Dominican Sisters of Bethany
The Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of Bethany was founded in 1866 in France, from a women's prison. In 1864, the young Dominican, Father Jean-Joseph Lataste, was asked by his superiors to give retreat days
at the Central Prison for Women in Cadillac. The conversations during the two retreats brought Fr Lataste to the realisation: “In order to have the power to forgive, one has to be innocent, or if one is guilty then one must have deep sorrow for his failing. Criminal hearts never forgive. But they forgive and that means in truth and in reality they are no longer criminals." (Pater Lataste, Les Réhabilitées, 13f.) After this he had an inspiration, which he recognised as the will of God. He wanted to overcome the barriers and wished to change society, so as to take seriously the gift of rehabilitation that God had already given to these women, by opening them the way to consecrated life in a community with other women, „so that no-one ever again can distinguish between those
who have sinned and those who have not sinned. So to rehabilitate them in the eyes of mankind as they already are in heaven’s eyes.” (Pater Lataste, Les Réhabilitées, 13f.) And in spite of opposition coming from different sides, Father Lataste, together with Mother Henri-Dominique, previously a member of the congregation 'Soeurs de charite dominicaines de la Presentation de sainte Vierge', founded the Dominican Community of Bethany in 1866.
Father Lataste OP was beatified June 3, 2012.
The historical circumstances were such that at the beginning of the 20th century a second congregation with the same name came to exist. The French congregation, the Dominican Sisters of Bethany Montferrand, is a contemplative community of nuns, while the second congregation, which began in the Netherlands, the Dominican Sisters of Bethany Venlo, is apostolic in nature. Alongside the prison apostolate that they continue to this day, they now have a second main apostolate, the care for children in Children's Villages. The apostolic Dominican Sisters of Bethany can be found in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Latvia.
The mission of Bethany is common to both congregations. The Dominican Sisters of Bethany were founded so that the mercy of God could be made visible to people, who because of their past lives, had been stigmatised or excluded from society. They were founded as a community for the “Incarnation of trust and hope”.
Webpage of the congregation: www.betanija-op.lv