Support for Religious Sisters in the Dominican Republic
Most people tend to think of the Dominican Republic as a holiday paradise, with idyllic sandy beaches. Many are astonished to discover that there is, in fact, great poverty there.
The west of the country, bordering on its crisis-ridden neighbor, Haiti, is an almost forgotten region, facing major economic, social, and pastoral challenges. The poverty is particularly extreme in the so-called “Bateyes.” These were originally temporary hut settlements, built in the first half of the 20th century, for use by seasonal workers on the sugar plantations. Today, throughout the country, there are around 200,000 people living permanently in these settlements, which have neither electricity nor running water.
One such place is Batey 5, in the diocese of Barahona, in the southwest corner of the country. Since the year 2017, three religious sisters of the congregation of the Missionaries of the Immaculate Virgin Mary and Saint Catherine of Siena – known locally as “Lauritas” – have been working in the parish of Saint Martin de Porres. Many parishioners here still work in the sugar cane fields, a harsh life involving long hours in the oppressive heat, and earn less than 10 dollars a day. Others work in the sugar factories, and here, too, the conditions are hard and the wages low. The workers, many of whom are Haitians or descendants of Haitian migrant workers, have to fight a daily battle for subsistence and have almost no opportunities for further development.
The Lauritas care for the children and young people, play an active part in the pastoral life of the parish, help with the training of the catechists and are there to support and advise the people at any time. They also run a daycare center for 18 elderly people, four of whom are quite alone. When they have to go to the hospital, one of the sisters accompanies them and registers as a family member/next of kin, so that these elderly people will get better treatment in the hospital.
The sisters themselves live in extremely modest conditions, especially when they have to cope with frequent and long-lasting power cuts. Often, they can be without power for up to 8 or 10 hours, so they have to depend on candles or oil lamps in the night.
The bishop is doing his best to support the sisters, but in this desperately poor region of the Dominican Republic, the Church herself has only limited resources. This is why we are proposing to help these three religious sisters, who work with self-effacing love and devotion, with basic support of $2,958 for their life and apostolate.
Will you join us in helping them?
236-05-39