The Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan, USA, trace their origin to Holy Cross Convent, Regensburg (Ratisbon), Bavaria, a convent established in 1233. In 1853 three sisters from this convent were sent to New York to provide religious education for German immigrant children. In 1869, a separate foundation was established at Newburgh, New York. From this congregation sisters were sent to St. Mary Parish (1879) and St. Joseph Parish (1880) in Adrian, Michigan. They were joined in 1884 by sisters sent to establish a hospital for injured railroad workers.
Adrian became a province of the Newburgh congregation, with Mother Camilla Madden as the provincial. Mother Camilla opened St. Joseph Academy in 1896 and St. Joseph College, now Siena Heights University, in 1919. Sisters from the province also staffed schools in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and New Mexico.
In 1923, the Adrian Province was canonically separated from Newburgh, and Mother Camilla became the first Mother General of the new Congregation until her death in 1924. She was succeeded by Mother Augustine Walsh. At this time the Congregation numbered 440 members.
Mother Augustine Walsh died in 1933 and was succeeded by Mother Gerald Barry. Along with education, the Congregation developed ministries in social service and opened three hospitals, two in Santa Cruz, California, (now consolidated at Dominican Santa Cruz Hospital) and St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson, Nevada. Mother Gerald Barry also opened Barry College (now a thriving University) in 1940. The Congregation grew to over 2,000 members.
The Congregation extended its ministries to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Peru. The Congregation also served in the formation of the Glenmary Sisters, originally located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of Remedies in Pampanga, the Philippines.
The Congregation achieved pontifical status in 1944. After the General Chapter of Renewal in 1968, a succession of sisters served as Prioress: Sisters Rosemary Ferguson, Carol Johannes, Nadine Foley, Patricia Walter, Janet Capone, and currently Donna Markham. Sister Attracta Kelly, Prioress-elect, will take office on July 1, 2010. General Councilors began to serve full-time.
In response to Vatican II directives, the Congregation developed a new Constitution, approved on April 29, 1989. The Constitution incorporated a new government based on Mission Chapters (equivalent to provinces) headed by Chapter Prioresses (provincials). The latter, with the General Council, constitute a Leadership Council who direct the mission of the Congregation.
In 2002, after a three-year process of exploration and consultation, the Dominican Sisters of Edmonds, Washington, numbering about 60, voted to merge with the Dominican Sisters of Adrian. The merger was completed in 2003.
Today the Adrian Dominican Sisters number about 850. They serve as teachers, doctors, lawyers, healthcare professionals, social workers, university presidents, hospital administrators, liturgical artists, diocesan directors of schools and religious education, serving across the U.S. and in Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Italy, and Swaziland. The Congregation currently sponsors two universities, a healthcare system to which its four hospitals belong, one long-term healthcare facility, four congregation-owned schools, and two retreat centers.
The Associate Program consists of about 150 women and men who, after a period of formation, associate with the vowed members for their own spiritual growth and support in their ministries, under the inspiration of the Dominican tradition.