What's Happening

July 11, 2025, Areguá, Paraguay – Adrian Dominican Sister Xiomara Méndez-Hernández, OP, joined other Dominican Sisters marking fewer than 25 years of profession in a special Encuentro of the Confederation of Dominican Sisters from Latin America and the Caribbean (CODALC – Spanish acronym), held June 19-22, 2025, in Areguá, Paraguay. 

Sister Izide Vecchi, OP, left, of Brazil, coordinator of the Dominican Conference of Sisters from Latin America and the Caribbean (CODALC) stands with Caleruega Pilgrims, from left, Adrian Dominican Sister Xiomara Méndez-Hernández, OP; Sister Maria Romelia Yaguachi, OP, Ecuador; Sister Daniela Cerrutti, OP, Argentina; and Sister Fanny Calderon, OP, Argentina/Uruguay.

Sister Xiomara is the Executive Director of the Dominican Sisters Conference (DSC), a collaborative organization of many of the U.S.-based Dominican Congregations. She described CODALC as the Latin American and Caribbean version of the DSC. Both of these organizations belong to the Dominican Sisters International Confederation (DSIC), as do organizations of Dominican Sisters in Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.

CODALC celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, and some Adrian Dominican Sisters were part of the organization in its early years. “We have a presence in CODALC,” she said. The Adrian Dominican Sisters from the Dominican Republic and Sisters from North America who have served in the Dominican Republic and several other countries in Latin America were involved in CODALC from its early days, she said.   

A native of the Dominican Republic, Sister Xiomara was invited to the CODALC gathering and had the opportunity to see “how alive is the Dominican Charism in Latin America. Those women are so committed, and they have so much joy and are so busy.”

The more than 40 participants in the Encuentro spent their days in conversations of hope in Spanish and Portuguese, Sister Xiomara said. With the many differences among the participants, inclusivity was an important aspect of the Encuentro. “We made sure that no one was left out and that everyone had a voice at the table,” especially during small-group discussions, she explained. “We focused on Dominican joy and what it means to be a preacher and to have a voice. We tried to dive deep.”

Sister Xiomara gave two presentations: “Prophetic Women from the Dominican Spirituality Perspective” and “Dominican Women Dreaming and Preaching with Hope.” During one presentation, she spoke about her experience at a gathering of DSIC Sisters under the age of 65 in Caleruega, Spain, in 2024, when the Sisters from each continent developed a manifesto, their plan of action for their region. The Sisters presented their manifestos during a follow-up gathering in Rome in May 2025 with elected congregational leaders.   

Participants in the CODALC Encuentro focused on their own action plan to implement the manifesto. “It was very well conceived, and they came up with their own ideas on how to live out the manifesto,” Sister Xiomara said.   

Sister Xiomara also experienced the work of Dominicans in Paraguay in a sightseeing tour of the ministries of the Dominican men in Barrio “El Bañado” (the Bathed Neighborhood) in the capital Asunción. The tour included a neighborhood near the bank of the Paraguay River whose homes are destroyed by flooding from heavy rainfall – which happens consistently and unpredictably every 1-5 years. She learned of a project to build a wall to protect 1,500 of the 2,500 homes affected by the flooding. “It was so moving: the faithful accompaniment of our brothers for more than 40 years,” she said. “They live in the neighborhood with the others.”

The Dominican men – Friars and Brothers – in El Bañado are generous in many ways, not only in their dedicated ministry, Sister Xiomara said. They have a foundation and “are in the process of raising awareness through raising funds” promoting the dignity of the marginalized people who live in their neighborhood. They were also generous in their hospitality to the Sisters, providing a snack of flatbread and special tea for the sightseers, she said.

Sister Xiomara was pleased with the “blessing of reconnecting with these women with whom I had so much history.” During the 2024 celebration in Caleruega, she said, she “learned so much about our deep connections with CODALC and the DSC, and how many Sisters of our own congregations were an integral part of it.” 

 

Caption for above feature photo: Participants in the June 2025 Encuentro sponsored by the Dominican Conference of Sisters pause for a group photo.