Adrian Dominic Sisters News

Mary’s Pence Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:06:00 GMT

Mary’s Pence Celebrates 25th Anniversary

May 11, Chicago – What do a sewing and craft co-op, a leadership training program for Latina women, an outreach program for formerly incarcerated women, and a shelter in New Orleans have in common? They are all women’s initiatives that have received grants from Mary’s Pence, a non-profit, grassroots organization that funds women’s ministries in North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

“Giving Thanks, Moving Forward” was the theme of the 25th anniversary celebration of Mary’s Pence. The celebration took place in Mundelein Center at Loyola University on April 28, the 25th anniversary of the first gathering of the founding board of directors.

After an opening ritual, Adrian Dominican Sister Maureen Gallagher, OP, founding director of Mary’s Pence, explained the origins of the organization. The seeds for Mary’s Pence were planted in 1989 when a group of lay women from Chicago applied to Peter’s Pence for funding for their ministry to women in prison. However, Peter’s Pence – an organization funded by Catholic collections throughout the world to support projects of special concern to the pope – turned down the women’s request for $5,000. At the same time, they granted $250,000 for a priest to enable him to begin a gang ministry, Sister Maureen recalled. On hearing the news, another woman commented to Sister Maureen about the need for a “Mary’s Pence.”

Days later, when Sister Maureen heard on the radio that girls in the Archdiocese of Chicago were no longer allowed to be altar servers, she felt a challenge from God to do something to help women in the Church. She called a group of people together to begin Mary’s Pence. After meeting for a few months, the initial group decided to form a board. The first meeting on April 28 was held at about the time of the Feast of St. Catherine of Siena, Dominican mystic and Church reformer.

The 13 board members, all of whom attended the opening meeting, “represented the Church: old, young, religious, lay, married, single,” Sister Maureen said. In her blog on the website of Mary’s Pence, she described their service as invaluable. “They wrote articles and gave speeches and in some cases were able to get support from women religious congregations,” she wrote. “I drove all over – Maine, Texas, Connecticut – meeting with groups of women, usually in their homes. I just knew that once people were given the chance to direct money to women – who had been ministering in the name of the Church for so long without recognition – they would jump at the chance.”

Sister Maureen described Mary’s Pence as a “grassroots movement to provide a structure in the Church that would allow people in the pews, Catholic people throughout the United States, to donate directly to Catholic women’s ministries. That is still the idea. Mary’s Pence is not a radical group and was never meant to be. It was meant to expand the Church’s commitment to women.”

After Sister Maureen’s address, participants in the anniversary celebration heard a presentation on ESPERA Funds, community lending pools for networks of women. The funds – which are not returned to Mary’s Pence – are used to give small loans to women in the community; to pay a coordinator to help the women to develop marketing skills; and to strengthen the partnerships among the women in the network.

Celebrants also had the opportunity to witness the action of a group that receives funding from Mary’s Pence. Still Point Theatre Collective, an organization of women who had formerly been incarcerated, gave a performance that depicted the stories of their lives and the mistakes that they had made along the way. They take this performance to inner city high schools so that the students can benefit from their experience.

The celebration concluded with a keynote address, “Women Called to Birth Hope and Healing in a Broken World,” presented by author and theologian Edwina Gateley; a closing ritual; and a reception.

More information about donating to Mary’s Pence or applying for a grant is available on their website.

Sister Marie Schoenlein Recognized as Rotary Club’s Literacy Champion

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Fri, 11 May 2012 09:35:00 GMT

Sister Marie Schoenlein Recognized as
Rotary Club’s Literacy Champion

May 10, Detroit, Michigan – Sister Marie Damien Schoenlein, OP, administrator of the Adrian Rea Literacy Center, was recognized as one of the 2012 Literacy Champions of Rotary Club Districts 6400 and 6380 of Southeast Michigan and Southern Ontario. The award presentation took place during the Literacy Champions Recognition Event, held March 29 at the Motor City Casino and Hotel in Detroit.

Sister Marie Damien Schoenlein, OP, shows the certificate she
received as a 2012 Literacy Champion.

The event was sponsored by the Rotary Literacy Initiative of both districts, which recently received a grant to further their efforts to enhance adult literacy in the local community.

Larry E. Powe, Chairperson of the Detroit Rotary Club’s Literacy Committee, described Sister Marie as an “outstanding volunteer worthy of acknowledgment in the effort to eliminate adult illiteracy in southeast Michigan.”

A long-time educator, Sister Marie has been involved in literacy work since 1989, when she founded Dominican Literacy Center in Detroit, the first of six literacy centers sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters. In 1995, when Dominican Literacy Center had grown to 110 certified tutors and volunteers and 150 adult learners, she helped to found the Siena Literacy Center on the west side of Detroit.

In recent years, she has been ministering at Adrian Rea Literacy Center, on the grounds of the Adrian Dominican Motherhouse. Among her other responsibilities, she worked to have Adrian Rea accredited by the national organization, ProLiteracy International America. Adrian Rea was only the sixth literacy center in Michigan to receive this distinction.

The two Detroit literacy centers were also well represented during the Literacy Champions Recognition Event. Other Literacy Champions were Sharon Mills of Siena Literacy Center and Zac Anderoni, Robert Bury, Jon Handelsman, Yashmyn Jackson, Teresa LeFevre, and Mary Olczak, of Dominican Literacy Center.

The three literacy centers are united under the umbrella of the Dominican Rea Literacy Corporation, which also includes Aquinas Literacy Center in Chicago; DePorres Place in West Palm Beach, Florida; and New Life Literacy Center in Flint, Michigan.

Through the six literacy centers, the Adrian Dominican Sisters continue their traditional ministry in education, reaching out to both U.S. citizens who are functionally illiterate and immigrants seeking to learn English as a second language. The literacy centers offer adult learners free, one-to-one tutoring by trained volunteer tutors and collaborate with other organizations to better the lives of people who had been hampered by their low reading and writing skills.

Siena Heights Nursing Award Named for Sister Sharon McGuire, OP

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:01:00 GMT

Siena Heights Nursing Award Named for
Sister Sharon McGuire, OP

May 9, Adrian, Michigan – when Siena Heights University nursing students Cincerie (Cindy) King and Christopher Rising received an award of excellence recently, they weren’t the only ones to be honored. The Sister Sharon McGuire Academic Excellence Award also recognized the valuable contributions of the Adrian Dominican Sister who had been a founding faculty member of the University’s School of Nursing.

“I feel like I’ve left a legacy,” Sister Sharon said later in an interview. She was the first faculty member of the School of Nursing when it opened its doors in the fall of 2008. She has since retired from Siena Heights, but has left a lasting impact.

“The focus of my life has been with immigrants,” Sister Sharon said. “I got into nursing because I could see the needs of immigrants and migrants for health care.”

Sister Sharon holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Barry University, Miami Shores, Florida; a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Miami; and a PhD in nursing from the University of San Diego – as well as a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Siena Heights and a master’s in education from Wayne State University, Detroit. She has also been certified as a nurse practitioner and as a transcultural nurse.

Sister Sharon’s nursing practice has taken her to Miami, Florida, and to the Southwest. She has focused on AIDS patients in the 1980s and made a tremendous impact on the lives of underserved and undocumented patients in El Paso Texas, and San Diego, California. In addition, she has served retired Adrian Dominican Sisters at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian.

Along with her nursing, Sister Sharon has an extensive history in academics, both as a teacher and a student. Before teaching at Siena Heights, she had taught RN to BSN students at the University of San Diego, as well as in more traditional settings such as elementary schools, middle schools, and health care facilities.

Sister Sharon discovered her abilities as a scholar while working on her PhD, focusing on the health care of immigrants and undocumented workers. “Now, to my surprise, I’m recognized a leading scholar in this area,” she said. “I never knew I had the scholar in me until I started my doctoral program.”

Even after retirement, Sister Sharon is writing a chapter in Theories and Philosophies of Emancipatory Nursing: Social Justice as Praxis.

Regina Dominican High School Receives Edison Award for Innovation

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:12:00 GMT

Regina Dominican High School Receives Edison Award for Innovation

May 4, Wilmette, Illinois – Regina Dominican High School, an all-girls college preparatory school north of Chicago, received the silver medal for innovation in education during the 2012 Edison Awards ceremony, held April 26 at the New York Academy of Sciences in Manhattan. The school, founded and sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters, was cited for its Vision 2020 Strategic Plan, which calls for the school to enrich classroom learning by bringing in speakers and leadership development workshops. Read the Wilmette Life article.

Sister Corazon Quiambao’s Formation for Children on the Street Leads to Master’s Degree

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Thu, 03 May 2012 11:11:00 GMT

Sister Corazon Quiambao’s Formation for Children on the Street Leads to Master’s Degree

April 23, San Fernando, the Philippines – An analysis of the condition of street children in San Fernando, Pampanga, in the Philippines, and the development of a street-based program to address their needs was the thesis that earned Sister Corazon C. Quiambao, OP, a Master of Arts in Education from Assumption University in San Fernando. Sisters Attracta Kelly, OP, and Noreen Sharp, OP, attended the graduation ceremonies at the university on April 12, 2012.

Sister Corazon Quiambao earned her master’s degree through a thesis and formation program for children on the street.

Sister Cora has been serving as principal of Immaculate Conception Parochial School in a neighborhood on the outskirts of Pampanga. Her concern for the many children on the streets led her to this study and to the development of an educational formation program that would be delivered to the children where they are—in the streets—as an outreach ministry of Catholic schools in the Philippines.

Through interviews with 35 street children, ages 12 to 15, Sister Cora found they fell into three categories. Children on the streets spend a considerable amount of time on the streets to earn money, without the close supervision of a parent or responsible adult. They go to school and return to their homes at the end of the day. Children of the streets live and work on the streets. They have relatives but have lost contact with their families. Hard-core street children are completely abandoned and neglected. Forced by circumstances, they are used to living in the streets and resist a structured way of life, usually escaping shelters and centers. All engage in a variety of economic activities for their own survival or to aid in the survival of their families, including scavenging, washing car windows, and/or selling items.

The educational program Sister Cora has proposed integrates psychological and spiritual elements focused on developing the children’s self-esteem and upholding their human dignity. “The Catholic Church as an institution has the social and moral responsibility to take part in efforts to improve the welfare of street children,” Sister Cora writes. She concludes that the Church’s parochial schools can accomplish through an extension of ministry that delivers educational formation to street children. Her thesis includes a proposed curriculum.

Archbishop Lyke School Elementary Campus Wins Fresh Coat of Paint

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:14:00 GMT

Archbishop Lyke School Elementary Campus Wins Fresh Coat of Paint

May 3, Cleveland, Ohio – Students, faculty members, and staff returned from Easter break to the elementary school campus (St. Henry) of Archbishop Lyke School on April 16 to find a colorful facelift of their hallways, gym, and cafeteria.

Workers from Glidden Paint, along with volunteers, took three days during the school’s Easter break to paint all three floors of the school, making use of 50 gallons of primer and paint in 15 colors. The halls of Archbishop Lyke School had not been painted since its opening in 1993.

Archbishop Lyke School received the free paint job as the winners of the Cleveland area’s Colorful Community Contest. One of three finalists, the school received the most online votes from local community members and from Adrian Dominicans throughout the world. “I received over 100 e-mails from our Sisters all over the U.S., plus Canada, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic, who voted for us and got others to vote,” said Sister Patricia Stellmah, OP, who ministers at Archbishop Lyke School. “They were as excited as we were.”

A special celebration took place on April 23 when students, staff, parents, and friends welcomed and expressed their gratitude to executives from the sponsors of the contest: the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team; the Lake Erie Monsters, of the American Hockey League; Glidden Paint, a brand of AkzoNobel Corporation; and Tegrey, an interior painting company in Ohio.

Cavaliers mascots Sully, Sir C.C., the Cavs Girls, and the Scream Team also made an appearance, adding a sense of fun of the event. The students finished the morning celebration by working on colorful crafts in their classrooms with the help of their special guests.

The school is named for Archbishop James P. Lyke, OFM, the first African-American Bishop in Cleveland from 1979-1990. Later named Archbishop of Atlanta; he died of cancer in 1992. St. Henry School, opened by the Adrian Dominicans in 1952, was renamed in 1993 when it merged with St. Timothy School.

Con Vida Receives National Grant for Brazilian Art Show

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:40:00 GMT

Con Vida Receives National Grant for Brazilian Art Show

May 2, Detroit, Michigan – Bandits & Heroes, Poets & Saints – Popular Art from the Northeast of Brazil, an art show organized by Con/Vida, ha received a major grant from the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities, and will debut in the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit in 2013.

The first major exhibition of art from Brazil’s Northeast to travel in North America, Bandits & Heroes, Poets & Saints is the fruit of 20 years of dedication of Sister Barbara Cervenka, OP, and Ms. Mame Jackson, co-directors of Con/Vida. A non-profit organization, Con/Vida is dedicated to the promotion of the understanding of the cultures, traditions and histories of Latin America through popular (folk) art in the Americas.

Sister Barbara and Ms. Jackson have traveled to Latin America numerous times in the past 20 years, particularly in Brazil and Peru, and have designed a number of exhibits of the art work that they have brought back. “We were impressed by the liveliness of the art and by its connection to the history and traditions of the region,” observed Sister Barbara, Professor Emerita of Siena Heights University in Adrian.

“This show will be particularly interesting to Detroiters because it highlights the African contributions to Brazil’s culture,” added Ms. Jackson, Distinguished Professor Emerita of Wayne State University, Detroit.

After its initial showing at the Wright Museum, Bandits & Heroes, Poets & Saints is scheduled to travel to the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago; the Robert W. Woodruff Library at the Atlanta University Center; and the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina. Additional tour sites may be added.

Barry University Hosts and Participates in Numerous Events

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:19:00 GMT

Barry University Hosts and Participates in Numerous Events

April 25, Miami Shores, Florida – Barry University, sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters and located in Miami Shores, Florida, has hosted or participated in a number of special events in the past weeks.

The University’s Paul and Margaret Brand Research Center hosted its grand opening April 26at its main campus. Dedicated last year, the research center was named in honor of Dr. Margaret Brand, a 92-year-old medical pioneer. She and her husband, the late Dr. Paul Brand, spent more than four decades treating countless leprosy patients, from Vellore, India, to Carville, Louisiana. In the last year the Brand Research Center was transformed into a fully equipped, high tech research laboratory.
The establishment of the Paul and Margaret Brand Research Center has continued the Brands’ legacy by the development of research clinical trials, under the leadership of Dr. Robert Snyder, clinical research director, on reducing diabetic complications including ulcers and amputations.
Dr. Robert J. Snyder, professor in Barry’s School of Podiatric Medicine and himself a podiatric physician and surgeon for more than 30 years, was elected president of the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC). His term will extend from 2012 through 2014.
Dr. Snyder has a private practice at University Hospital in Tamarac, Florida, where he is director of the Wound Healing Center. He serves on the editorial advisory boards of Ostomy Wound Management and WOUNDS and reviews articles for the New England Journal of Medicine. He will teach student doctors about wound management, limb preservation and research at Barry.
A published author of more than 100 peer reviewed and trade journals, manuscripts, and book chapters concerning topics ranging from malignancies to wound care, Dr. Snyder will head the school’s research division.
Nearly 170 students from 11 South Florida high schools throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties participated on April 20 in Barry University’s Department of Physical Sciences’ 11th annual Science Olympiad competition. The one-day event is a high school science academic competition in chemistry and physics, in which students compete in written tests, oral competitions, and lab activities. Students are broken up into teams and compete throughout the day for various awards and recognitions from Barry University. The Science Olympiad is the Physical Sciences Department’s outreach program to high school students in the tri-county area, in support of the pursuit of excellence in science education.
Current and new undergraduate students attending Barry University this fall (2012-2013 academic year) will not see a rise in the cost of tuition. The tuition freeze was approved by the University’s Board of Trustees to continue to make Barry’s quality education affordable and help struggling families and individuals. A freeze on tuition means that Barry’s nearly 3,000 undergraduate students (as of fall 2011) and new students in the fall of 2012 will not have to be concerned about meeting the demands of higher tuition costs. Barry’s current tuition rate is $28,160 per year, but nearly 90 percent of undergraduate students receive some type of financial assistance. The average financial aid package significantly reduces the cost of attending Barry.
Barry University’s mission calls us “to recognize the sacredness of Earth, and to engage in meaningful efforts toward social change.” As a result, Barry held a number of special programs throughout April, Earth Month. These included a panel discussion on nonviolence; a faculty workshop focusing on sustainability and the curriculum; a community service day; and a multimedia rock show, “The Great Planet Earth Debate.”

Barry University is a private, Catholic institution with a history of academic excellence in the Adrian Dominican tradition. Founded in 1940 in Miami, the University enrolls nearly 9,000 students and offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs through its nine academic schools and colleges.

Adrian Dominicans Awarded by Tucson Urban League

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:03:00 GMT

Adrian Dominicans Awarded by Tucson Urban League

April 23, Tucson, Arizona – The Tucson Urban League presented the Adrian Dominican Sisters with its 2012 Henry Quinto Founders Award. Sister Jo Ann Lucas, of the Congregation’s Ministry Trust Fund, formally received the award on behalf of the Congregation during the Tucson Urban League’s 41st Annual Gala, held last month at the Westin La Paloma Resort in Tucson.

Sister Jo Ann Lucas, OP, left, and Sister Mary Anne McElmurry, OP, attended the Tucson Urban League’s 41st Annual Gala.

The Adrian Dominican Sisters received the award in recognition of their long-time support of Project Yes, the Tucson Urban League’s tutoring and mentoring program for elementary and middle school children. Sister Mary Anne McElmurry, OP, serves as the educational coordinator of the program, which receives funding through the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Ministry Trust Fund.

Jonathan Peck, president and CEO of the Tucson Urban League, thanked the Adrian Dominican Sisters for their “consistent support of the League’s mission over the past decades,” for their hard work and dedication, and for the “committed support of the League and the community we serve.” Along with the tutoring and mentoring program, the Tucson Urban League offers such services as an employment and training program; case management for families facing emergencies such as eviction from homes and cut-offs from utility services; a senior food and nutrition program; and youth development, which includes Project Yes.

The Founders Award is named for Henry Quinto, a member of the original committee of the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, formed in 1969 to resolve a crisis involving minority employment. He was a charter member of the Board of Directors of the Tucson affiliate of the National Urban League and remained active and involved in the Tucson Urban League.

Two Chapter Prioresses Elected to Serve Adrian Dominican Chapters

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:55:00 GMT

Two Chapter Prioresses Elected to Serve Adrian Dominican Chapters

April 19, Adrian, Michigan – Within a month, two Adrian Dominican Sisters were elected to serve as Chapter Prioress, providing leadership for their respective Mission Chapters. They will serve six-year terms, beginning on July 1, 2012.

Sister Mary Eileen Sullivan, OP, was elected on March 17, 2012, to serve as Chapter Prioress of the Florida Mission Chapter. Sister Zenaida S. Nacpil, OP, was elected on April 11, 2012, as the first Chapter Prioress of the newly formed Our Lady of Remedies Mission Chapter. This Chapter encompasses the former members of the Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of Remedies, a Pampanga, Philippines-based Congregation that merged with the Adrian Dominican Sisters in November 2011.

Sister Eileen, currently principal of Pope John Paul II High School in Boca Raton, Florida, was born in Rockford, Illinois. She graduated from Bishop Muldoon High School in Rockford, where she was taught by the Adrian Dominican Sisters, and entered the Congregation.

Sister Eileen’s ministerial experience has been in formal Catholic education, beginning as a teacher. In 1983, after serving as co-principal of Rosarian Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida – an elementary school sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Congregation – Sister Eileen began as a teacher at Pope John Paul II High School. She became an administrator in 1986, and continued to serve at the high school until 1998. She returned to her hometown that year and served as Assistant Superintendent of Schools for the Rockford Diocese. Sister Eileen returned to Pope John Paul II School in 2004 to serve as principal.

Sister Eileen will succeed Sister Ann Liam Lees, OP.

Sister Zenaida entered the Our Lady of Remedies Congregation in 1969 and has served in numerous leadership roles in the Congregation, in the Dominican Order, and in the Archdiocese of San Fernando. She served as Prioress of the Congregation for four three-year terms, from 1988 to 1994 and from 1998 to 2004. Sister Zenaida was also the Novice Formator for the Our Lady of Remedies Congregation.

Sister Zenaida served the Archdiocese of San Fernando as the archdiocesan catechetical coordinator and was the only woman religious to serve on the planning committee for the first Archdiocesan Synod. In addition, she represented Asia and the Pacific for the Dominican Sisters International (DSI). Since 2005, she has been ministering with immigrants from the Philippines and other nations in Bodo, Norway.

As Chapter Prioress, Sisters Eileen and Zenaida will serve as major superior of the Sisters in their respective Mission Chapters. They chair their Chapter’s Mission Council on the local level and are members of the Congregation’s Leadership Council, made up of the Prioress of the Congregation, the General Council, and the Chapter Prioresses. The Adrian Dominican Congregation is comprised of eight Mission Chapters, organized geographically.

Rosa Parks Youth Celebrate Holy Week and Easter

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:23:00 GMT

Rosa Parks Youth Celebrate Holy Week and Easter

April 10, Detroit, Michigan – Working for resurrection and new life in Detroit has been the foundation of all the Holy Week activities initiated by the Rosa Parks Youth program at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen.

Special observances began on Tuesday, April 3, when children and parents were inspired by Rev. Bill Wylie-Kellerman and Mr. Sterling Toles. Rev. Wylie-Kellerman, pastor of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Detroit and a well-known peace activist. Mr. Toles is a committed youth worker at the soup kitchen and throughout Detroit. Both leaders inspired the gathering to work for peace and to diminish violence in the city by creating community and being connected with as many people as possible.

During the prayer service, many children and parents gave testimonies with poetry, rap, music, and commitment stories.

On April 4, children in the Peace Garden program planted spring flowers around the Soup Kitchen. Holy Thursday, April 5, brought the annual egg decorating and Easter basket event. Participants of the Rosa Parks Youth Program hosted a group of Cub Scouts from Royal Oak. Together, the two groups decorated eggs and baskets. This city-suburb connection, now in its 12th year, occurs two or three times each year.

On April 6, many of the families gathered at the kitchen at noon for the annual Good Friday Neighborhood Prayer and Walk around the Conner Soup Kitchen neighborhood. Music, prayers, and reflections were offered for all those suffering in Detroit and throughout the world.

Finally, on Saturday morning, April 7, more than 200 children, with their family members, gathered at the soup kitchen. They decorated about 1,200 eggs, packed Easter baskets, and were reminded of what Easter is all about. Most of the Children’s Easter baskets and candy were donated by generous Adrian Dominican Sisters and members of the Congregation’s Mission Groups.

“Truly, we try to celebrate new life and hope in the city with commitments to make peace and build community,” said Sister Nancyann Turner, OP, director. She expressed special gratitude to the Sisters in her community for the “outpouring of Easter baskets, dyes, ‘grass’ and candy. Over and over, I know that you are all with me as the children of the soup kitchen are blessed and encouraged and hopefully, empowered.”

Adrian Telegram Article Recalls Adrian Dominican Survivor of Titanic

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:15:00 GMT

Adrian Telegram Article Recalls Adrian Dominican Survivor of Titanic

April 17, Adrian, Michigan – Anna Katherine Kelly – later to be known as Adrian Dominican Sister Patrick Joseph Kelly – was among the local survivors of the Titanic featured in an April 15, 2012, Adrian Daily Telegram article. The article focused on the local impact of the disastrous April 12, 1912, sinking of the “unsinkable” Titanic. Read the article.

Barry Law School Trial Team Defeats Harvard in ABA National Trial Competition

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:37:00 GMT

Barry Law School Trial Team Defeats Harvard in ABA National Trial Competition

April 11, Miami Shores, Florida – The trial team of Barry University School of Law defeated Harvard University in the final round to win the American Bar Association (ABA) National Criminal Justice Trial Advocacy Competition, held March 29-31 at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

The Honorable Stanley Sacks, left, presiding judge of the final round, poses with, from left: Mr. Aboubakr Maaroufi, Best Advocate Award winner; Barry Law students Ryan Sainz, Ciara Harris, and Victor Zamora; and coach Elizabeth Megale.

The win was Barry’s seventh championship at a national competition since 2008. It is also the second championship in the 2011-12 academic year, marking the second year in a row that Barry’s Trial Team has won two championships.

Barry’s advocates were Aboubakr Maaroufi, prosecution and defense; Ryan Sainz, defense, and prosecution witness; and Ciara Harris, prosecution, and defense witness. The swing witness was Victor Zamora. Maaroufi, a second-year student, was named Best Advocate at the competition, which included 19 teams. Both Harris and Zamora received perfect witness scores in two separate preliminary rounds.

Barry went undefeated in the preliminary rounds, beating the University of Alabama, Widener, and the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. Only four teams advanced, with Barry facing and defeating Creighton in the semifinals to reach the finals against Harvard.

The team was coached by Barry Law professors Mark Summers and Elizabeth Megale.

“The trial team has again proudly represented Barry against some of the top law schools in the country,” said Leticia M. Diaz, dean of the Barry Law School. “Under the pressure of competition, these students were able to withstand and respond flawlessly to unexpected rulings and arguments from other teams. The entire school is proud of their accomplishments.”

Chapter Bazaar Brings in more than $3,000 for Adrian Dominican Congregation

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:44:00 GMT

Chapter Bazaar Brings in more than $3,000 for Adrian Dominican Congregation

April 3, LaGrange, Illinois – An arts and crafts bazaar, sponsored by the Dominican Midwest Chapter of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, brought in $3,322 for the Congregation’s general operating funds. The Arts/Crafts and Second Hand Roses Bazaar was held over the weekend of March 24-25 in St. Cletus School, La Grange, Illinois.

Sister Alma Marie Messing, OP, one of the artists who created items for the Dominican Midwest Chapter’s bazaar, stands among some of the tables laden with arts and crafts.

A long-time dream of Sister Alma Marie Messing, OP, the bazaar was the work of four artists and at least 25 other Sisters who put hours into the effort as hostesses and helpers. The effort was organized by two co-chairs, Sister Helen Therese Mayer, OP, and Patricia McKee, OP.

Sister Alma Marie made quilting items, fabric and paper angels, quillos (pillow/quilt combination), fabric books, fabric and wallpaper angels, trees and wreathes, and other original crafts. The other artists – Sisters Jeanne Stickling, OP; Diane Weifenbach, OP; and Kay Ahern, OP – contributed art work, sculptures, photography, original stationery, quilts, afghans, hand-made kitchen towels, and other works of art. Sisters also contributed “second hand rose” items: religious goods and other gifts that had accumulated over the years but were still in excellent condition, Sister Helen Therese said. She added that 19 long tables and two hanging racks were “filled to capacity” with the goods.

The bazaar was announced during the annual Fall Assembly of the Dominican Midwest Chapter. The Chapter is made up of approximately 114 Sisters and 25 Associates from the Chicago area and other parts of Illinois, as well as other outlying areas.

Congregation Signs onto Brief Calling for Suspension of Immigration Law

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:32:00 GMT

Congregation Signs onto Brief Calling for Suspension of Immigration Law

April 4, Adrian, Michigan – The Adrian Dominican Congregation is one of 50 Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish faith groups that signed onto an amicus curiae brief calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to suspend Arizona’s immigration law, SB 1070. Signed into law on April 23, 2010, SB 1070 requires Arizona police officers to question anybody they think could possibly be an illegal alien. The Supreme Court will hear arguments about the constitutionality of the law on April 25.

Among its many arguments against the law, the amicus brief notes that “citizens of color will disproportionately bear the burden” of this law, subjecting them to “the demeaning experience of criminal arrest and detention” if they can’t prove their citizenship or legal immigration status. In its opening statement of interest, the brief notes that SB1070 and “copycat legislation” from other states “announce to immigrants and people of color that they are not welcome and will be subjected to constant scrutiny.”

Read the list of faith-based groups who signed onto the amicus brief.

Dominican Hospital Awards Grants to Eight Local Non-profits

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:51:00 GMT

Dominican Hospital Awards Grants to Eight Local Non-profits

March 26, Santa Cruz, California – Dominican Hospital and its parent, Dignity Health, have awarded $148,495 in community grants to eight local non-profit organizations to improve community health and wellness. That amount represents the largest ever for Dominican Hospital.

This year's recipients are:

Community Bridges, for its Davenport Resource Center and Diabetes Health Center.
Healthy Kids of Santa Cruz County, to enroll eligible children in government-funded insurance.
Rota Care Bay Area, for clinics offering free care to the working poor.
Homeless Services, for recuperative care for homeless people discharged from the hospital.
Hospice of Santa Cruz County, for transitions of people who have life-limiting illnesses.
Dientes Community Dental Care, for dental care for 200 children of low-income families.
Second Harvest Food Bank, for nutrition education using fresh produce.
United Way, to promote healthy eating and physical activity among youth.

Since the early 1990's, community organizations have received more than $1.6 million in grants from Dignity Health, formerly Catholic Healthcare West, and Dominican Hospital, to promote the health and wellness of Santa Cruz County.

Good News for Barry University – and International MBA Students

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:46:00 GMT

Good News for Barry University – and International MBA Students

March 23, Miami Shores, Florida – Barry University both extended and received good news. The University is opening a new double-degree MBA program to business students across the globe. In addition, Barry has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for more than 25,000 hours of community service.

Barry University’s Andreas School of Business is now offering students from across the globe the opportunity to earn a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Barry as well as one from their native country’s university in almost half the time it would take to do both separately.

The Double Degree program affords students the cultural experience and networking capabilities in two separate parts of the world through Barry’s partnerships with several universities worldwide. Students study two semesters in their native university and two semesters at Barry. Once their academic work is complete, students have the opportunity to work at a U.S. company, where they experience hands-on learning and training

Barry MBA students will also have the chance to study abroad and earn a degree from a partnering university through the Double Degree program.

Zuleima Bustamante, a student from Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla, Colombia, is the first to participate in this new program. An industrial engineer with a minor in computer science, she is working on her MBA with a specialization in International Business at Barry.2

Zuleima Bustamante, a student from Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla, Colombia, is the first participant in Barry’s new double-degree MBA program.

“I chose Barry for two reasons,” said Bustamante. “A strong program with capable professors was important to me on a professional level, and personally speaking, the fact that Barry’s tradition is founded on Catholic principles and ideals was just as important.”

For questions regarding the Double Degree program, please contact Paola Moreno, assistant dean of the School of Business, at 305-899-3531 or pmoreno@mail.barry.edu

Barry Named to Community Service Honor Roll

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and the U.S. Department of Education have selected Barry University for the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, which recognizes the University’s students, faculty members, and staff for their commitment to community service and service-learning.

Barry was admitted to the Honor Roll for contributing more than 25,000 service hours, primarily in the areas of education, social services and community development. The Honor Roll recognizes higher education institutions that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities.

During the 12-month period considered for this year’s recognition, more than 70 percent of Barry students participated in some form of community service, noted Glenn Bowen, director of Barry’s Center for Community Service Initiatives.

Psychology and sociology students made significant contributions through a special initiative in Liberty City, a neighborhood in Miami. As part of a senior capstone, psychology students engaged in service-learning projects with the Liberty City Community Revitalization Trust. The projects included teaching alphabet recognition and beginning reading to Haitian-American Head Start students; developing, scheduling, and publicizing a workshop for first-time home buyers; evaluating South Florida’s Workforce One employment program; reviewing a grant proposal to provide broadband and wireless services to Liberty City; and creating an asset map of the community.

For their part, sociology students evaluated the HIV/AIDS-related outreach services provided by Liberty City’s Mount Tabor Missionary BaptistChurch and formulated strategies for reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS in the community, where there were 8,690 adult cases.

In addition, the work done by Barry’s Institute for Community and Economic Development and the Community Learning Partnership of Greater Miami Shores contributed to Barry’s recognition on the Honor Roll.

“The Honor Roll schools should be proud of their work to elevate the role of service-learning on their campuses,” said Eduardo Ochoa, the U.S. Department of Education’s assistant secretary for postsecondary education. “Galvanizing their students to become involved in projects that address pressing concerns and enrich their academic experience has a lasting impact – both in the communities in which they work and on their own sense of purpose as citizens of the world.”

CNCS, which has administered the Honor Roll since 2006, admitted a total of 642 colleges and universities to this year’s list, which can be accessed at www.NationalService.gov/HonorRoll.

For information on the community service and the service-learning programs at Barry, visit www.barry.edu/service, or call 305-899-3696.

Barry University is a private, Catholic institution with a history of academic excellence in the Adrian Dominican tradition. Founded in 1940 in Miami, Florida, the University enrolls nearly 9,000 students and offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs through its nine academic schools and colleges, including Adult and Continuing Education; Business; Education; Human Performance and Leisure Science; Law; Podiatric Medicine; Social Work; Arts and Sciences; and Health Sciences.

Save the Date for Saint Joseph Academy Celebration

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:33:00 GMT

Save the Date for Saint Joseph Academy Celebration

March 23, Adrian, Michigan – Save the date, Saturday, May 19, 2012, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for a celebration of Saint Joseph Academy and the people who made it great.

This event is for anyone who loved Saint Joseph Academy – past and present students and staff, families and friends. Rain or shine, this free event will include a barbecue lunch, lots of family-friendly entertainment, and the opportunity to take a walk down memory lane. Please look for more information very soon.

Archbishop Lyke School in the Running for Colorful Community Contest

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:33:00 GMT

Archbishop Lyke School in the Running for Colorful Community Contest

by Sister Patricia Stellmah, OP

March 21, Cleveland, Ohio – Archbishop Lyke School in Cleveland – formerly St. Henry School, next to the former Hoban Dominican High School – is a semifinalist in the Colorful Community Contest sponsored by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Monsters (hockey), and the Glidden Paint Company. Please help us win the contest, and we will have our gym and main hall painted!

All you have to do is go to www.nba.com/cavaliers/community or www.cavs.com/community or www.lakeeriemonsters.com/community and click on vote in the Colorful Community Contest box. Then select Archbishop Lyke School. You can only vote once from now until Friday, March 30, but you can use your computer, smartphone, or other devices. They do not even ask for your e-mail address.

Our school is named for Archbishop James P. Lyke, OFM, the first African-American Bishop in Cleveland from 1979-1990, who became Archbishop of Atlanta. He died of cancer in 1992. St. Henry School, opened by Adrian Dominican Sisters in 1952, was renamed in 1993 when we merged with St. Timothy School – the first of many mergers.

The school is the recipient of the Adrian Dominican Congregation’s Ministry Trust grant for its special program, Intervention for Academic Success. The program addresses the academic needs of students who are new to Archbishop Lyke Elementary School and who live below the poverty level and have special educational needs. This program assists the students in their efforts to experience academic success, enhances their self-esteem, and provides accelerated work for those who are more capable.

Sponsorship Conference Draws Nearly 100 from 13 Institutions

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 11:32:00 GMT

Sponsorship Conference Draws Nearly 100
from 13 Institutions

March 20, Adrian, Michigan – Nearly 100 Sisters and co-workers, representing the 13 sponsored institutions of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, came together March 15-17, 2012, to discuss the hows and whys of mentoring others in the Adrian Dominican Mission and Vision.

Conference participants came from Rosarian Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida; St. Joseph Academy in Adrian, Michigan; Regina Dominican High School in Wilmette, Illinois; Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida; Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan; Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, California; and St. Rose Dominican Hospitals in Henderson, Nevada; and from six literacy centers: Adrian Rea in Adrian, Aquinas in Chicago, DePorres Place in West Palm Beach, Dominican and Siena in Detroit, and New Life in Flint, Michigan. Sisters who serve at the Motherhouse also participated.

The General Council welcomed participants to the opening ritual, the celebration of Compline in Holy Rosary Chapel, in the midst of an unseasonal thunderstorm, complete with tornado warnings. Each group was formally welcomed as Sister Kathleen Schanz, OP, lit a candle representing their institution. She noted that with this Compline – which means “completion,” – the group was completing the circle of a day filled for many with travel and transitions. Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, Prioress, welcomed participants and spoke of the “circle of love that unites us.”

Sister Patricia Walter, OP, former Prioress of the Congregation, offered two presentations on the first full day, explaining the “whys” of passing on the Adrian Dominican charism to co-workers in the institutions and to the people served by them. She spent much of the morning discussing leadership, power, and authority. Leadership builds community so we can be effective and not waste energy or work at cross purposes, she said. Its purpose is to promote the common good.

Associate professor of systematic theology at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Sister Pat drew on the works of Jesuit psychologist Bernard J.F. Lonergan, Margaret Steinfels, and David Stagaman, of the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California, to discuss the role of power, authority, and tradition in communities and in the world.

Sister Pat also focused on the Messianic practice of Jesus: his economics of abundance and sharing with the poor; his use of power and leadership as service; his inclusivity, inviting everybody to the banquet of the Reign of God. In turn, she discussed the role of the Church as the manifestation of God’s reign on Earth, of Messianic practice, and the role of religious life as the “more of the Gospel,” the call to give one’s life for the sake of the Gospel.

Religious communities are formed to meet the needs of the time, and often change their focus as the needs change, Sister Pat said. For example, the Adrian Dominicans founded St. Joseph Academy, then a boarding school, in 1896 to meet the needs of farming families and families in distress. Beginning in the late 1980s, the Congregation founded six literacy centers to meet the needs of immigrants and of native English speakers who are functionally illiterate.

Sister Pat concluded her presentations on Friday with an exploration of the history and tradition of the Order of Preachers, known as the Dominicans, and of the Adrian Dominican Sisters in particular. She explored particular aspects of the Dominican charism: the ideal of truth and the focus on study that is useful for the soul of the neighbor; compassion, shown in the response of Dominicans throughout history; the common good; and government of the Order that is both democratic and collegial. She concluded her talk by distributing copies of the Adrian Dominican Congregation’s Commitments from General Chapter 2010 and encouraging participants to gather with others in their institutions to discuss ways to live out these Commitments.

Conference participants – a living sea of green in honor of St. Patrick’s Day – gathered on Saturday to listen to Patrick O’Neill, a Toronto, Ontario-based consultant in transformational change and leadership development, discuss the art of mentorship. Mr. O’Neill is working with the Leadership Council of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, and the Pathways committees, to help the Congregation in its focus on sustaining the Mission.

All of us are leaders, because all of us influence others in some way, Mr. O’Neill began. The key is to influence others in positive ways. While society tends to choose leaders who are “massively gifted,” we also need to make sure that their character is developed as well. Mentorship is the “crucible” for preparing and sustaining leadership.

Mr. O’Neill emphasized the importance of both mentors and their protégés. Both have certain commitments to their relationship: mentors to transmit the skills and knowledge in the area of their expertise and to help the protégé develop character as well; honesty and fairness in knowing what improvements the protégé needs to develop, and the ability to provide feedback that doesn’t promote defensiveness on the part of the protégé. Mentorship requires a lot of love and must be done “full-heartedly,” Mr. O’Neill emphasized. “Mentors must be willing and able to connect with another and willing and able to make a deep commitment to the other,” he said.

Protégés, for their part, must be open to learning areas that are outside of their own expertise. “People who are mentored are open to something more” and ready to face the challenges that will make them grow, Mr. O’Neill said. Protégés must also be rooted enough in their own giftedness, in their “sufficiency,” to receive negative feedback without being defensive. “The sum total of your giftedness” is much more than that of the areas that need to be improved, he said.

Mr. O’Neill also gave tips on how to give feedback, discussed the prime importance of trust in a mentor-protégé relationship, and gave participants ample time to discuss at their tables such matters as their own experiences with informal mentors and their ability to ask others for help.

The conference concluded with a Saturday Vigil Mass in Holy Rosary Chapel and a banquet in Siena Heights University’s Benincasa Dining Hall. Festivities during the banquet included a short sing-along of Irish songs and a trivia quiz contest in which participants demonstrated their knowledge of the positions of others in their institutions and the founding date of each institution.

Held every other year, the Sponsorship Conference is planned by the Sponsorship Commission, made up of representatives of each institution.

Sister Robert Joseph Bailey’s Name Lives on – in Public Elementary School

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:17:00 GMT

Sister Robert Joseph Bailey’s Name Lives on – in Public Elementary School

March 7, Las Vegas, Nevada – Nine years after her death, the name of Sister Robert Joseph Bailey, OP, still lives on in the hearts of Adrian Dominican Sisters and other staff serving at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals in Henderson, Nevada; the Henderson community; and children and teachers at Sister Robert Joseph Bailey Elementary School in Las Vegas.

Built in 2007, the Pre-K to 5 public school honors the memory of a Sister whose heart was always with children: as a teacher for 10 years in Illinois, Michigan, Florida, and Arizona; a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at St. Peter School in Henderson from 1951 to 1960; and as a staff member at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals, Henderson, who developed heath education programs for children. For more information, read the Las Vegas Review-Journal article by F. Andrew Taylor.

Fonkoze Posts Video on How Haitian Women Benefit from Small Business Loans

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:55:00 GMT

Rosarian Students Focus on Grandparents, Ecology, and Homelessness

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:42:00 GMT

Rosarian Students Focus on Grandparents, Ecology, and Homelessness

March 7, West Palm Beach, Florida – The Rosarian Academy community has been productive and busy in the past few weeks, focusing on such diverse areas as the students’ grandparents, ecological issues, and homelessness.

Love was in the air on February 15 and 16 as Rosarian welcomed grandparents to campus once again. Students of all ages shared several heartwarming songs about the love of grandparents. They ended with a military medley. There was hardly a dry eye in the assembly as grandparents stood to be recognized for their military service. Prizes were awarded to the grandparents who were alumni, those who came the furthest distance (Germany) and those with the most grandchildren (24).

After the presentation, grandparents were welcomed to tour classrooms with their grandchildren and learn more about their day-to-day activities.

In promoting efforts to make their school as green as possible, lower school students recently welcomed a representative from Palm Beach County Solid Waste Authority. Students have already made a significant difference this year as their ecological awareness has been heightened.

Just a few weeks ago, middle school students heard stories of homelessness from a gentleman from the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County. This part of their education, which goes beyond the textbooks, embraces the mission of Rosarian Academy: to “educate the whole person for life in a global community in light of Gospel values.”

Two Organizations Founded by Adrian Dominican Sisters to Mark Anniversaries

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:06:00 GMT

Two Organizations Founded by Adrian Dominican Sisters to Mark Anniversaries

March 6, Adrian, Michigan – Two social justice organizations which Adrian Dominican Sisters were instrumental in founding will celebrate milestone anniversaries this spring.

NETWORK, a Catholic social justice lobby, will celebrate its anniversary with a special commemoration on Saturday, April 14, 2012, at Trinity University in Washington, D.C., where the organization was founded. Adrian Dominican Sister Carol Coston, OP, one of the 47 founding Sisters and the organization’s first executive director, will participate in an afternoon panel discussion, moderated by Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne. The celebration will continue with an evening awards ceremony, during which NETWORK will honor religious and political leaders who work for social justice.

To receive an invitation to this special celebration, email sniedringhaus@networklobby.org. More information about the history of the organization can be found on NETWORK’s website.

Mary’s Pence, founded by Adrian Dominican Sister Maureen Gallagher, OP, gives grants to North American, Latin American, and Caribbean women’s groups who are working to enable low-income women to participate in the alleviation of poverty. The organization’s 25th anniversary celebration will be held at Loyola University, Chicago, at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 28. The program will include words of thanks and early stories of Mary’s Pence; a theatrical presentation by Still Point Theater Collective, an organization that received a grant from Mary’s Pence; and an address by noted theologian and writer Edwina Gateley. A reception will follow at 5:30 p.m. A time of prayer, reflection, and stories will be held from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 29. Please register online.

Adrian Dominican Prioress Challenges Law School to be School of Public Service

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:48:00 GMT

Adrian Dominican Prioress Challenges Law School to be School of Public Service

March 1, Orlando, Florida – Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, Prioress of the Adrian Dominican Sisters and an attorney, challenged the students, faculty members, staff, and administration of the Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law to be a “school of public service” and to stand for justice with the oppressed. She delivered the annual Distinguished Dominican Lecture on February 16. Read the full article on Barry University’s website.