The Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena,
Sokoto Diocese'Responding to the need of the time', has almost become a slogan among Dominicans. One may not wonder because the birth of the Dominican Order, was in itself, a response to need -- the need of the 13th century heresy-torn Church. This mission began in Europe but soon spread far beyond it.
Our particular history as Dominican Sisters goes back to several sources, from the person of St. Dominic himself to the Dominican Communities of Regensburg (Ratisbon), Germany; Amityville (Brooklyn), New York; and Great Bend, Kansas, USA (1920).
In 1956, three Great Bend Dominican Sisters arrived northern Nigeria on the invitation of the Dominican Fathers and Brothers. They were to be first of all a Christian presence in this part of the country, and to respond to the need for education, and health care. In 1973, the American sisters began the formation of an indigenous Dominican community. In spite of the difficulties, the community has experienced growth in many different ways, and to God's glory celebrated her 25 years of existence in 1998.
Membership in the community has risen to 45 professed sisters, and seven young women in initial formation. We have nine convents spread through four dioceses and a prefecture (Sokoto, Abuia, Issele-Uku, Makurdi and Kontagora). The houses were opened as follows:
Sokoto Diocese
Gusau, motherhouse and novitiate 1956
Sokoto 1991
Malumfashi 1964
Funtua 1999Abuia Diocese
Paiko, Gwagwalada 1999Issele-Uku Diocese
Agbor - Obi 1996Makurdi Diocese
Naka 1996Prefecture of Kontagora
Yelwa-Yauri 1960
Zuru 1991Our apostolates include: education (formal and non-formal), health care, primary evangelization, pastoral, social and development work. The focus in all these being the youth, and the marginalized women especially of northern Nigeria.
For a community that is still growing and seeking better ways of expressing the essence of her being, the challenge especially of remaining a Christian presence in today's northern Nigeria is indeed great, more so in the face of the ever increasing opposition to the Christian faith. But once again, we re-echo the 'slogan', we respond to the need to keep the vision of Dominic alive today -- the need to hold out the light, still, in northern Nigeria even 50 years from when that light first shone. We consider this mission tasking but possible!
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