Dominican Sisters of Santa Catalina de Siena of Albi.

Th eir settlement in Río de la Plata and Cuyo as a model of itinerancy (1874-1886)

Abstract

On the basis of the unpublished text “Les fondations dans l’Amérique du Sud par les Soeurs Domicaines d’Albi”, this article proposes the study of the installation process of the French Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena of Albi in Uruguay and in the region. Th e article analyzes the circumstances of the arrival in the Southern Cone of the institute, founded in 1852 by Catherine Fabre in the South of France. Th is study will focus on the analysis of three episodes, as experiences of physical, spiritual and personal itinerancy: the journey and the arrival of the fi rst group of missionaries in 1874; the trip to San Juan (Argentina) in 1876; and the activities of the congregation around the cholera epidemic of 1886 in Montevideo. Th e sources used allow us to examine the options and tactics used by the sisters in their insertion process.