Teachers and care givers

The Dominican Sisters are a consecrated community of religious women of the Catholic Church who teach school and also care for the elderly on Guam. While the Dominican order was originally founded in France in the 1200s, the congregation on Guam was founded in Spain about 100 hundred years ago and is found in countries all over the world.

The sisters first came to Guam in 1979, opening a children’s day care center in Ordot and teaching at San Vicente School in Barrigada. They also taught in Saipan for a brief period. They eventually left San Vicente as well.

The day care center in Ordot, the Dominican Child Development Center, progressed successfully and expanded. The sisters in Ordot also assisted in the local parish of San Juan Bautista.

The second Guam ministry the sisters undertook was the care of the elderly. Saint Dominic Senior Care Home was opened in Barrigada Heights in 1987 on land donated to the church for the care of the elderly.

The third apostolate of the Dominican Sisters on Guam is the Dominican Catholic School in Yigo, opened in 1996. Starting with the lower grades, the school is now able to take in students up to the eighth grade. In time, the school hopes to offer complete primary and secondary education programs.

A Dominican Sister also works in the Marriage Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Agana.

The Dominican Sisters are attached to the Taiwan Province of their community, which is an off-shoot of the Philippine Province. About twenty-two sisters make up the Guam community.

By Eric Forbes, OFM Cap.

For further reading

Dominican Catholic School. “Home of the VERITAS.” Last modified 18 June 2021.

Misioneras de Santo Domingo. “Ser portadoras de la Palabra y mensajeras de la Verdad.” 2020.