Most people tend to think of the Dominican Republic as a holiday paradise, with idyllic sandy beaches. And many are astonished to discover that there is in fact great poverty there.
The west of the country, bordering on its crisis-ridden neighbour Haiti, is an almost forgotten region, facing major economic, social and pastoral challenges. The poverty is particularly extreme in the so-called „Bateyes“. These were originally temporary hut settlements, built in the first half of the 20th century for use by the seasonal workers on the sugar plantations. Today, throughout the country, there are around 200,000 people living permanently in these settlements, which have neither electricity nor running water.
One such place is Batey 5 in the diocese of Barahona, in the southwest corner of the country. Since the year 2017 three religious sisters of the congregation of the Missionaries of the Immaculate Virgin Mary and Saint Catherine of Siena – known locally as „Lauritas“ – have been working in the parish of Saint Martin de Porres. Many of the parishioners here still work in the sugar cane fields, a harsh life involving long hours in the oppressive heat, and earn less than 10 dollars a day. Others work in the sugar factories, and here too the conditions are hard and the wages low. The workers, many of whom are Haitians or descendants of Haitian migrant workers, have to fight a daily battle for subsistence and have almost no opportunities for further development.
The „Lauritas“ care for the children and young people, play an active part in the pastoral life of the parish, help with the training of the catechists and are there to support and advise the people at any time. They also run a daycare centre for 18 elderly people, four of whom are quite alone. When they have to go to hospital, one of the sisters accompanies them and registers as a family member/next of kin, so that these elderly people will get better treatment in the hospital.
The sisters themselves live in extremely modest conditions, especially when they have to cope with the frequent and long lasting power cuts. Often they can be without power for up to 8 or 10 hours, so that they have to depend on candles or oil lamps in the night-time.
The bishop is doing his best to support the sisters, but in this desperately poor region the Church herself has only very limited resources. Which is why we are proposing to help these three religious sisters, who are working with such self-effacing love and devotion, with basic support of 2700 Euros for their life and apostolate.
