Help Feed The Kids

The Story of Centro Fe y Alegria Espiritu Santo - a school that began under a tree. 

:  In 1992 the Dominican Sisters, Renee Richie and Maurine Barzantni with the invitation of  Bishop Priamo Tejeda began pastoral ministry in the 12 towns that, then, made up St. Dominic Parish.  The poorest of these populations, Cruce de Arroyo Hondo, was comprised of about 250 squatter families without potable water, electricity, health services or access to education.  The sisters began to interact with this population forming faith communities, and strategizing for development.  They first dealt with health issues.  After receiving training and guidance from CARITAS, they opened in 1993 a dispensary with volunteer doctors, a pharmacy and a medical laboratory.  These services are directed by women of the community.

The residents continually begged the sisters to open a school promising their support and cooperation.  In 1994 an invitation was issued to first graders.  127 students from the ages of 6 through 16 applied.  High school graduates were trained, sent to the university to begin studies and started as teachers giving classes under a tree and on the porch of the church.  From the beginning it was obvious that the students came to school hungry.  So, a nutrition program became part of the daily ritual.

The sisters approached Fe y Alegria, a Jesuit Latin American institution dedicated to founding schools for the poor in places where the government would not.  Fe y Alegria, after witnessing  the hard work and commitment of the community, pledged itself not only to building classrooms, but also to negotiating with the Secretary of Education for teacher salaries. 

 In 1999 Sister Pat Stringer, OP, a Caldwell Dominican Sister, became the principal of the grammar school. Each year another class was added; today the school Fe y Alegria Espiritu Santo has 1,580 students from K – 12th grade.  Our 28 teachers who each teach two sessions a day are certified and the majority salaried by the Secretary of Education.  All are residents of the community in which they work. The community continued to grow almost doubling in size each year.  Today there are some 1,800 families.

Sister Maurine Barzantni, OP is still very much a big part of the school and is currently involved in the religious education of the children in attendance.  The community and the school has much to be thankful for with regards to Sister Maurine.  Our blessing come in so many ways.

Immediately below are some early pictures of school life followed by more current photos

The school has grown since the early days but there is still much to be done

The High School

 The high school has been founded in 2006, in the same manner as was the primary school, one level at a time.  It opened with 72 first year students and classes were given in space shared with the primary school.    The goal is to have 12 classrooms, administration area, guidance offices, kitchen, cafeteria, science lab, computer lavatory, library and a basketball court.

 The project is a joint project of  the Secretary of Education of the Dominican Republic, the Jesuit organization Fe y Alegria, the Dominican sisters and the community of Cruce de Arroyo Hondo.

 Since June 2007, there are four Dominican sisters working in the project: Pat Stringer (Caldwell Dominican) is principal, Eneida Santiago (Adrian) teaches high school language, Basilia de la Cruz (Adrian) directs the religious education program and Maurine Barzantni (Adrian) is co-director.

The School has grown since 1994 and so have our needs.