Dominican Sisters

Sisters of Saint Dominic
Amityville, New York

Anyone who grew up in Queens or Brooklyn and was Catholic in the 1940's, 1950's, 1960's or even later has probably come into contact with Dominican nuns.  Many Catholic boys and girls - now men and women - still fondly remember kindly Sister Marilyn as being their first grade teacher. 

The story of the Amityville Dominican Sisters is indeed an interesting one, and we quote here from the Sisters' own website:

"Four women religious from Holy Cross Monastery, Regensburg, Germany left unmet on a dock in New York City on August 26, 1853 sought the help of Redemptorist Fathers in Manhattan. From there they were befriended by Father Stephen Raffeiner a pastor from Brooklyn who had crossed the East River to go to confession at the Redemptorist Church. Sisters Josepha, Augustine, Francesca and Jacobina were given shelter in the rectory basement of Most Holy Trinity Parish in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and – within a week of their arrival – took charge of the parish school. Thus began an era of Catholic education in the Dominican Tradition.

"This small missionary band of Sisters would be joined by a few more from Germany. The remarkable growth of this branch of Dominicans in the United States began in earnest in 1857 with the first American postulant and spread to twelve Sister congregations ministering throughout the country and the world.

"By the 1870’s larger quarters were needed and farm property was purchased on Long Island in the village of Amityville. Thus, like many organizations borrowing its identity from the locale, we became known as 'The Amityville Dominican Sisters.'"