In addition to Dominican Sisters missioned from the United States to
Puerto Rico, several vocations entered the Amityville and Adrian congregations
from Puerto Rico and reciprocated by serving in the United States.
“In 1989, as a result of Hurricane Hugo, the
Dominican Sisters in the Amityville Province of Puerto Rico began a new mission
on the small island of Culebra bringing hope and services to these people.” In 2003 they were
engaged in teaching children in Culebra, Puerto Rico helping them to
master academic skills, acquire good study habits and build high self-esteem in
order to prevent them from dropping out of school and giving care and service
to 180 senior citizens at the Centro Geriatrico El Remanso in Bayamón, Puerto
Rico.
In 2010 the Dominican Sisters of
Amityville marked their 100th anniversary of years in Puerto Rico
and entered into a collaborative venture with their Province in Puerto Rico to begin
a new mission in the Dominican Republic. (D. S. Amityville) “Over 300 Amityville Dominican Sisters have
served in Puerto Rico as teachers, catechists, pastoral workers, ministers to
the poor and elderly, and counselors to families in need. Each has been a
missionary in the true sense of the word. In ten decades’ time this Mission has
grown in ways those first Sisters could have never imagined. The Province is
self-governing and self-supporting, and home to 50 Sisters who minister to
local communities.”
S. Luz Selenia Quinones, former Provincial
of Puerto Rico, shared the excitement of the centenary in a letter, “February 21, 2010 was the first Celebration
we held thanking God for all His
blessings on our pioneer Sisters
in Puerto Rico. Truly valiant women they were to take the only boat available at the time to cross the Atlantic Ocean. It took them
five days on board and they
arrived on August 25, 1910. These
valiant women were Mother Hilaria, First Vicaress on the Island; Mother Anselma; S. Tiburtia; S. Agnes Koestler; S. Beda Pfister; and S.
Emmerana. With the exception of
Mother Anselma, who was recalled
to the Motherhouse to become Director of Novices, all the other Pioneer Sisters were true missionaries for at least fifteen years. As
happens with all beginnings,
life was difficult because of the change of weather patterns, eating customs and of course language difficulties. These Sisters
however were clear about their
identity as Religious Dominican
women.”
