Following Saint Rose of Lima: Living Perfect Charity in the Dominican Vocation

Our Congregation, the Dominican Sisters of Saint Rose of Lima, takes its name from two great saints: St. Dominic and St. Rose of Lima. From the very beginning of our religious life, we have been deeply inspired by the witness of these two saints, whose lives have shaped the spirituality of our Congregation.

Our first encounter with St. Rose of Lima was through the well-known portrait of her life that emerged during the post-Tridentine period. Such an image made her seem almost beyond imitation, leaving us with the impression that following the example of our patron saint was an unattainable ideal. Then, on 23 August 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Revista Ecclesia published an article by Fr. Julián de Cos, O.P., titled Rediscovering Saint Rose of Lima. Previously, on 1 August 2019, he had published The Prayer of Love, a study of Saint Rose’s mystical experiences based on the original documents gathered during her canonization process. Through these primary sources, we encountered what might be called a second portrait of Saint Rose. This portrait reveals the gradual unfolding of her spiritual journey. Above all, Saint Rose appears as a mystic whose entire life was rooted in love. Everything she did sprang from her love for God, for every human person, and for the whole of creation. This renewed understanding has opened a new horizon for our own spiritual journey. It resonates profoundly with the Decree of Erection of our Congregation, responds to the needs of our own time, and harmoniously unites our human efforts with the charism entrusted to us by God.

If the traditional portrait invites us to admire Saint Rose from afar, this renewed understanding enables us to walk beside her as a companion and to discover her more intimately as she truly was:

SAINT ROSE – A MYSTIC CALLED LOVE

The Name of Our Congregation: Dominican Sisters of Saint Rose of Lima

Dominic means Preacher and Rose symbolizes Love. Therefore, the name Dominican Sisters of Saint Rose of Lima expresses the inseparable union of preaching and love.

The very name of our Congregation continually reminds and inspires us to fulfill our mission: to preach with love and to preach through love. For this reason, every Sister professes and is called to live faithfully the commitment that lies at the heart of our vocation: “To live perfect charity in the Dominican vocation.”

1. The Purpose and Charism of the Congregation as Expressed in the Decree of Erection

The primary purpose of our Congregation is to glorify God and to sanctify its Sisters through the faithful observance of the Evangelical Counsels, the Rule of Saint Augustine, and the Constitutions.

Its particular mission is to proclaim the Gospel, educate children and young people, and carry out charitable works through concrete acts of Christian charity. The witness of Saint Rose’s life continually reminds us of the importance of self-giving and generous love – a love born of a profound relationship with God, a love that must be shared and proclaimed to others.

For this reason, our most recent General Chapter (2024–2028) has adopted the guiding theme: “Listening to the Word of God and Zealously Proclaiming the Gospel.” Together, we strive:

to listen to the Word of God to become one with Christ;
to listen to the Word of God for our own sanctification;
to listen to the Word of God for the growth and renewal of our community; to listen to the Word of God so that we may faithfully carry out our shared mission.

Her daily and constant prayer, her intimate union with God, her deep devotion to the Eucharist, her love for the Rosary, and her offering of countless hidden sacrifices all reflect the spiritual path that she walked. It is the same path we seek to follow each day, especially through our commitment to listening to the Word of God.

Likewise, Saint Rose welcomed those who came to her humble hermitage, accompanying them on their spiritual journey. This closely reflects our own ministry of faith formation as expressed in our Constitutions: visiting those in need, listening, encouraging, guiding, and strengthening those who are confused or have drifted away from the faith.

We carry out this mission through catechetical ministry in parish communities and by bringing the Gospel to those who have not yet come to know Christ, especially in remote areas and among ethnic minority communities.

Saint Rose also dedicated herself to educating poor girls in her city by teaching them to read. This apostolate continues to find expression in the life of our Congregation in many different forms: preschools, boarding homes, orphan care, educational programs for ethnic minority children, literacy classes, schools for disadvantaged children, and other educational ministries. At the same time, we continue to discern new opportunities for mission in primary schools, secondary schools, universities, and specialized educational centers.

Saint Rose also devoted herself to caring for the sick, especially women who were suffering from illness.

This spirit is reflected today in the healthcare ministry of our Congregation. At present, we operate at least three dispensaries that serve the poor, people affected by leprosy, and members of disadvantaged ethnic communities. We also act as a bridge of charity, bringing the generosity of benefactors to those most in need through medical assistance, scholarships, and programs that help families overcome poverty.

Another remarkable aspect of Saint Rose’s life was her artistic gift. She created sixteen mystical hearts, exquisite drawings that expressed, with extraordinary skill, the beauty of her spiritual experiences. Similarly, some of our Sisters dedicate themselves to specialized ministries in the arts – music, painting, literature, and poetry – placing their talents at the service of God and of His people.

2. Love: The Heart of Saint Rose’s Spirituality

Above all, we are convinced that the foundation of Saint Rose’s spiritual life was love – the perfect charity to which every Dominican vocation is called. It was a love first received from God and then poured out upon others, upon all creation, and ultimately offered back to God Himself. Is this not the very essence of the Dominican ideal: “To contemplate and to share with others the fruits of contemplation.”

By loving every person and all of creation, Saint Rose loved God, her Creator. The love she received from Him was so profound and so beautiful that she longed not only to experience it herself but also to lead others to live it outwardly and to savor it inwardly. For this reason, she proclaimed the love of God with extraordinary zeal. In the truest sense, she was a preacher of love. As Fr. Julián de Cos, O.P., beautifully writes: “Saint Rose of Lima was a young woman who found countless ways to communicate the love she had received from her Divine Bridegroom in the depths of her heart.”¹

For this reason, the example of Saint Rose is an invaluable gift that God has entrusted to our Congregation.

Whenever we carry out the mission of our Congregation, we are walking in her footsteps. Whenever we contemplate her life and strive to imitate her virtues, we are following a beacon that faithfully guides us in the fulfillment of our Dominican mission.

In today’s rapidly changing world, we no longer see Saint Rose as a distant figure whose holiness seems beyond our reach. Instead, we discover in her a companion for our own journey. Her mystical path of love, her preaching through love, and her spirituality of love have become deeply woven into the very fabric of our hearts. Therefore, we profess with confidence that the mission of the Dominican Sisters of Saint Rose of Lima Congregation is to continue the path of preaching through love first embodied by Saint Rose of Lima, our patroness. What she lived, we too are called to live, as we strive to live perfect charity in the Dominican vocation.