTP2 about Bom Sucesso, https://www.rtp.pt/play/p7378/e484388/visita-guiada
Brief resumé of our presence in Argentina 1968-2020
In 1968 a trio of Sisters left Galway, Ireland to begin a mission in Argentina, invited by the St. Joseph Society to take over the Keating Institute in the Once area of Buenos Aires. As more Sisters arrived from the Congregation, they were able to extend their mission to Parana (Entre Rios), José C. Paz(outer Buenos Aires) and Solari, Corrientes, and as far as Tarija in Bolivia.
In the early nineties they were joined by a group of eight Argentine Sisters who had communities in Victoria and Monje. Toward the end of the nineties they founded a common novitiate with the Tucuman Dominican Sisters, and in Rosario a house for the care of fragile elderly sisters.
Their energies were focused initially on training and coordinating family catechetics, improving liturgical celebrations, biblical courses, summer missions and youth retreats. Later they started two wide-reaching programmes: Peace Education in schools and Co-couselling for womens groups. Special needs children and adults got care in Buenos Aires while AIDS/HIV prevention was operated there as well as in Victoria, Villa Gobernador Galvez and Rosario. A few years ago a new project was begun called J.A.C. to promote university study for students from economically poor backgrounds. Schemes to improve decent housing in barrios such as Barrio Triangulo in V.G.Galvez received funds from Ireland. At local and national level, the sisters participated and led activities and reflection commissions on Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation. At continental level three sisters have served as coordinators of the Latin American Confederation of Dominican Sisters since 1992, and in this role formed part of the team that coordinated Dominican Sisters International.
The most recent initiative is the Cosmic Walk project in Victoria, Entre Rios to be opened in February 2020. It responds to the Congregational priority already incarnated in the An Tairseach project in Wicklow, Ireland, and universally confirmed by the papal encyclical Laudato Si.
Sr. Veronica Rafferty OP
RESUMEN TRAYECTORIA DE LAS HERMANAS DOMINICAS IRLANDESAS EN ARGENTINA 1968-2020
En 1968, un trío de hermanas oriundas de Galway, Irlanda iniciaron un camino en Argentina, invitadas por la Sociedad de San José a tomar la dirección del Instituto Keating en la zona de Once, Buenos Aires. Luego con la llegada de mas hermanas de la Congregación, pudieron extender su misión a Paraná (Entre Ríos) José C. Paz (Buenos Aires), a Solari (Corrientes) y aun más lejos a Tarija en Bolivia.
Al principio de los noventa se les une un grupo de ocho hermanas argentinas que tenían comunidades en Victoria y en Monje. A fines de los noventa fundaron en Termas de Rio Hondo un inter-noviciado junto con las dominicas tucumanas, y en Rosario pusieron una casa para atender a las hermanas mayores.
Capacitaron y coordinaron catequesis familiar en diversos lugares, cursos bíblicos, misiones de verano y retiros para jóvenes. Pusieron énfasis en dos programas sociales de amplio alcance: en colegios y escuelas- Educación para la Paz y grupos de apoyo para mujeres utilizando técnicas de Escucha Mutua. Dieron atención a la mujer maltratada y a los discapacitados y ofrecieron talleres en prevención de VIH/SIDA en Buenos Aires, Victoria, Villa Gobernador Gálvez y Rosario. Mas reciente iniciaron en Moreno (Buenos Aires) un programa de apoyo para estudiantes universitarios de pocos recursos económicos. En los barrios marginales tal como Barrio Triangulo (VGG) promovieron la construcción de viviendas dignas. A nivel local y nacional han dirigido las acciones y reflexiones de la comisión dominicana de Justicia y Paz e Integridad de la creación.
A nivel continental tres hermanas han coordinado la Confederación de Dominicas de América Latina (1992- 2020) participando desde ese rol del equipo directivo de la Unión Mundial de Dominicas (DSI)
La última iniciativa es la creación de la Caminata Cósmica en Victoria, Entre Ríos (febrero 2020), respondiendo a una espiritualidad muy vigente en la Congregación (ver An Tairseach- Centro Ecológico de Wicklow, Irlanda) y confirmada por el Papa Francisco en su encíclica Laudato Si.
Hermana Veronica Rafferty OP
FROEBEL COLLEGE 1943 – 2013
It is my greatest privilege to be here as Congregation Prioress of the Dominican Sisters, the Dominican Sisters here in Ireland, South Africa, Portugal, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Louisiana. Many of our sisters were trained in the Froebel College and brought the values of Friedrich Froebel to all these countries.
It is also my pleasure as a past student of Froebel to share in the 70th anniversary of the college and the historic moving of the college to N.U.I. Maynooth. Changing location is not new to the Froebel College. In St. Mary’s Training College, Belfast, which was initiated and run by the Dominican Sisters, a course on the educational values and method of Froebel was being discontinued by the then British Department of Education. The Dominicans believing in the great insights and philosophy of Froebel decided to set up a Froebel Training College in Sion Hill, Blackrock, Co. Dublin.
Sr. Simeon Tarpey was sent to train and become the founding Principal of the Froebel College. Many of us here tonight remember Sr. Simeon and her wonderful gift of eliciting and promoting the quality of trust – trust in her students and trust as bedrock for all levels of education, that trust which Friedrich Froebel promoted in his philosophy of education and which we experience as Dominican education.
We are delighted to have with us tonight, Sr. Maureen Mac Mahon OP, one of the first students of the College in 1943 and also Sr. Edel Murphy the last Dominican Sister to be trained in the Sion Hill location.
We congratulate all involved in tonight’s celebration and wish every blessing on the staff and students as they move to the location in Maynooth, County Kildare. May the ethos and philosophy of Friedrich Froebel and the Froebel College continue to flourish.
Sister Helen Mary Harmey, OP
Congregation Prioress
20 April ,2013
