Native Puerto Rican Community

Over the years the Dominican Friars built numerous chapels in villages beyond the first settlements in San Juan, Bayamón and Yauco.  Their apostolic activity extended to populated centers such as Collores, Naraño, Duey, La Vega, Rioprieto etc... They promoted a school for native vocations. They founded the University of Bayamón working with SEDOC to prepare men and women for various church ministries and with the Dominican Studium Generale to prepare religious of the Order. They produced daily radio programs and published periodicals to put spread the Gospel and put forth issues related to justice and peace. (CIDALC)

S. Selenia wrote, "(In 1960) we were 77 Sisters ministering in nine schools on the Island. Thirty were from New York. It is interesting to realize that from Holy Rosary our community was blessed with seven vocations: Inés Becerra, Rosario Sanchez, Florecita, Ana Maria Adrover, Carmen Aida Oliveras, Adelin Roda and Marenid Fabre. Another vocation went to the Fatima Sisters, Anamari Olavarrieta.”

“Since 1910 over 300 Amityville Dominicans have served in the Dominican mission in Puerto Rico.  The Dominican Province of Puerto Rico is self-governing and self-supporting. The realization of the establishment of a native community is seen in the ministry of the 36 Puerto Rican Sisters who continue the work begun 94 years ago.  Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima in Puerto Rico and Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine in Trinidad, West Indies are the only two Dominican congregations operating under their own auspices in the Caribbean.  

In 2010 Sister Selenia wrote, “We trust in God’s Spirit to continue blessing the lives of so many persons in our ministries at Colegio San Antonio in Isabela, at El Remanso and at Casa Familiar in Bayamón, at Apoyo a la Familia in Culebra and at Villa Esperanza in the Dominican Republic.”