February 25, 2016

The Dorothean Way of Educating

By our vocation in the Church we are sent to evangelise through education, with a preference for youth and the poorest.

Educating for us means disposing ourselves to be permeated by the teachings of the Gospel which lead man to discover that he is loved by God,

to believe

in this love

and to grow as a person

to the fullness

of maturity

in Christ.

( Const. 26 )


PRESENTATION

The Constitutions of 1851 and of 1889, together with the Regulations of several works were sufficient to form and   guide the successive generations of Dorotheans till the beginnings of this century.

The means of  Education – pious work of St. Dorothy, Schools, spiritual exercises, etc…- were the same as those used by St. Paula.

As time passed, forms of education increased, new methods came into being and the uniformity of work was lost. For some years, through their good will, the sisters tried their utmost to remain faithful to the Spirit of the Congregation. Successively, in various countries, circumstances demanded the elaboration of documents presenting our “philosophy”, our way of educating, but almost exclusively in relation to school. Today it is vitally important to find the common lines at a Congregational level which identify us as educators, whatever our mission.

The present document elaborated by the members of the International Commission for Education, called to give their service, is the result of their reflexion, but also of the advice and suggestions which arrived from our various provinces and from the sisters who expressed their ideas in connection with the first provisional document.

My thanks to everyone, but in particular to the “equipe” who worked with so much dedication, for this document.

It will certainly help us to maintain unity in our apostolic work, to form the laity on the same lines and to present in a concrete way, our method of education to those who wish to know it.

Lisbon, 31 July 1991

Sr. Maria Gabriela Figueiredo, (General Co-ordinator)