Pere Marie-Jean-Joseph Lataste OP, founder of the Dominicaines de Bethanie in 1867, has had his cause for canonization in the works for many years. One year ago, the proclamation was issued from the Vatican, which affirmed the "heroicite de ses virtus," the heroic nature of his virtues, and included him in the ranks that have in the passed been addressed as Venerable. This means Pere Lataste is not yet beatified -- yet, on his way there.
It was a year or two ago, also, that the Vocation Station had a "Whatever Happened To" thread, which included the question, whatever happened to the Dominican Sisters of Bethany? It is natural for this congregation to show up under Whatever Happened To, at least in North America. There are in fact two Dominican congregations, both Third Order religious institutes, both European, and both of them had foundations in North America after the "world wars" of the twentieth century; both, eventually, closed their American foundations and returned to their European motherhouses.
And yet, such is the charism of Pere Lataste, that although the sisters are hanging on, both institutes of them, by the most slender of threads today -- closing foundations one after another, dying of old age in some cases --
there are still people today applying to become Dominicans on the strength of the Lataste/Bethany charism. Strangest of all, it is happening here, in these United States, and growing, not in the ranks of vowed clergy, but those of the Lay Fraternities of St. Dominic, what used to be spoken of as Third Order of St Dominic. It remains to be said, that the European sisters, both congregations, know of and rejoice in this development. "God's ways," the Bethany Venlo congregation observes, "are not our ways" (Das Haus ohne Gitter, by Alcide Postel).
Although known to a select few, the custodians of the charism of Pere Lataste actually have a considerable presence on the Internet, to say nothing of over one hundred years of books published mostly in European languages.
Will the moderators permit me to post a link or two?
http://www.dominicainesbethanie.com
http://www.dominikanerinnenvonbethanien.de
http://www.dominicanessenvanbethanie.nl
http://www.bethanyhouseministries.com

Thanks for the info and links!

Second and fourth links don't work.

Blessings,
Gemma

I think these sisters are so awesome! Does anyne know of an American house of these sisters? I know there might be one in Los Angeles..
Bethany Sister 1
Bethany Sister 2
I actually love their charism and would like to learn more about them.

The Dutch website says that they opened a "new house" in Frankfurt at the beginning of March, and "will open" one in Delft in April. The "communities" pages mentions that there are four communities: the generalate in Thorn (still active), two houses for elderly sisters (run by extern parties), and the one in Delft (Frankfurt is probably not mentioned because it's in Germany).

The description of the one in Delft says

which means

"In 2008 a small group of still fit sisters started in a presbytery in Delft. They hope to assist the people there, but also want to show with their way of life that there is a want for "religiosity" in this time and age. They hope that their presence young women might come who want to know more about the religious life and will become curious about what that means in these times."

(The Dutch isn't entirely correct which makes a faithful translation more difficult.)

So, I think I should totally check them out Unfortunately there is a general rule that Dutch Dominican = weird, I hope it doesn't apply to this women.

Oh, and if you want to live next to this church...



... you should check out the French sisters
(The church was built over 100 years before Columbus sailed to America. I love my continent! )

Let me try again (thanks for the notice, Gemma):

http://www.dominicainesbethanie.com
http://www.dominikanerinnen-op.de
http://www.dominicanessenvanbethanie.nl
Too bad about link number four.
And here is an English page concerning Servant of God/Venerable/Pere Jean Joseph Lataste.
http://www.freewebs.com/jeanjosephlataste/theman.htm
Finally, to search for the Lay Fraternities of St Dominic based on this charism:
http://www.3op.org

Regrets! This thread concerns the Dominican religious institutes founded by Pere Jean Joseph Lataste OP.
The "Bethany Sisters", "Sisters of Bethany," are not OPs/Dominican and have no association with Pere Lataste; theirs is a different religious order and a different charism.

The following link does not name Pere Jean Joseph Lataste OP. Nevertheless the Lay Dominicans detailed in this account, in the United States, respond to the charisms, not only of Saint Dominic, but of Pere Lataste; the author is Laurie Biszko OPL and the article begins on page 7 of this file.
http://www.domcentral.org/pdf/chal4201.pdf

Well that makes sense. I wondered!

Anyone speak Czech? Here is a Czech translation of an English account of the charism of Pere Lataste in North America.
http://opusculum.op.cz/2008/04/opus04.pdf
article, file pages 13-14, or tabloid pages 23-25
(don't ask me, I'm not czech-o-phone)

we must pray for the beatification of Fr. Lataste

Also, the novel Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy by Rumer Godden is about this community, the novel has recently been republished by Loyola Classics, you will find it on amazon.

Check out this American website of sisters in Maine


Bethany Resurrection Community

I wrote to these sisters a while back using the address on their website. Very lovely women. I posted something about them after I got the letter.... it's somewhere on these boards. Perhaps it'll be interesting to someone.

Lovely women.

I wish they'd get some vocations and perhaps include a formation and vocations link on their website...

You all can find the above-cited post, I believe, on Vocation Station on the Whatever Happened To thread, still open.
Last I heard, I was told by their superior that somebody donated their website to them, and created the pages themselves, and there it has sat ever since. The superior observed that she too feels the need for a different and improved website....by a different webmaster, apparently the old webmaster was too "my way or the highway" for the community's liking, but they could not look the gift horse in the mouth. I know nothing further...

I sent them a note to their email address--don't know if that's even still going--suggesting updates and referred to all the electronic media available now...