What's Happening

January 5, 2018, Adrian, Michigan – As science brings to light ever more about the vastness of our universe and its evolution, how do we fit God and humanity into the picture? That is the question that Sister Sara Fairbanks, OP, PhD, will explore in her two-part series, “Who Are You as a Christian in an Evolving Universe?”

Sessions will be held from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, January 17, 2018, and January 24, 2018, at Weber Retreat and Conference Center in Adrian. During Part 1, Sister Sara will center on the question, “What does the new universe story say about God and humanity?” This session will explore the new discoveries of contemporary theologians about God our Creator and about our place in the universe.

During Session 2, Sister Sara will focus on “How does the biblical vision of humanity illumine the new universe story?” The biblical stories of creation found in Genesis 1-2 and in biblical wisdom literature will be studied for their key insights about God, humanity, and all of creation.

Currently the Director of Vocations for the Adrian Dominican Sisters, Sister Sara served as Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Barry University in Miami. She holds a master’s degree in theology from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri, and a doctorate in theology from the University of St. Michael’s College, the Toronto School of Theology in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The cost for each session is $5 and registration is required. To register, call Weber Center at 517-266-4000 or register online at https://weber.adriandominicans.org/Registration.aspx

Weber Center is on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse, 1257 E. Siena Heights Drive, Adrian. Enter the Eastern-most driveway of the complex and follow the signs to Weber Center. For information, call the Weber Center at 517-266-4000.

September 7, 2016, Detroit – Sister Heather Stiverson, OP, is one of six U.S. Catholic Sisters to be featured in a newly launched national social media campaign, “Sister to All.” The campaign was conceived and is being run by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

Sister Heather was held up as an example of Sisters in her work as an English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor and front desk staff member of Dominican Literacy Center in Detroit. Noting the challenges and joys of watching her students struggle with and improve their English skills, Sister Heather said, “I pray every day before I come to work that I can be the best person I can be for these students.”

Other Sisters were featured in the campaign’s materials for their work with people who are homeless, newly-arrived Hispanic immigrants, women in street-level prostitution, and people struggling with substance abuse. 

Released on September 6 – shortly after the canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta – the Sister to All campaign aims to dispel the misunderstandings that many people have about Catholic Sisters. Research commissioned by the foundation discovered that while the majority of Americans view Catholic Sisters favorably, they still have common stereotypes about Sisters. For example, many believe that Sisters have little or no impact on non-Catholics when, in fact, they serve people of all faith traditions and ethnic backgrounds.

Many also believe that religious life is a tradition from the past and is dying out. The research discovered, however, that about a quarter of all Catholic women have considered becoming a Sister.

Sister Heather is a case in point. When she first met the Adrian Dominican Sisters as a nursing assistant in the Dominican Life Center, she was not a Catholic. She felt drawn to the Eucharist and converted to Catholicism. At the invitation of the Sisters, she discerned whether God might be calling her to enter the Congregation. 

“I was really attracted to their joy and work in social justice, especially with people on the margins,” she said. “I spent a year in discernment, talking to God and talking to other people. I felt God was calling me to something more in my life, to be a Sister.” 

If you are considering religious life and would like to explore life as an Adrian Dominican Sister, please contact Sister Sara Fairbanks, OP, at 517-266-353; or toll-free, 1-866-774-0005; or email vocations@adriandominicans.org.

Read more about Sister to All in an article published by the National Catholic Reporter’s Global Sisters Report.

Feature photo: Sister Heather Stiverson, OP, works with ESL students at Dominican Literacy Center in Detroit. Courtesy of Sister to All Campaign