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Visit to Dominican Republic, January 16-22, 2016
Notes from Mary Berens & Ann Marie Eckert
Travelers: Mary Berens, Peter Brennan, Jane Bonassar, Ann Marie Eckert, Linda Galanthay, Kate Kelley-Mackenzie, Maria Carolina Marraccini, Akoko Semon, Patricia Sipple, Michael and Paula Twomey
Hosted by Hermanas Misionarias de Jesus: Sisters Iris, Nilda, Teresa, Isabel; and bus driver, Rigo.
Visit Schedule and Highlights
Saturday, January 16:
Mid afternoon arrival at Santo Domingo airport
The group was met by Sister Iris and four teenage alumnae of El Portal de Belen. We traveled by bus (funded by the 200 Club) to Monte Plata with a stop en route at the Ole supermarket near the airport. We bought provisions for breakfast—including pineapple yogurt, peanut butter, and milk. The teenagers with us bought cupcakes and immediately consumed them!
Upon arrival at El Portal, the first thing we noticed was the beautiful mosaic covering one entire exterior wall of the school building, which was created by Sister Teresa. Inside the school, Ann Marie was surprised and delighted to see that the large courtyard/assembly area of the school was no longer covered with gravel but had a beautiful new tile floor.
Our first order of business was to unpack the 13 large suitcases brought from Ithaca, full of baby diapers, children’s clothes, medical supplies and a small number of games, dolls and specialty items. Later, dinner was served and we were introduced to the wonderful cooking of the kitchen staff at El Portal, chief among the group being Nanin. Throughout our stay our menu was varied and included local fresh meat and produce such as chicken, pork, beef, cheese, potatoes, mashed plantain, and always bananas and mandarin oranges. One memorable evening when we were on our own to prepare supper, we had ham/turkey/cheese sandwiches and fresh mango and papaya smoothies prepared by Sister Iris--truly a culinary highlight of our visit!
The day ended with delivery by bus of each of us to our hosts or accommodations for the week:
Basilio hosted Peter; Laurenza & Moreno hosted Michael & Paula; Carlista hosted Kate; and Subgerdi Mercedes & Felipe Alejo Moreno hosted Carolina. The Mission House provided accommodations for Jane, Patricia, Akoko, Linda, Mary, and Ann Marie.
Sunday, January 17
Following breakfast (guava flatbread, local cheese, homemade cookies, oatmeal, bread rolls, peanut butter, coffee, etc.) at El Portal, we met with 20-25 lay Missionaries of Jesus Christ. All of these women and men support the work of the Portal and the Sisters. For more than two hours, we shared stories about our backgrounds, vocations, and avocations and we sang songs. Laurenza reviewed for us the Charter of the lay Missionaries of Jesus Christ. During lunch our conversations continued in smaller groups. I chatted with 4 students living at the University House in Nagua—three of whom are studying to teach kindergarten and the fourth, accounting.
Later in the afternoon we all enjoyed a tour of the Sisters’ garden and menagerie behind the convent, where we saw their goats, dogs, chickens, sugar cane, bananas, mangoes, star fruit, and much more. growing, all cultivated by the Sisters and Sr. Iris’ mute brother. At the end of the afternoon, we walked from the Mission House to various homes and projects within an area close to the Portal that is known as “the swamp.” There are about 100 houses in that area, and the 200 Club has funded many projects there, including putting in latrines, cement floors, and rehabbing the exteriors and interiors of several houses.
In the evening, after dinner, we attended 7 p.m. Mass. It was a special service celebrating the Patronato de Nuestra Senora de Alta Gracia, so Mass included extraordinary musicians hired from out of town; lots of high-decibel, amplified music with wonderful Dominican rhythms and percussion; and a lovely play at the end of Mass, performed by El Portal students, depicting the Nativity and early life ofJesus. One memorable moment was the monologue spoken by an 8-year old boy playing Jesus Christ. Later we learned that students from El Portal have a reputation for excelling at memorization and oratory and they frequently win regional competitions in this area.
Monday, January 18
Today we met the hundreds (259) of wonderful students at the Portal! They arrive, beginning at 7 a.m., eat breakfast in shifts, and play in the courtyard—reminds me of recess before school. At 8 a.m. they line up by grade and sing the national anthem and say prayers in unison. For the next 8 hours, we joined in on school activities: visiting classrooms, playing with children on the playground, feeding the babies and putting them down for naps, and simply observing the daily rhythm of the school. The babies and younger children only have a half day of school, so they leave at noon, but the older children’s day continues until 4:00 p.m.
One of the highlights of our day was to take a tour of the newest building of the Portal that currently houses the 3-year-olds. This building, originally built as a Post Office 20 years ago, but never used, has been a focus of attention by the Sisters for many years. They have asked repeatedly to receive permission to use it for the school, and they have been on a roller coaster of approvals and denials for years. This past year, after receiving a tentative approval, they built a fence around the building, raised money from the parents of the children at the Portal to install shutters for the windows, painted the interior, built stairs on the front side of the building, and a walkway over to the Portal. They also created work crews to clean out the property, since it had become a dumping ground for the community. They are “squatting” on the property now, hoping that “possession is nine-tenths of the law.” They hope to receive official approval for use of the building, and then they will divide the building into four rooms, put the 2- and 3-year olds there, and open up a space for another classroom in the main building – allowing them to expand to 6th grade next year.
In the afternoon, we began the vision screening for the students. We organized ourselves into four teams, each located in one corner of the courtyard, and completed screening all the students in Grades 5, 4 and 3 (approximately 70-80 students).
In the evening, after supper, we attended 7 p.m. Mass and our group joined the church choir in singing, “Ode to Joy” (from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony) with lyrics translated into Spanish. Following Mass, we visited Laurenza in the Emergency Room/Acute Care Clinic where she was successfully recovering from a critical rise in blood sugar. About one hour later while we were enjoying ice cream in town, Laurenza and Moreno passed us on their motor scooter on their way home. Hallelujah!
Tuesday, January 19
Due to the national holiday celebrating the Patronato de Nuestra Senora de Alta Gracia, the school week at the Portal was abbreviated to only Monday and Tuesday. Our activities were twofold: completion of the vision screening and giving away the clothes brought from Ithaca to all of the children.
We had a quick tour of the clinic where Sister Nilda works before starting our activities at the Portal; the clinic is located in town opposite the Church of St. Anthony. We met the pediatrician and dentist/oral surgeon, as well as the women who draw blood and run the lab. Although there is a new, large hospital next door to the Portal, we were told that many local people requiring acute care and surgery continue to go out of town (Santo Domingo) for medical care.
The vision screening for Grades 2 and 1 proceeded smoothly, but we found working with the kindergarten students challenging in terms of understanding and following directions. In the end, our efforts were worthwhile, but we decided to not attempt vision screening for the younger children. In total, we screened approximately 150 students— exact records were left with Sister Iris. From that group, 18 students were referred for professional eye exams. We also referred two teachers, who were among the 5-6 teachers who requested vision screening.
The clothing giveaway was a highlight of our visit. Thank heavens for the many experienced dressers of children in our group. They jumped into the task with enthusiasm and the rest of us assisted as best as possible or sat on the sidelines and watched in admiration. The energy level in the courtyard was palpable and the smiles were evident on each child’s face. It was the perfect way to send the children home for a week’s holiday. The school day ended early, at 12 noon; school was scheduled to resume on Tuesday, January 26.
Mid afternoon, our entire group walked from the Mission House to the town center to see the huge procession of horses—all part of the celebration of the Patronato de Nuestra Senora de Alta Gracia. Cowboys and cowgirls from across the region and countryside ride into town and ride a circuit through town for most of the afternoon. Many of the horses/riders demonstrated their expertise at paso fino, a longstanding tradition and part of this festival. Among our group, Carolina and Kate enjoyed participating on horseback, thanks to the assistance of one of the local cowgirls. The tradition is that earlier in the afternoon each finca presents a bull to the Church and they are gathered in a nearby courtyard. The bulls are then led out of town where they will be sold to raise money for the Church.
In the evening we enjoyed our simple supper of sandwiches and smoothies and then watched part 1 of a fascinating movie, Bhakita— the story of a Sudanese woman enslaved, brought to Italy, who eventually becomes a nun and, later, a saint.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
This is the day we spent in Santo Domingo, leaving El Portal at 8:30 a.m. The morning was filled with Sister Iris shopping for fresh produce and other items, including toilet paper. Lunch was at the Ole Super Store upstairs cafeteria—an excellent choice with a vast selection of foods at reasonable prices. In the afternoon, we walked around the colonial quarter and spent time in the Basilica Catedral Santa Maria de la Encarnacion--the first cathedral in the Americas. Before leaving the colonial quarter we walked past the house of Bartholomew Columbus, younger brother of Christopher Columbus and founder of the city of Santo Domingo. We were allotted 20 minutes for coffee and souvenir shopping before leaving Santo Domingo and heading for Los Tres Ojos caves. Arriving just before closing, we had only 30 minutes to explore this astounding natural wonder; it was well worth the hurried visit. It was especially interesting because Sr. Iris, who grew up in Santo Domingo, used to go here as a young girl and climb down ropes into the caves to go swimming with her friends.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Today is the Dia de Fiesta de la Patronato de Nuestra Senora de Alta Gracia . This morning we met two young women from the Order who rode down from Nagua with Sister Teresa: Sister Deyaniris, whose nickname is Lily, and Aleyri, a postulant with the Order.
In the morning, we visited the computer lab in the Portal and the new basketball court, both focuses of the 200 Club in 2015. Many in our group had not had a chance to see these during the two days that the children were at the Portal. We also visited 2 houses built by the Sisters (through 200 Club funding) for families. One is the home to a girl with severe disabilities most likely caused by poor nutrition due to a cleft palate as a child. She lives with her parents and siblings, but the family is not very capable of taking care of themselves so the Sisters assist as they can. Next door lives a blind mother and her bed-ridden, paralyzed husband. This family, with three teenage children, is also raising the mother’s sister’s baby, which would have been aborted without her promise to raise her. The Sisters have been helping this family, but Sr. Iris is very discouraged by the teenage children who don’t help with keeping the house in good condition and are often in trouble. We also visited the house of a mother and her 5 children. The 200 Club is helping to fund the completion of a bathroom. This particular house has never had an indoor bathroom and the family was showering in the backyard at night so they could not be seen. They are borrowing their neighbors latrines. Sr. Iris told us that they were doing all of this for the youngest daughter, who is an excellent student at the Portal – good grades, great attitude, and good morals. They also assisted the mother in finding a job as a cleaning person in the house of a lawyer in town. In the afternoon we went to Mass, celebrating the Feast of Nuestra Senora de Alta Gracia, followed by some wonderful people watching as the local people processed the image of Senora de Alta Gracia around the town. We once again enjoyed some ice cream.
After a good dinner with all of the Sisters, we learned more about the University House up in Nagua. The house is Sr. Iris’s dream: to provide a way for the young women of Monte Plata (and the whole country) to receive an education and to break some of the cycles of poverty in their country. Many of the young girls, after they leave the Portal and head to middle school and high school, lose their way. They get caught up in the culture of Monte Plata that has a very high incidence of teenage pregnancy and a lot of drinking. Many of the girls who get pregnant either marry very young (and therefore do not continue their education) or are forced to raise their children alone. Sr. Iris and all the Missionaries of Jesus want something better for them. By creating the University House, they believe that some of the best and brightest girls of their community will have a much better chance of
living a better life. College education is free in the Dominican Republic, but housing, books, and transportation are not. By creating the University House, the girls have somewhere to live, but they also have the opportunity to live in a Christian community that will encourage their studies and their moral behaviors. Sr. Teresa, Sr. Deyaniris, and Aleyri are currently living in Nagua, and there are 4 young women living in the house. It is designed to house about 20 young women, so they are working on securing more beds and other materials so that additional girls can move in, and also growing the awareness of this house in other communities through the Domincan Republic. Sr. Teresa is also working in the Catholic parish where the House is to create a similar community as has been formed by the Sisters in Monte Plata – a community of lay missionaries who evangelize their neighborhoods, host Bible study and other faith sharing groups, and encourage faithful and moral living.
The building of this University House was made possible by a donor from St. Catherine’s Parish – a couple who has asked to remain anonymous. The Sisters are very curious about this donor and hope that they someday come and see what they have created with the donation. The Sisters sacrificed a great deal to make this University House possible. Ann Marie noted that the Sisters seemed much less stressed and healthier this year than when she was with them last year. Splitting up their community (all were previously together in Monte Plata) was a big adjustment, especially for Sr. Iris and Teresa who used to run the Portal together. Sr. Iris was not only running the school alone, but also oversaw the workers and purchasing most of the supplies in Santo Domingo and then had to deliver them to Nagua (about 90 minutes north). Sr. Teresa was living in a house where there was no running water or electricity or safety measures for months while it was being built, and overseeing the day-to-day work. She was also trying to start the lay community in Nagua and helping to oversee the young women who had started college and were living in another home while the University House was being built.
Thursday evening, back at the Mission House, we learn our Saturday, January 23, flight to Newark had been cancelled due to the forecast for a major snowstorm.
Friday, January 22
We returned home one day early. This was its own mini-drama, but all worked out well, we all cleared standby on the United Airlines flight and we successfully reached Ithaca a few minutes after midnight, 24 hours ahead of schedule. We didn’t see one flake of snow en route home. The following morning it was clear that we made the right decision!
A few things I learned about the Hermanas Misioneras de Jesus:
Sister Teresa was born in Bilbao, Spain, in 1950. At the age of 8 she and her family moved to Barcelona, where she entered the convent at age 15. Her parents were very dubious about her decision—particularly her father who didn’t believe she had the proper disposition. She is the youngest of 4 children, with a 9-year gap between her and her next oldest sibling. Her mother came to live with her in Monte Plata at the age of 95; she died at age 97 and is buried in Monte Plata. She is an extraordinary artist whose artwork decorates the exterior and interior of the Portal as well as the University House in Nagua.
Sister Iris was recruited by Sister Teresa to take her vows as a nun. Sister Iris was born and grew up in Santo Domingo. She is an excellent administrator—of the Portal and all its resources—in the best sense of the word. Watching her shop and negotiate for anything and everything is memorable!
Sister Nilda is from Ponce, Puerto Rico. She is a musician and health care liaison with the Clinic.
Sister Isabel is from Monte Plata.
Reflections (Mary Berens)
The experience of spending six days with Sisters Iris, Nilda, Teresa, and Isabel , and the entire community of the Portal has enriched my life and spirituality forever. It is difficult for me to express my profound gratitude for all that they gave me during my days in Monte Plata, but I will continue to search for ways to do this. Knowing that all of us at St. Catherine’s are in their prayers daily brings me peace of mind and a recognition that we truly are all sisters and brothers in this world.