By Annmary Andrews
Newfoundland, Sept 7, 2020: I arrived in the Diocese of Roseau of the Commonwealth of Dominica, in the West Indies, on December 8, 2018.
It was in response to a call for volunteers by the Presentation Sisters leadership from Newfoundland and Labrador Unit, during the tercentenary of the birth of our foundress Nano Nagle.
The Diocese of Roseau has 42,483 Catholics in 15 parishes, according to the 2017 Vatican census.
Nano Nagle (1718-1784) founded the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ireland. She was a pioneer of Catholic education in Ireland. Pope Francis declared her venerable, the second stage in the canonization process, on October 31, 2013.
The fact that the catechists whom Nagle educated ministered in the West Indies, inspired me to answer to this call with enthusiasm.
In the beginning, the community at Salisbury village was made up of two Canadian sisters and me. I enjoyed my life with my sisters. In 2019 the Canadian Sisters returned to their home country. Thereafter, Sister Mary Therese Raphael from South India Province and Sister Lynette Rodrigues, another Indian, from the Africa Unit of the congregation joined me at Salisbury, a town on the west coast of the small Caribbean island nation of Dominica.
We are engaged in teaching ministry at CALLS (Centre for Adolescents Learn to Love and Serve) where trainees aged 16 – 22 come to upgrade themselves in education and to learn skills for their lives and seek potential employment.
We also have many migrant students from Haiti, another Caribbean country that is still recovering from a 2010 earthquake.
We also engage in administration, sustainable agriculture, visit the sick and elderly in the neighborhood.
In the community, we do our house chores and teach each other to prepare various dishes we are familiar with. It is full of fun and daily learning experience with each other.
The local people are very warm, friendly and simple. I am happy to minister among them. The climate here is Tropical so the surrounding nature brings back to me the memories of my childhood days in my native Kerala, South India.
The rainbow which appeared on the next day of my arrival in Salisbury reminded me of the promise made by God to Abraham and was an affirmation of my presence in Dominica.
Dominica is a mountainous Caribbean island nation with natural hot springs and tropical rainforests. According to the World Bank (2018), the country has a population of 71,625.
Meeting with the various religious sisters and priests and all the diocesan priests at the annual gathering is very life-giving.
We also network with the government agencies and other civil society groups in reaching out to the youth, the vulnerable and the poor.
The sayings of our foundress Nano Nagle, “The Almighty is all-sufficient” and “If I could be of service in saving souls in any part of the globe, I would willingly do all in my power” give me meaning, purpose, hope, courage and enthusiasm to continue the ministry in Dominica.
(Annmary Andrews is an Indian missionary in Dominica, or the Commonwealth of Dominica, an island country in the Caribbean.)
I am so happy for you Annmary
that you are enjoying your ministry there. The island experience and ministry among them is indeed something unique, unforgettable and rewarding. I know it by my own experience in Seycheelles. I still miss that enormousely. Thanks for sharing. God bless you
Izzy
Well written Annmary. Congrats on your commitment and dedication to Nano’s ethis. Many blessings on you and your ministry. I hope you will be able to get back soon. Roisin
Thank you very much for your work in Dominica…..
Many many congratulations dr Sister 4 being 1st Indian Presentation Sister in Dominica Nation & dedicating your life 4 servicing poor and needy people and we r very blessed 2 having u in our lives.Thank U so much Sister..
Great Annmary. So proud of you.
The rainbow was related to Noah, not Abraham. God said he would never destroy mankind by flood again.
Delighted to read about your life and mission in Dominica Annmary. You are great and have a big heart for the poor. You will do marvels for them. May God bless you with good health and happiness.
You will be remembered for ure work in C O D. God bless
Thank you sister. God bless your efforts. Reminder: God’s promise through the rainbow was to Noah not Abraham. Bless the Lord, He will never flood the world again. Amen 🙏🏾
Thank you for ure missionary in C O D, God bless you forever
TO THE EDITOR, I would just like to make a correction to your foot note. You are mixing up Dominica and the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is the island nation stuck onto Haiti. The capital is Santo Domingo. They speak Spanish.
Dominica, (where Ms Andrews is) on the other hand is called the nature island (capital Roseau) which you referred in the article and is a solo island. It’s quite a plane ride to Dominica from the Dominican Republic. I am a born and raised Dominican from Dominica. We speak English and French Creole. We too have immigrants from both Haiti and the Dominican Republic, however we are a former colony of Britain, proudly independent since 1978. We are not to be confused with the D.R.
Excellent sister
Congratulations AnnMary. Thanks for sharing your experience. I came to know about the missionary work there. Very Interesting.
Well written annemary. All the best for your continued ministry
Congratulations Annmary.
Congrats Annmary, you have it in you the missionary zeal and commitment to the downtrodden. Even today you are lovingly remembered among the poor in Royapettah with whom you opted to live for some years. You have vshared your experience of being in Dominica very well, truly from the heart
Congratulations my loving sister. May Good God bless you abundantly in your ministry. Praying for you and your Congregation.
Congratulations my loving sister. May good God bless you abundantly in your ministry. Praying for your work and also for your Congregation
Congratulations and blessings to you dear Annmary in your ministry at the Dominican Island