Young Dominican Sisters “YSOP” Meeting 2020
If it is true that since the late 19th century the Baltic States have represented the outpost of freedom on the frontier between East and West and that in 1990 they were the first states to proclaim their independence from the USSR, there could hardly have been a better place for holding the annual YSOP 2020 Conference.
The event took place in Riga, Latvia, from the 3rd to the 5th of January. Dominican Sisters from Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Germany, Norway and Spain, England, Ireland and the United States have gathered to share a time of personal growth, common prayer and reflection on “ Wounds and Wars: Healing and Peacebuilding: A History of the 20th Century” and to discuss “All that makes us ‘us’: Memory and Identity”. Sr Pilar Del Barrio, DSE (Dominican Sisters Europe) coordinator led the conference assisted by her council.
The gathering was held at the Convent of the Sisters of Bethany. The Prioress, Sr Hanna Rita Laue OP and her community offered a friendly and welcoming setting that made possible a joyful and fruitful exchange of ideas, experiences and challenges.
The main speakers were Church Historians Dr Jitka Jonová and Sr Sabine Schratz, OP. Jitka, a lay Dominican senior lecturer at Sts Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology, Palacký University and Sr Sabine Schratz, Director of Lumen Dominican Centre in Dublin and member of the Historical Institute of the Order of Preachers have provided the participants with a critical analysis of the intricate history of the 20th century, focusing in particular on the impact of the two World Wars and of the advent of communism on European history, culture and religious life. Their thorough presentations sparked an engaging and fruitful discussion that allowed the sisters to appreciate and compare how differently the same events affected their own countries and culture. Particularly interesting and moving testimonies came from the Slovakian, Czech, Hungarian and Latvian sisters who shared instances of heroic resistance to persecution of the Catholic Church under communist regimes.
Strength and weaknesses of international organizations such as the League of Nations and the United Nations were also discussed particularly in relation to global questions such as protection of minority rights, environmental issues and migration. In this respect, the final and conclusive discussion greatly benefited from the participation of the International Coordinator for DSIC, Sr Margaret Mayce, OP who shared with the Sisters some of the lessons learnt through her long experience over eleven years as the NGO (Non-Governmental) Representative at the United Nations in New York City. Sr Margaret reminded YSOP that framing European challenges without losing sight of the global perspective is not only a necessity arising from a world becoming increasingly more interdependent but also and no less important it is a constitutive element of the Dominican call to preach the truth and “to go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt, 28:19).
Sr Sabine’s insightful account of the complex interplay between memory and identity and the role that history plays in shaping both has resulted on the one hand in a deeper awareness of how little we know about each other’s history but at the same time, it has allowed appreciating the role that DSE plays in filling these gaps bringing Dominican Sisters together and promoting collaboration among different countries and regions by overcoming linguistic and intellectual barriers.
Report by Sr. Chiara Mary Tessaris from the English Dominican Congregation of St Catherine of Siena.
Taken from: http://bit.ly/2s6ZZT0
