International Dominican Youth Movement Meeting Recap

To praise, to bless, to preach: the powerful motto of the Dominican Order has been ingrained in my spirit since my time as a student at Mount Saint Dominic Academy. Through my years at the Mount, and then at Caldwell University, I had the privilege of attending the high school and college preaching conferences, later becoming a founding member of the Caldwell DYA group, Flames of Hope.

This summer, I had the opportunity to attend the 15th International Dominican Youth Movement meeting in Santiago, Chile with our Caldwell DYA mentor and moderator, Sister Pat Stringer, and Adrian Dominican Sister Katherine Frazier. It was a wonderful experience filled with formation workshops, work on the international assembly, and community time with other young adults from all over the world. Our days were packed with sessions discussing how to promote faith formation in our communities, such as reaching out to marginalized communities within the Church and maintaining open and constructive dialogue with young adults. We discussed important female figures in the Bible and how their personalities and roles have been interpreted throughout history and examined the origins of the Order and its structure through a study of the life of Saint Dominic. My responsibilities also included serving as the U.S. representative for the International Assembly. This role meant working on a commission (I was assigned ‘mission’) where we reviewed suggestions from member groups on how to better support and promote the development of the mission of the Order and proposed amendments to international practices and statutes. I also took part in official elective processes. Our recreational time was filled with team building, a hike up to Cerro San Cristóbal in the heart of Santiago with breathtaking views of the Andes Mountains, karaoke, a dance party, fun awards, cultural night, trivia (we took first place!), good food, and lots of great conversation and laughs with a phenomenal group of faith-filled young adults and Dominican friars.

Being a part of this extraordinary meeting was not only the trip of a lifetime; it was a blessing and a beautiful reminder that the Dominican motto, “to praise, to bless, to preach,” truly encompasses the heart of the DYA faith community. It transcends all cultures, languages, and borders and is about walking alongside others in their faith journey through service, eyes to see, ears to hear, and arms to welcome. I am incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity and to have returned home with a renewed understanding of what it means to be a part of the Dominican Youth Movement.