Adrian Dominic Sisters News

Adrian Dominican Celebrate World Day for Consecrated Life

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:07:00 GMT

Adrian Dominican Celebrate World Day
for Consecrated Life

February 3, Adrian, Michigan – While many people spent February 2 focusing on Groundhog’s Day and Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of six more weeks of winter, Adrian Dominican Sisters and Associates from Lenawee County spent the day reflecting on something dear to their hearts: their baptismal call to follow Christ and, for the Sisters, their consecration to God by their religious profession. They were gathered in St. Catherine Chapel, on the Motherhouse campus, for a day of prayer to celebrate World Day for Consecrated Life.

In a special reflection during the opening Eucharistic Liturgy, Sister Durstyne Farnan, OP, Director of Vocations, reflected on the many events and rituals centered on February 2 – from Candlemas Day, when liturgical candles for the coming year are blessed, to Groundhog’s Day. Many Adrian Dominicans, she noted, celebrate this day as the anniversary of their entrance into the Congregation.

Sisters form a circle around the sanctuary of St. Catherine Chapel as they renew their vows to Sister Attracta Kelly, OP.
-- Photo by Associate Geri Pleva

For Catholics, February 2 is particularly significant as the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, when, 40 days after his birth, Jesus was taken to the temple to be consecrated to God, after a series of rituals. In 1997, Pope John Paul II instituted World Day for Consecrated Life on February 2 – a gracious gift from the pope to women and men religious, Sister Durstyne said.

She led the Adrian Dominicans in recalling their own entrance into religious life, a day of great joy as well as nervousness for many. “It was the day that we gave ourselves totally to God,” she said. This “self-giving” to God continued with every step leading to final, perpetual profession, “a deepening of our dedication to God and to one another.”

The Liturgy was followed by the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and a period of silent adoration. After lunch, and before receiving the Sisters’ renewal of vows, Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, Prioress, gave a brief talk. She compared the profession and renewal of vows to Mary’s and Joseph’s presentation of Jesus to the world. “We offer ourselves…and continue to renew this offering every day of our lives,” she said. For her part, Sister Attracta added, “Receiving vows from others is the most humbling and exciting experience a human being can have.”

Sisters express delight at renewing their vows.

Rounding out the day were the recitation of the rosary, benediction, and Vespers. Throughout the day, Associates distributed special ribbons to the Sisters, color-coded according to how many years each Sister had been professed.

The local celebration of World Day for Consecrated Life was organized by Sister Clara Ann Budenz, OP, and Sister Anne Richard Baker, OP. Sister Clara Ann said the original idea was to celebrate the day with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. However, the idea “mushroomed” as the Holy Spirit inspired them to enlarge the celebration. They added more prayer opportunities and extended the invitation to Sisters and Associates from Lenawee County.

“Parishes and dioceses around the country celebrate this day,” Sister Clara Ann pointed out. “Where I was [the Diocese of Fresno, California], the Sisters organized their own day together,” some coming from as far as three or four hours’ distance to gather with other Sisters in the diocese.

From left, Sisters Mary Daria Herbella, OP; Charlotte Moser, OP; and Ann Rozalia Szabo, OP, chat over carmelized coffee during a break from the many events of World Day for Consecrated Life.

Sister Clara Ann spent the last years of her active ministerial life focusing on consecrated life. Before her retirement and move to Adrian, she had served in the Diocese of Fresno, California, as Vicar of Religious, working closely with the Sisters, priests, and seminarians of the diocese. She was recently honored for her work in promoting vocations, particularly to religious life.

Sister Anne Richard recently retired to Adrian after serving for more than 40 years at Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach, Florida, first as math teacher and most recently as the alumni director. The school’s new alumni center was named in her honor.

Next “Come and See” Weekend Set for February 3-5, 2012

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:58:00 GMT

January 27, Adrian, Michigan – We live in a complicated world. We Dominican Sisters of Adrian strive to encounter our world together, as Sisters, and to see it through the prism of the God of gentle truth and love. We strive to respond with that same love and truth. Come and see how we try to live out this mission and discover whether it is your mission, too.

The next “Come and See” weekend will be held February 3-5, 2012, at the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse Campus. Please plan to arrive by 5:00 p.m. Friday and depart after lunch on Sunday, World Day for Consecrated Life.

To register, please contact Sister Durstyne Farnan, OP, at dfarnan@adriandominicans.org; 517-266-3530. To register online, click here. Do it today.

Sister Corinne Florek, OP, Named to Oikocredit USA Board

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:39:00 GMT

Sister Corinne Florek, OP, Named to Oikocredit USA Board

January 25, Washington, DC – Sister Corinne Florek, OP, Fund Director of both the Religious Communities Investment Fund and the Mercy Partnership Fund, was named to the Board of Directors of Oikocredit USA. She will bring to the board her hands-on experience in the promotion and administration of funds dedicated to sustainable and responsible investment management.

Cheryl Smith, of Trillium Asset Management, LLC, was also named to the growing board of Oikocredit USA. Oikocredit an international microfinance investment vehicle that provides credit to trade cooperatives, fair trade organizations, and small-to-medium enterprises in the developing world.

“We are delighted to welcome Cheryl and Corinne to our board,” said Terry Provance, executive director of Oikocredit USA. “Their significant experience in community economic development and portfolio management demonstrates how to use capital innovatively to empower low-income people, which is the primary mission of Oikocredit USA. We look forward to their active participation on the board.”

Sister Corinne said that she, in turn, is honored to serve on Oikocredit USA’s board. “I have provided investments to Oikocredit with every fund I managed because I appreciate their efforts to promote diverse strategies, such as cooperatives and fair-trade enterprises, as well as microfinance institutions,” she said. “Their commitment to empower women is even more important now as we struggle to end poverty worldwide in the new reality of this economy.”

Sister Corinne has spent 30 years working in the field of community economic development as a manager, educator, consultant, financial administrator, and strategic planner. Her work has included managing the community investments for the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Portfolio Advisory Board (PAB) and administering a 50-member craft cooperative in Appalachia. In addition, Sister Corinne has served as the coordinator of Justice Organizers, Leadership and Treasurers (JOLT), a coalition of faith-based organizations who promote economic justice through investment, education, and action.

Sister Corinne isn’t the only Adrian Dominican Sister to have served on the board of Oikocredit USA. Sister Maureen Fenlon, OP, also served on their board from 2000 to 2002 and on the board of Oikocredit International from approximately 2000 to 2005.

Oikocredit USA, the American affiliate, offers a variety of investment opportunities, from $25 and up, with a maximum return of 2 percent. The organization is in partnership with the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ PAB, which provides low-interest loans to numerous domestic and international loan funds.

Barry Opens New health Sciences Site in Hollywood, Florida

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:17:00 GMT

Barry Opens New health Sciences Site in Hollywood, Florida

Miami Shores, Florida – Barry University and the City of Hollywood, Florida, gave new life to an old firehouse by converting the empty space into classrooms for medical students. University and city officials commemorated the opening at 421 North 21st Avenue on Friday, January 13, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Barry University president Sister Linda Bevilacqua, OP, PhD (left center) and City of Hollywood Mayor Peter Bober (right center) cut the ribbon, marking the opening of a new site housing two graduate College of Health programs: Anesthesiology and Biomedical Sciences. City and university officials on either side of Barry president and Hollywood mayor showed their support for the project.

The Hollywood City Commission, including Mayor Peter Bober, welcomed Barry University president, Sister Linda Bevilacqua, OP. PhD., and Barry community members to the city.

Barry’s College of Health Sciences relocated two graduate health profession programs, Anesthesiology and Biomedical Sciences, to Hollywood. The university, which has its main campus in Miami Shores, renovated the 10,000-square-foot space, housing new offices; classrooms; and a digital lab for faculty, staff and students. The new site includes a simulation center that provides realistic opportunities for nurse anesthesiology students to practice their skills before entering surgery.

Barry students and faculty will provide the city’s residents with community programs that emphasize health education, risk prevention, and wellness. Throughout the year, health seminars and screenings will be offered at the Fred Lippman Multi-Purpose Center at 2030 Polk Street.

The partnership is part of an “Eds and Meds” economic development strategy. Funding for this project was provided in part through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program and Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency, in partnership with the City of Hollywood. The $1 million build-out will be repaid by the university and the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency through a 10-year development agreement.

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.

Sister Mary Keefe Featured in NCR Article

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:09:00 GMT

Sister Mary Keefe Featured in NCR Article

Sister Mary Keefe, OP, founder and coordinator of Nuns’ Build, is featured in the Volunteers supplement to the January 20-February 2, 2012 issue of The National Catholic Reporter. The article includes extensive quotes from Sister Mary as she gives the background for Nuns’ Build, an annual event in which women religious and their family members and co-workers come to New Orleans for a week to help renovate homes that had been damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Sister Carol Elya, OP, a Nuns’ Build volunteer who ministers at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals in Henderson, Nevada, is also quoted in the feature article by Cheryl Wittenauer.

Sister Gail Himrod Honored for 35 Years of Leadership at Providence College

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:59:00 GMT

Sister Gail Himrod Honored for 35 Years of Leadership at Providence College

January 13, Providence, Rhode Island – Sister Gail Himrod, OP, Associate Professor of Music History, was recently recognized for more than 35 years of service and leadership in the music program at Providence College, founded in 1917 by the Dominican Friars of the U.S. Eastern Province. Through her years as a member of the Music faculty, she has helped the program to fulfill its mission: “to assist students to study, to hear, and to perform music with intelligence and understanding within the spirit of an art that transcends analysis.”

Sister Gail Himrod, OP, Associate Professor of Music History, poses with the certificate recognizing her 35 years of service as a full-time member of the faculty at Providence College, in Providence, Rhode Island.

Although Sister Gail taught music theory and piano in her early years, her focus has always been on music history. She teaches Music History and Literature I, the Medieval and Renaissance Periods, to music majors, a well as a number of music appreciation and history courses to assist students in fulfilling their fine arts requirements. These courses “help the students to make connections between then and now,” she explained.

“Most of my classes require a concert attendance, followed by a reflection paper of their impressions,” she explained. “For some, attending a classical concert is a new experience, but certainly part of the educational process.”

Teaching full-time in a college or university is demanding enough, but faculty members in music face even more expectations, such as attending student concerts and recitals. Sister Gail also serves on a three-member keyboard team that listens to the individual performances of music majors to contribute to the instructor’s evaluation of the student. “We attend student performances and have juries as a way to support the students and encourage them in their development,” she explained. Attending students’ various performances helps her to gauge their progress and give the students encouraging feedback.

In addition to these responsibilities, Sister Gail has served the Music Department in various ways: twice as Department Chair and helping to develop the department. When Sister Gail began her service at Providence College in the 1974-75 academic year – the first year of the music major degree program – she was the third full-time professor. Through the years, she watched the music program develop into a full department as the music faculty grew from three full-time and three or four part-time to the current eight full-time and more than 20 part-time faculty members.

One of her greatest memories, Sister Gail said, was of working with colleagues to create the Music Education degree program for training future music teachers. She studied music education programs offered at other colleges and universities, studied the state requirements, and worked to design a program that “incorporated the liberal arts requirements, the music education requirements, and be possible to complete within the four-year sequence of Providence College.” More recently, she represented the Music Department on a committee that provided input in the design and construction of the Smith Center for the Arts.

Sister Gail also led the Music Department’s efforts to gain accreditation through the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). “The initial accreditation inquiry began with my attending the yearly national meetings in order to determine whether we were ready for this step,” she explained. She directed the department’s self-study and drew up the required documentation. After the Department’s response to a report by the NASM’s visiting team, the Accrediting Committee approved the department’s request for accreditation. Currently, Providence College is among a select group of colleges, conservatories, and universities who have achieved this accreditation.

Sister Gail has also devoted much of her time to Providence College, serving on the Faculty Senate and some of its sub-committees. She served on the Diamond Jubilee Committee, planning the celebration of Providence College’s 75th anniversary, and currently serves on the Centennial Committee in preparation for the college’s 100th anniversary in 2017. Since about 1987, she has extended her reach by serving on the Music Committee of the Diocese of Providence.

Sister Gail takes great delight in the lasting friendships that she has formed with Dominican Sisters who taught at Providence over the years. She also recalled the excitement of serving on the Liturgical Music Team with Adrian Dominican Sister Mary Fran Fleischaker, OP, when Providence College hosted the 2001 General Chapter of the Dominican Order.

Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, Sister Gail and her family moved to Ohio, living in Columbus, Middletown, and finally Van Wert. “It was there that I met the Adrian Dominicans during my elementary and high school years,” she said. She gained her love of music through her parents and took piano lessons from Sisters Catherine Genevieve Miller and Mary Luke Kinstle. In addition, she sang in the parish choir and in the high school chorus. She entered the Adrian Dominican Congregation in June 1954, part of the crowd (formation class) dedicated to Divine Providence.

Sister Gail holds a B.A. in music and English from Siena Heights, a master’s in music history and musicology from the University of Michigan, and a doctorate in music education and music history from Boston University.

Sister Gail taught in a number of Adrian Dominican elementary and high schools in Illinois and Michigan. In 1973, she learned of the new music major program at Providence College. She saw the opening as an opportunity to make greater use of her background in music history and has served the Providence College community faithfully for 35-plus years.

The Gift of Six Sisters

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:31:00 GMT

The Gift of Six Sisters

January 17, The Pas, Manitoba, Canada – Christmas is the ideal time to reach out to friends and family with notes of gratitude, remembrance, and love. Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, Prioress of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, received a special Christmas card recently, with a note of thanks from the Most Reverend Sylvain Lavoie, OMI, Archbishop of Keewatin-Le Pas, for the ministry and gift of six Adrian Dominican Sisters who have served in his diocese.

“Thank you so much for the gift that the six members of your community have been to us,” Archbishop Lavoie wrote. “We are all deeply grateful.” He added the sorrow felt by the people of his archdiocese over the departure of Sister Mary Assenmacher, who was scheduled to move back to Adrian during the week of January 17. The other five Sisters are Ethel Detz, OP; Susan Gardner, OP; Iva Gregory, OP; Mary Kastens, OP; and Ellen Kennedy, OP.

Parishioners and parish ministers also wrote to Sister Attracta, expressing their sorrow over the loss of Sister Mary. One woman wrote on behalf of her parents, who were visited by Sister Mary every Saturday morning. Sister Mary shared the Gospel, recited the rosary with them, and brought them Communion. “Both regularly attended church until their health prevented it, and it always concerned them that they were no longer able to attend church,” their daughter wrote. “When Sister Mary arrived, she began her home visits with them and they were overjoyed to once again be able to feel part of the church community. Sister Mary’s quiet, caring nature makes her ideal to work with the elderly and she will be greatly missed.”

Jeannette Bernstrom wrote in praise of Sister Mary’s assistance at St. Paul’s Senior Residence in The Pas, Manitoba. “It has been a joy for me to be able to work along with Sister Mary Assenmacher,” she wrote. “She brought joy to the residents there and at the hospital with her visits. She will be greatly missed by all.”

Adrian Dominican Sisters are serving at the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas at the request of Archbishop Lavoie and as part of the Congregation’s initiative to send communities of Sisters to underserved areas of great need. The Adrian Dominican Sisters have been ministering in religious education, lay formation, pastoral development, and as a presence to the people in this vast diocese that includes northern Manitoba, northern Saskatchewan, and a corner of Ontario.

Michigan Nuns Shine Spotlight on Human Trafficking during Super Bowl

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:05:00 GMT

Michigan Nuns Shine Spotlight on Human Trafficking during Super Bowl

January 11, Adrian, Michigan – On National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, January 11, Catholic Sisters in Michigan and Indiana launched a regional campaign to curb the practice of human trafficking – or modern-day slavery – during the festivities leading up to the February 5, 2012, Super Bowl in Indianapolis. Incidents of trafficking of women and children tend to spike alongside major sporting events to meet the high demand for commercial sex. The Sisters are speaking out to bring public awareness to this horrific practice and are working with state and local officials in efforts to curb it.

“Human trafficking is a heinous violation of human rights that involves the selling of women, children, and men for sex or labor,” said Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, Prioress of the Adrian Dominican Sisters. “It is taking place in our towns and cities, unbeknownst to most of us, behind the scenes and in the dark. By shining the light of public attention on sex trafficking around the Super Bowl, we hope to reduce opportunities for it to happen during this sporting event and ultimately to eradicate this atrocity.”

In southeastern Michigan, criminal cases involving human trafficking include a labor case, prostitution cases involving two minor girls, and an organized crime syndicate ring. According to United Nations estimates, anywhere from 700,000 to 4 million women and children are trafficked in a year for the purpose of forced prostitution, labor and other forms of exploitation. Trafficking is estimated to be a $15.5 billion annual business in the United States alone, according to U.N. estimates.

The Super Bowl anti-trafficking initiative is being led by the Coalition for Corporate Responsibility for Indiana and Michigan (CCRIM), comprised of 11 congregations of Catholic Sisters who engage in socially responsible investing to bring about a more just society. The Adrian Dominican Sisters, who engage in socially responsible investing through the New York-based Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), are fully supporting this effort, having worked on the issue since 2008.

The Adrian Dominican Sisters alongside CCRIM and ICCR members recently won significant victories against human trafficking through shareholder resolutions and corporate dialogue with Delta Airlines, Hilton Worldwide, and Wyndham Worldwide. In 2011, the airline and two hotel chains each agreed to sign the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism. The Code requires signatories to educate their employees on ways of identifying and reporting suspected incidents of human trafficking. Delta Airlines is the first U.S. carrier to sign the Code.

Beginning this month, CCRIM members have been contacting the managers of 220 hotels within a 50-mile radius of Indianapolis to ask four questions:

1. Have employees received training to recognize potential occurrences of human trafficking in their hotels?

2. Is there a protocol in place for hotel employees to document and report possible incidences of trafficking?

3. Are hotel employees/managers aware of the local groups working to end trafficking?

4. Is the hotel willing to make anti-trafficking information available to guests?

The Adrian Dominicans marked Human Trafficking Awareness Day with a special prayer service on January 10 during the weekly Evensong for Peace. After the prayer, focusing on the issue of human trafficking, two agents from the Detroit office of Homeland Security answered questions about human trafficking in the area and their work in law enforcement and rescue of the victims.

The event was organized by the Adrian Crossroads Human Trafficking Task Force, formed in 2009 to heighten awareness of the scourge of human trafficking. The task force expanded to include members of Zonta, an international organization for women, as well as Adrian law enforcement officials, including Adrian Police Chief Terrence B. Collins and Madison Township Police Chief Michael Shadbolt; medical personnel; and concerned citizens. The Task Force has sponsored two workshops in the past year, one to raise public awareness and the other focused on the training of law enforcement personnel and other interested parties in Lenawee and surrounding counties.

The task force was established in response to the Congregation’s corporate stance, adopted In 2008, calling on the Adrian Dominican Sisters – corporately and as individuals – to educate themselves and others about the “magnitude, causes, and consequences of this abuse.” In addition, it calls on the Sisters to work with other organizations to advocate for policies that would prevent the trafficking of children, women, and men.

The Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center, a ministry of the Adrian Dominican Sisters located in Seattle, Washington, has been in the forefront of anti-human trafficking education and advocacy in the Northwest and nationally. Through online webinars for middle school students, legislative advocacy, bus ads, and public vigils, the Center engages the larger community in the effort to end human trafficking.

The Coalition for Corporate Responsibility for Indiana and Michigan (CCRIM) engages in socially responsible investing in collaboration with hundreds of other faith-based investor groups through the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), a pioneer in shareholder advocacy that includes nearly 300 institutional investors with over $100 billion in assets under management. Both CCRIM and ICCR member Congregations directly invest in several hotel chains for the purposes of dialoging with the companies about their ethical responsibilities in the marketplace of profitability. ICCR members originally focused international attention on the perils of human trafficking at major sporting events during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and again at last year’s Super Bowl in Texas, and are currently organizing a global coalition of investors around the upcoming London Olympics.

CCRIM members are the Congregation of Saint Joseph; Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters; Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters, Huntington, Ind.; Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, Donaldson, Ind.; Servants of Jesus; Sisters of Mary Reparatrix; Sisters of Mercy; Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind.; Sisters of Saint Francis, Oldenburg, Ind.; Sisters of the Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Ind.; and Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Monroe, Mich.

Sharon Bossler, OP, and Emmy Choge, OP, Reaffirm Vows as Adrian Dominicans

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:46:00 GMT

Sharon Bossler, OP, and Emmy Choge, OP, Reaffirm Vows as Adrian Dominicans

January 11, Adrian, Michigan – The last few days of the Christmas Season at the Adrian Dominican Motherhouse sparkled with joy as Sharon Bossler, OP, and Emmy Chelagat Choge, OP, transfer candidates, reaffirmed their vows as Adrian Dominican Sisters. The Rite of Reaffirmation took place on January 7, 2012, during a special Liturgy at St. Catherine Chapel. Father Robert Kelly, OP, Chaplain of the Motherhouse, presided.

The Reaffirmation of Vows was the culmination of a three-year transfer process that began in 2009. Both Sisters had professed final vows in their original communities – Sister Sharon with the Dominican Nuns of the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament in Farmington Hills, Michigan, and Sister Emmy with the Assumption Sisters of Eldoret, Kenya. The ritual involved their reaffirmation of vows to Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, Prioress, and the Adrian Dominican Congregation, followed by the signing of the profession papers and the presentation of the Congregation’s logo.

Adrian Dominican Sisters, Associates, and friends from near and far – some on their computers, via live-streaming – witnessed this special event. The formal witnesses were Jodie Screes, OP, and Phyllis Sikora, OP, for Sister Sharon, and Tarianne DeYonker, OP, and Joyce LaVoy, OP, for Sister Emmy. In addition, Sisters Miriam, Anna Maria, and Faustina Marie represented the Blessed Sacrament community.

In her reflection, Sister Carol Johannes, OP, reflected on God’s call to Abraham, Sisters Sharon and Emmy, and all Adrian Dominican Sisters. “No matter our age or our circumstances, God’s call to each of us continues on forever, throughout our lives and on into eternity,” she said. For all of us, “there can always be deeper penetration into the mystery of the life of God; there can always be more newness, more life, more love.”

Throughout the celebration, joyful African music reflected Sister Emmy’s heritage. The African hymns were sung by a choir organized by Elizabeth Tibbs, music program director at Siena Heights University. Sister Xiomara Méndez-Hernández, OP, and Sister Roselida Odhiambo, SOM, of Kenya, performed a liturgical dance during one of the African hymns as they presented an African cloth to dress the altar. Music throughout the ceremony was led by the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Chapel Choir.

In her statement of intent, Sister Sharon expressed her deep gratitude for the formation in Dominican life that she received through her 24 years in the cloister at Blessed Sacrament Monastery: for the “privilege of singing the Liturgy of the Hours seven times each day,” the emphasis on study, and the joys and sorrows of community life.

Sister Sharon recalled her search for God, which led her to Blessed Sacrament Monastery. “I did indeed find God and in finding God I found God’s people,” she said. “Little by little the agony of the world invaded my consciousness and I felt called, like our foremothers, to leave the safety and security of the cloister to serve the needs of God’s poor in active ministry.”

Sister Sharon had met Adrian Dominicans several times when they visited the Monastery for workshops or celebrations, and came to know the Congregation and its history, ministries, and Sisters even more during the transfer process. “My intent in making profession as a Dominican of Adrian is to reaffirm my vow of obedience to God by putting my life, gifts, time, and energy at the disposal of the poor and vulnerable, as mediated through the Congregation and its leadership,” she stated.

The worldwide Dominican family includes friars; cloistered Dominican nuns, such as the community at Blessed Sacrament; apostolic, active Dominican Sisters, such as the Adrian Dominican Sisters; and Dominican laity.

Sister Sharon currently ministers as Volunteer Services Coordinator at St. Leonard’s Ministries, a Chicago-based non-profit organization that provides services to help men and women transition from life in prison to a successful life in the community.

Sister Emmy expressed her own intention “to praise God all my life, and to bless with the compassionate love of God those to whom I minister. It is my desire to reaffirm the human dignity of those who have been made vulnerable by poverty, illness, loneliness, or abuse and to share with them the unconditional love of God.”

The second of 13 children, Sister Emmy was born and raised in Kenya, entering the Assumption Sisters of Eldoret in 1984. In her years of formation, she was taught by Adrian Dominican Sisters: Joan Mary, OP; Joanne Peters, OP; Kathleen McGrail, OP; and the late Dorothy Ferguson, OP. Sister Emmy went on to teach preschool children for 11 years and to serve as novice mistress for five years.

Sister Emmy earned an early childhood education certificate in Kenya. While working towards her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Barry University, she again became acquainted with Adrian Dominican Sisters. “Having had many encounters with these Sisters throughout my then 25 years of religious life had already stirred an admiration for them in my heart,” she recalled. “In them I saw courageous women who did more than just minister in education, campus ministry, parish, social work or healthcare, but women who also challenged unjust structures [and] helped people get out of unjust situations.”

Sister Emmy has ministered for three years as a nurse at the Dominican Life Center, currently as the night shift nursing supervisor.

After the Liturgy, the celebration continued with a festive dinner and an afternoon reception in honor of the two new Adrian Dominican Sisters.

Michigan Nuns Win Hasbro’s Commitment for Safer Toy Packaging after Four-Year Effort

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 14:08:00 GMT

Michigan Nuns Win Hasbro’s Commitment for Safer Toy Packaging after Four-Year Effort

January 3, Adrian, Michigan – Children will find safer toys and games under the Christmas tree thanks to an agreement that the Adrian Dominican Sisters and other concerned congregations of Catholic Sisters reached with Hasbro. The producer of such toys and games as Let’s Rock Elmo, Monopoly, and Play-Doh, Hasbro announced on December 8 that it would eliminate the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in its new core toy and game packaging, beginning in 2013.

“We are delighted to see Hasbro make this commitment and hope that other toy manufacturers will soon follow suit,” said Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, Prioress of the Adrian Dominican Sisters. “Removing PVC from toy packaging is good news for children, workers, and the environment,” she added.

The agreement is the result of four years of engagement with the toy manufacturer, initiated by the Sisters over health, safety, and justice concerns. “PVC presents an array of potential dangers throughout the production lifecycle,” explained Margaret Weber, former Coordinator of Corporate Responsibility for the Adrian Dominican Sisters. “These range from the use of raw toxic chemicals, such as chlorine gas and cancer-causing vinyl chloride monomer in PVC production, to exposure of workers and surrounding communities where the PVC-utilizing packaging is produced, to the release of toxic additives such as lead and phthalates during use and disposal of PVC products,” Weber said.

In 2007, the Adrian Dominican Sisters, out of concern over Hasbro’s use of PVC in toys and packaging, filed a shareholder proposal that Hasbro publish a sustainability report. When the company took no action, the Sisters resubmitted the proposal in the 2008 shareholder season. It was backed by seven other shareholders: As You Sow Foundation; Catholic Healthcare West (CHW); School Sisters of Notre Dame Cooperative Investment Fund; School Sisters of Notre Dame, Milwaukee; Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia; and the Socially Responsible Investment Coalition, Texas.

Hasbro agreed to explore the issue during a meeting at the offices of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) in New York City. The meeting ultimately resulted in Hasbro’s decision to eliminate the use of PVC from packaging. The Sisters will now press for a commitment from Hasbro to eliminate all use of PVC in their toys.

The agreement with Hasbro is only one recent example of the influence that socially responsible investors have on corporate policies and practices. Congregations of Catholic Sisters have been at the forefront of this movement, investing their retirement savings in various corporations so that they will have a voice in the ways that the corporations relate to their workers, the environment, and the community at large. During the past 35 years, the Adrian Dominican Sisters have voiced concerns with a wide range of corporations in such areas as militarism and violence, human rights, genetically engineered seeds and foods, energy and the environment, workers’ rights, and human trafficking.

The news story has garnered some local media attention. Read the article printed in the Adrian Daily Telegram. WTOL TV in Toledo also covered the story during its broadcast on December 24, 2011.

Sister Maria Riley and Center of Concern Profiled in NCR Article

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:59:00 GMT

Sister Maria Riley and Center of Concern
Profiled in NCR Article

January 3, Washington, DC – Sister Maria Riley, OP, and her long-time ministry with the Global Women’s Project of the Center of Concern, was featured in the December 23, 2011 issue of The National Catholic Reporter. In the article, Patricia Lefevere relates the Center’s 40 years of service as a “prophetic presence,” particularly in the areas of economic justice. The article gives special mention to Sister Maria’s work on her own 45-page paper, Seeing the World Anew. Read the NCR article.

Sisters Attend Universal Human Rights Conference

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:38:00 GMT

Sisters Attend Universal Human Rights Conference

By Sister Margarita Ruiz, OP

December 20, Washington, DC – Last summer, Attracta Kelly, OP, invited Sister Luisa Campos, OP, and me to attend the Human Rights Conference, held in Washington, DC, over the weekend of December 2-4. Held at the Arlington campus of George Mason University, the conference commemorated the 500th anniversary of the homily preached by Antonio Montesinos, OP, decrying the exploitation of the native peoples of Hispaniola at the hands of the Spanish settlers.

The conference included 55 talks, together summarizing a still unpublished investigation on human rights. I was especially impressed by the talks given by three young Dominican doctorate candidates – Ambrose Mary Little, OP; Ezra Sullivan, OP; and Cajetan Cuddy, OP – who spoke separately on the Dominican perspectives of universal human rights and on the effect of Montesino’s homily on the Church and society of his time. Written by the first Dominican community in the Americas, the homily introduced a new theological method, which took into account the social reality; kept continuity with the past; paid attention to the “license of charity”; fostered a new literary understanding; and established a new methodology for truth. The denunciation did not follow the existing thoughts of theology or law of their time. The young Dominican students concluded their talk with a challenging question: How can we keep the legacy of Montesino alive today?

I was also impressed by Vatican Diplomatic Scholar Maria St. Catherine de Grâce Sharpe, who spoke about the United Nations, the Vatican, and the history of international human rights. She noted that human rights are not really universal, since they do not represent women, and set up the Catholic Church as an example of an institution that systematically excludes women.

Saturday’s schedule included a panel discussion, “MINUSTAH: Keeping the Peace, or Conspiring against it in Haiti.” Panelists included Kevin Edmonds, a Canadian sociologist, and Deepa Panchang, of the Harvard School of Public Health. The speakers noted that Haiti has always been under the rule of a great empire. Haiti went from rich to poor because of the sanctions enforced first by France and later on by other international powers. Edmonds and Panchang gave an overview of the ways that the U.S. sought control in the affairs of Haiti, including the U.S. involvement in Haitian elections. The discussion focused on the role of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), which helped to bring about a deadly cholera epidemic in Haiti through its pollution of the rivers, the only source of water for many Haitians. They noted that the U.N. has refused to take responsibility for the cholera epidemic, which has killed 7,000 people in Haiti. Edmonds and Panchang concluded by listing three steps that could bring about a hopeful future for Haiti: help Haitians to organize themselves and become the subject of their own destiny; educate the people through the churches; demand the withdrawal of MINUSTAH.

On Saturday night, we attended a masterpiece investigation by Morad Eghbal, an expert in comparative and international law. In his presentation, “Shell v. Nigeria, When Corporate, Global Interests Collide with Indigenous Interests and Rights,” he presented the history of British Petroleum’s exploitation of the Nigerian people. He said that BP gives $15 million to Nigeria, but gains thousands of millions and seeks ways to hide its gains. He suggested boycotting BP gasoline and putting BP on trial in a neutral country. Mr. Eghbal’s book, based on his investigation, is set to be published in early 2012.

Rounding out the talks and panel discussions were special activities, including the presentation and discussion on the movie “También la Lluvia”(Even the Rain) and the play, “The Controversy of Valladolid,” performed by Alma College students.

Sunday, the final day, included a presentation on The Crossroads of Globalization, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law, a book to be published in 2012 by Karen A. O´Rourke. Conference participants then gathered in break-out sessions. Our group, made up of Dominicans, discussed such topics as equity for the Earth, how to apply justice, defense of world law though the UN, the need to develop social consciousness, and the issue of immigration. After lunch, participants viewed a document, prepared in the Dominican Republic, about the first Dominican community in the Americas and the impact of their homily on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, 1511, denouncing the exploitation of the native peoples by the Spanish settlers.

The conference closed with Mass at the Cathedral of St. Mathew the Apostle. Bishop Francisco González, SF, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, presided, and Father James Barnett, OP, delivered Fra Antonio’s homily and his own commentary. Throughout the Mass, we prayed in many languages as we strove to project the diverse cultures in the Americas.

Dominican Sisters of Adrian Welcome Merger with Dominican Congregation from the Philippines

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:41:00 GMT

Dominican Sisters of Adrian Welcome Merger with Dominican Congregation from the Philippines

November 22, Adrian, Michigan – With great joy, the Dominican Sisters of Adrian welcomed the Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of the Remedies, Pampanga, the Philippines into their Congregation through a canonical merger.

Set to take effect on November 20, 2011, the merger was celebrated that day with a special Liturgy at St. Catherine Chapel in the Motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of Adrian. It was streamed live so that Adrian Dominican Sisters and Associates throughout the United States and in the Dominican Republic, Kenya, Puerto Rico – and the Philippines – could witness the moving and historic event.

The new members of the Adrian Dominican Congregation number 37, including one novice. They will continue their current ministries, which include education, pastoral ministry, and social service in the Diocese of San Fernando, as well as in their missions in Taiwan and Norway. To view a poster of the new Mission Chapter, click here.

The presence of the new Dominican Sisters of Adrian, strongly felt by the assembly at the Motherhouse, was symbolized by their photos, carried in procession and displayed in St. Catherine Chapel, and by the proclamation of their names, read as a litany by Sisters Tarianne DeYonker, OP, and Corinne Sanders, OP, members of the General Council. After each group of five names was proclaimed, the Chapel Choir led the assembly in the joyful chorus, “Ang Katawan Ni Cristo,” Tagalog for “Behold the Body of Christ.”

Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, Prioress of the Congregation, welcomed the assembly from near and far, especially welcoming the new Mission Chapter, Our Lady of the Remedies, into the Congregation. “This, as we all know, is not a new relationship, as we have known and collaborated with each other since the first three young Filipina women arrived in Adrian in September 1961, to be followed by two others in 1962, to begin a new foundation which took root in the Diocese of San Fernando, Philippines, on October 2, 1965,” she said.

Sister Attracta formally appointed Sister Maria Socorro Garcia, OP, Prioress of the Our Lady of the Remedies Congregation at the time of the merger, as Interim Chapter Prioress of Our Lady of the Remedies Mission Chapter until the election of a Chapter Prioress during their assembly in April 2012. Sister Maria thus temporarily became one of eight Chapter Prioresses who lead the Sisters and Associates in their Chapter in living out the Adrian Dominican Vision: “Seek truth; make peace; reverence life.”

As part of the ritual, Sisters Julie Hyer, OP, and Kathleen Schanz, OP, also members of the General Council, read the merger documents, issued by the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Religious Life and Societies of Apostolic Life in response to a formal request for merger from both Congregations. The request was granted on October 7, 2011, Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, the patronal feast day of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, Congregation of the Most Holy Rosary, to take effect on November 20, 2011, the Feast of Our Lady of the Remedies.

Dominican Sisters in the Philippines Celebrate Merger with Adrian Dominicans

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:31:00 GMT

Dominican Sisters in the Philippines Celebrate Merger with Adrian Dominicans

By
Rose Ann Schlitt, OP

December 19, Pampanga, the Philippines – “This is the day the Lord has made!” That exclamation, found in Psalm 118, set the tone for the celebration of merger at the Motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of Remedies in San Fernando, Pampanga, Philippines. It was evidenced in the festive spirit of the Sisters as they arrived from their communities and places of ministry. It was the theme seen behind the altar in the chapel. It was experienced and expressed in prayer and song. This day – November 21, 2011 – had been being shaped over the years and was now bearing fruit in this harvest time of the Spirit.

Although our reception from Adrian of the live celebration on the actual date of merger, November 20, was very poor, nevertheless we witnessed the proclamation of merger by Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, the Prioress, and heard each Sister’s name being called. We became one congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the Congregation of the Most Holy Rosary of Adrian, Michigan! We are now the Mission Chapter of Our Lady of Remedies! Yes, this is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad!

The first communal expression was that of celebration of Vespers of Thanksgiving with a beautiful “Litany of Thanksgiving.” This was followed by a ritual begun by Sister Estrellita David, OP, on the significance of the merger: making our life, spirit and mission one…believing firmly that we are led by the Holy Spirit and allowing God to lead us. Several meaningful gestures followed: the reading of a brief history of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, by Sister Rose Ann Schlitt, OP, and that of the Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of Remedies by Sister Maria May Cano, OP. Sister Maria Socorro Garcia, OP, former Prioress of the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of Remedies, and Sister Rose Ann, representing the Dominican Sisters of Adrian, then exchanged Constitutions to symbolize the act of merger, as well as lighted candles to signify that we are the light of Christ to one another as we begin our journey together. The Constitutions and candles were then placed on the altar.

A ritual of “tying the knot” followed as Sister Evangelina Fernandez, OP, processed before the altar holding up two long strips of cloth, one blue with native Filipino symbols and another multi-colored one. Sister “Vangie” is the living member of the original group that experienced their first years of formation in Adrian. Some years after her return to the Philippines, she became the first Filipina prioress. As a vital link in the congregation’s history, she held the cloths, as Sisters Marie Socorro and Rose Ann tied the knot and shaped them together, placing the newly-formed one on the altar as an act of offering to God our congregations, now formally joined as one.

Sister Estrellita (Lita) proclaimed:

“Today we celebrate, not only because we have become a Pontifical congregation, for that is not a worthy goal. We celebrate because we gratefully acknowledge how God has worked in our lives. We are grateful because our congregations have journeyed together in the many ways of collaboration: in formation, ministries, spiritual life, and in many, many other ways. We celebrate that Sister Mary Philip Ryan and Sister Ellen Vincent McClain and Sister Marcine Klemm journeyed with usin our early beginnings. That was to us a work with a mystery, a plunge into the deep, into something unknown. That was, on the part of the Adrian Dominican Sisters a ’widening of their tent,’ as Isaiah 54:2 says…and the rest was history.

“With God’s grace and blessings, our congregation has grown in number and in spirit. In response to the various needs presented to us, we have established several communities in the Archdiocese of San Fernando and one in Tala, in the diocese of Caloocan, and in the foreign missions in Taiwan and Norway.

“With this merger, we are making a full circle. We started with the Adrian Dominican Sisters and now we return. We knew in our hearts and minds as we went through the process of merger, that what really brought us together is our passion for mission... We believe this is a moment of grace. With greater faith and hope, we embrace this new itinerancy because the fire that burns within us is fueled by our passion for Dominican life and mission.”

Sister Maria Socorro Garcia formally introduced the special celebration of the Eucharist of with these words: “How many are the wonders God has worked for us! … Today we also celebrate the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary…What a marvelous setting to place our oneness and our new beginning as Sisters of the Congregation of the Most Holy Rosary…

“Dear Sisters, what we would like to retain in our consciousness is strongly given in today’s Gospel of the poor widow’s mite. She put in two small coins… from her poverty. Let us continue to offer generously and in deep joy our simple self-donations to the Lord for the service of our sisters and brothers, a life-style and common life that give witness to our poverty, our Filipino values and culture. Surely the good Lord will take notice of us and make us ardent preachers of His Gospel in our world today.”

Sister Maria Socorro then called upon Sister Maria Ruby Lumanlan, OP, secretary general, to read the decree of merger from the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, issued on October 7, 2011, and signed by Joseph W. Tobin, CSsR, Archbishop Secretary, and Sister Enrica Rosanna, FMA, undersecretary.

Having witnessed the preceding rituals, the Most Reverend Paciano B. Aniceto, DD, Archbishop of San Fernando, began the joyful Eucharistic celebration. In his homily, the archbishop, affectionately called “Apu Ceto,” expressed his happiness in being witness to this moment of “history in the making,”of coming full circle. He thanked the Sisters for the many ways in which they have served the people of God in the archdiocese in great fidelity and simplicity.

The celebration of the Liturgy of the Eucharist was full and rich. Prior to the blessing, Sister Yolanda Manapsal, OP, former vicaress, expressed deeply-felt gratitude to the archbishop from all the Sisters for his constant support, echoing the words of Paul to the Philippians: “I thank my Godwhenever I think of you and every time I pray for you, I pray with joy.”She promised that the Sisters would continue to respond to ministerial needs of the archdiocese, and thanked him for celebrating this important day with the Sisters.

From the table of the Eucharist to the festive dining table, we sang and enjoyed the richness of the graces received. The journey ahead would surely require some adjustments and mutual learning in order to truly become one intercontinental congregation-in-mission. But as for today, this is the day the Lord has made! We rejoice and are very glad!

Universities Mark Season with Special Activities

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 10:10:00 GMT

Universities Mark Season with Special Activities

December 15, Miami Shores, Florida, and Adrian, Michigan – Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida, and Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan – both sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters – held special events and services to mark the Advent and Christmas season.

Barry University celebrated the Christmas season on Saturday, December 3, with Barry Special Christmas and Joy to the Arts: A Celebration of the Season. University students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members, and families took part in the annual holiday celebration, which provided fun for the entire family. Guests took part in arts and crafts activities, enjoyed refreshments and music, and were visited by Santa.

In the midst of their celebration, the Barry community did not forget people who are less fortunate. Participants brought in donations for His House Children’s Home, a non-profit Christian organization that helps children and families in crisis through residential foster and adoption services.

Later that evening, Barry University music, dance, and theatre students performed classical works and holiday favorites for all present to enjoy.

Siena Heights University reaches out to the Adrian community in many ways. Two particularly important seasonal events are Share the Warmth and the annual food drive.

Sister Pat Schnapp, RSM, who teaches in the English program at Siena Heights, responded to the reality of homeless people walking the streets of Adrian by gathering with local pastors and other interested groups to provide nightly shelter for the homeless during the cold months of the year. One of the major commitments is to provide hosts and hostesses to stay awake for the night as the guests sleep. The various churches and some companies take turns in providing those volunteers.

Share the Warmth has grown from a three-month program using traveling accommodations – a month apiece in various church buildings – to the present six months in the Salvation Army building. Along with a warm place for the night, the guests receive a hot supper and breakfast. Siena Heights – helped by the Adrian Dominican Sisters – is responsible for three weeks this year: supplying volunteers for overnight (often members of athletic teams who are expected to volunteer service), providing supper, and laundering bedclothes.

Jeff Lindstrom, Associate Professor of Psychology, has organized the campus food drive since 2004, its first year. He challenges his students to find ways to motivate members of the Siena community to contribute to the food drive for The Daily Bread, a soup kitchen in Adrian. He and his students have also volunteered time at The Daily Bread – a course requirement. For them, hunger has faces and names.

Under Professor Lindstrom’s leadership and inspiration, Siena Heights has become the single biggest private donor to The Daily Grind. The students collected well over a ton of food the first year, and the contributions have increased each year. Now, during the week after Thanksgiving, contributions are collected in the center of the floor of Sage Union as the community watches through a Webcam – commonly known as the Food Cam. Professor Lindstrom has stopped measuring the donations in tons. This year, he and his helpers took four pick-up truck loads of food to The Daily Bread. In the past seven years, he estimates, the food drive has brought in more than 30 tons of food and close to $5,000.

“One of my goals for the food drive is to not only feed people now, but by engaging students in the planning and execution of the food drive, to play a role in training the next generation who will do the food drives in the future,” Professor Lindstrom explained. “I may not reach all the students at that level, but I know for certain that many of them leave the class changed persons – more aware of the need in the community and more aware of what they can do to help.”

Adrian Dominican Sister Remembered as Titanic Survivor

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:20:00 GMT

Adrian Dominican Sister Remembered as Titanic Survivor

December 13, County Mayo, Ireland – Adrian Dominican Sister Annie Kate (Patrick Joseph) Kelly, OP, is being remembered as one of 14 people who boarded the ill-fated RMS Titanic from Addergoole, Ireland, and as one of only three survivors from among that group. The Addergoole Fourteen are being memorialized on a stained glass window recently installed in St. Patrick Church, Lahardane, Ireland. An accompanying stained glass window honors emigrants from Ireland. 2012 will mark the centennial of the tragic sinking of the Titanic.

The Titanic window, depicting the lowering of Boat 16 from the sinking Titanic, was based on the memories of Sister Patrick Joseph, then 20-year-old Annie Kate Kelly, who boarded the life boat after two women in front of her, Catherine and Mary Bourke of Addergoole, refused to leave their husband and brother behind when he was refused admittance. As the boat was lowered into the ocean at 1:20 a.m., Annie recalled seeing her cousin, Pat Canavan, holding a rosary and waving to her from the Titanic. That detail is depicted on the stained glass window.

One of 11 children – she had nine brothers and one sister – Annie Kate was born in County Mayo on January 14, 1892 and graduated from Rathbane School before emigrating to the United States. She settled in Chicago with family members and, on January 12, 1922, entered the Adrian Dominican Congregation from Holy Name Cathedral Parish.

Sister Patrick Joseph spent most of her years in ministry teaching in Catholic schools in Chicago, including Our Lady of Good Counsel, St. Rita, and St. Philip Neri. She also taught in five schools in Michigan and one in Iowa, each for a term of about one year. She was a beloved teacher, known for her forthrightness and wit. Pain from a broken hip ultimately forced her to retire to Maria Hall in Adrian, where she died in 1969.

The stained glass windows were the inspiration of the Addergoole Titanic Society, part of its preparation for the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic. The windows were designed by local artist Michael Coleman of Whitethorn Studios and constructed by Art Glass in Derry. The two windows are located on either side of a marble memorial plaque, which had been placed in the church in 2002.

American descendants of the three survivors donated the cost of the Titanic Window. Bridie Syron and David Donoghue, members of the Addergoole Titanic Society and descendants of the Addergoole Fourteen, secured funding for the Emigration Window from other descendants in the United States and the United Kingdom. The windows will be dedicated and blessed on Sunday, April 15, 2012, as part of the area’s Cultural Week, and will serve as a lasting legacy to the memory of all of the area’s emigrants.

Sisters and Co-workers at Motherhouse Bring Warmth to Children in Need

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:31:00 GMT

Sisters and Co-workers at Motherhouse Bring Warmth to Children in Need

December 8, Adrian, Michigan – Children from low-income families in Lenawee County, Michigan, will be better able to ward off the cold this winter, thanks to the efforts of Sisters and Co-workers on the Motherhouse campus and their participation in the 23rd annual hats, scarves, and mittens collection. The collection is sponsored by the Holy Rosary and Adrian Crossroads Mission Chapters, but Sisters and Co-workers on campus also participate.

From November 16, 2011, through December 6, 2011, members of the Motherhouse campus community were invited to donate new hats, scarves, and mittens, either store-bought or homemade. Members of Co-worker Janet Cox’s Crochet Olé Club spent the past months knitting or crocheting these items, many of which were for sale at the campus Christmas bazaar on December 2. Shoppers were encouraged to buy the items and donate them to the collection.

This Christmas tree, standing in the Maria dining room, is decorated with
some of the many hats, scarves, and mittens that were collected
for children from low-income families.

Christmas trees decorated with the donated items stood in the dining rooms at Maria and Madden Hall during the first week of Advent, as an inspiration and as a reminder to make a last-minute donation to the collection.

The drive is coordinated by Sister Mary Pat Dewey, assistant to Holy Rosary Chapter Prioress Sister Jo Gaugier, OP. Sister Mary Pat reported that this year’s collection brought in 15 large boxes of hats, scarves, and mittens,as well as 15 small blankets. These items were in turn donated to children served by three agencies in Lenawee County: Family Counseling and Children’s Services, the Community Action Center, and the Salvation Army.

The annual collection makes a difference to children throughout the winter. “The Salvation Army says they continue to use [the donated hats, scarves, and mittens] all winter long,” Sister Mary Pat said.

The drive was begun by Sister Marion Goeddeke, OP, then the Campus Justice and Peace Director.

Saint Joseph Academy Elementary Highlights and Invitation to Christmas Mass

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:09:00 GMT

Saint Joseph Academy Elementary Highlights and Invitation to Christmas Mass

December 7, Adrian, Michigan – St. Joseph Academy invites the Adrian Dominican community to the school’s Christmas Mass and Program, to be held at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 20, 2011, in St. Dominic Chapel on the Siena Heights University campus. All are invited to join the elementary students and staff as they prepare for the Christmas season with song, readings, prayer, and music. This is a child-friendly event, open to the public.

Following are highlights of the activities of the students in first to fourth grade in their special classes – those outside the core subjects of math, reading, science, and social studies – during the first quarter of the school year.

Art

Mrs. Mary Quick has always used creative tools to teach children about religion, but this year, she is also teaching art. Students have learned about primary and secondary colors as well as contrasting colors. In future classes, they will work with textures and patterns, creating weaving projects such as placemats. This quarter, the students created peace banners for World Day of Peace in September, and students in third and fourth grade also made three-dimensional pumpkins for Halloween.

Music

Mrs. Sarah Brown, the music teacher since last year, continues to bring a special “harmony” to St. Joseph. Students are currently working on music and songs for the Christmas Mass. During the quarter, first and second graders learned note names and values, rhythm, and new songs, while third and fourth grade students reviewed their music theory and learned to play recorders.

Library

Mrs. Brown has also been working in the school library, introducing first and second grade students to different areas of the library and explaining the process for checking out books. The older children are learning to use the library for research, while also enjoying the Spiderwick Chronicles. Holiday activities have included creating Halloween bookmarks and reading Christmas stories.

Physical Education

Miss Patricia Ascorbe, an elementary lunch and recess supervisor, became the new physical education teacher in early October. A counseling education graduate school at Siena Heights and a life-long athlete, she is using her coaching skills in the gym classes, held twice a week. Students in first and second grade have focused on motor skills, such as jumping and skipping, while the third and fourth grade students have played such classic games as dodge ball and 4-Square. The focus in the future will be on good nutrition and healthy living, along with a concentration on basketball and soccer techniques.

Spanish

Miss Jessica Oquendo, a native of Puerto Rico and a Siena Heights alumna with degrees in theatre and speech communication, offers Spanish classes twice a week to the elementary students, while taking part in a Montessori pre-primary teacher training program and working as a Montessori assistant. She has been teaching the first and second grade students numbers, days of the week, body parts, conversational skills and children's songs, while reviewing the basics and practicing conversation with the older students. The students have also learned to describe their favorite things in Spanish and are learning the geography of Spanish-speaking nations, and will learn about their Christmas traditions. Visitors from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela will discuss their culture and teach salsa dancing.

Technology

Technology and computer skills help children explore the core subject areas in a new and exciting way. First and second graders are using Skype (a video-call program) to talk with second grader Jonah Heckman, who is living in Norway this year. The Heckman children attended SJA last year and will return next fall. Third and fourth graders are using a document camera (received as part of a Lenawee Integrated School District teacher grant) to share work and create a deeper understanding of curriculum. The students will also use Google Earth as the first and second grade study Scandinavia and the third and fourth grade study England.

Saint Joseph Academy thanks the entire Adrian Dominican community for your prayers and support!

Sister Jacqueline Stoll, OP, Professes Final Vows

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:39:00 GMT

Sister Jacqueline Stoll, OP, Professes Final Vows

December 5, Adrian, Michigan – The Adrian Dominican Sisters marked the Second Sunday of Advent – the traditional period of waiting – with a special celebration: the Perpetual Profession of Vows of Sister Jacqueline Stoll, OP. The Rite of Perpetual Profession took place at 3:30 p.m. on December 3 in Holy Rosary Chapel on the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse campus. Father Robert Kelly, OP, Motherhouse chaplain, was the presider.

Sister Maribeth Howell, OP, Director of Formation, welcomed to the assembly all those gathered in Holy Rosary Chapel, but also those who attended the special event through broadcasting to the Sisters in the Dominican Life Center, and others throughout the United States and abroad who witnessed the event through live-streaming. Guests in the chapel, she noted, included Sister Jacqueline’s sister, Karen Kitchen, as well as friends from as far northwest as Anchorage, Alaska, and as far southeast as New Orleans, Louisiana.

In her reflection, Sister Lorraine Reaume, OP, addressed the Advent theme of waiting, noting the difference between ordinary, often impatient waiting, such as for a bus, and the “holy waiting” of Advent. “Advent waiting chooses to be present,” she said. “Advent waiting honors the time it takes for something special to happen.” While many believe that their hope for the future prevents Christians from living in the present, Advent waiting actually helps Christians to live each moment fully. “What they don’t realize is that the future shapes our now, that hope in the Word made flesh who comes to us in new and deeper ways – that hope enables us to live the now more fully, to be attentive to the deeper meaning of this moment.”

Sister Lorraine noted that waiting is an integral part of life for anyone journeying to religious life. “There are the years of preparation, formation, discernment, evaluations – and, in the midst of that, there is a lot of holy waiting, waiting for the confirmation of God and of the Congregation and of one’s heart that this is indeed the path to which she is called. But I believe religious life itself is also a witness to Advent waiting. It’s a public statement that waiting on our God is worthwhile, so worthwhile and fulfilling, in fact, that we are willing to give our lives to it, as Jackie is doing this day.”

Sister Lorraine, one of the witnesses, had lived in community with Sister Jacqueline in Anchorage, along with Sisters Ann Romayne Fallon, OP, and Josephine Gaugier, OP. Also serving as witness was Sister Geneal Kramer, OP, who was among the Sisters in Albuquerque, New Mexico, who had introduced Sister Jacqueline to the Adrian Dominican Sisters.

During the Ritual of Perpetual Profession, Sister Jacqueline lay prostrate as the assembly sang the Litany of Saints, invoking their prayers. She was then formally examined by Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, Prioress, as to her readiness for perpetual vows, and affirmed her desire to give her life to the Congregation. “I intend to respond to God’s loving call and the deepest desire of my heart, which is to give myself completely to Christ for the rest of my life.” She asked for God’s help so that “my work, my life, and my entire being may always and everywhere be a preaching of the Word of God until the day I die.”

After professing her vows to God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Dominic, Sister Attracta and her lawful successors, Sister Jacqueline received a special blessed ring, which she will wear throughout her life as a symbol of her fidelity to Jesus Christ. Sister Attracta affirmed her Perpetual Profession in the name of the Dominican family, and in particular the Adrian Dominican Sisters. “Our entire Congregation is truly blessed to share faith and life with you,” she told Sister Jacqueline.

The celebration of Sister Jacqueline’s perpetual commitment continued with a festive dinner, followed by a reception in the Rose Room at the Dominican Life Center.

A nurse practitioner, Sister Jacqueline ministers at the University of Mexico Medical Center in Albuquerque, where she had first met the Adrian Dominican Sisters. Before her current ministry, she had served the Archdiocese of Anchorage, Alaska, as the coordinator of the Parish Nursing and Parish Health Ministry Program, as well as the archdiocesan Safe Environment Training Program. She also served as a nurse practitioner at a medical clinic at Brother Francis Homeless Shelter, operated by Catholic Social Services in Anchorage. She received the Ruby Award from the Anchorage branch of Soroptimist International in recognition of her work in opening and administering a similar medical clinic at Clare House, a shelter for women and children.

Born in Akron, Ohio, Sister Jacqueline earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Bowling Green State University; a master’s degree in psychiatric nursing from Boston College; and post-graduate certification as an adult nurse practitioner through Columbia University in New York City.

Voices for Earth Justice Brings Hope to a Blighted Detroit Neighborhood

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:10:00 GMT

Voices for Earth Justice Brings Hope to a Blighted Detroit Neighborhood

November 30, Detroit, Michigan – Even before deciding what to do with their newly-purchased house and property, staff and volunteers of Voices for Earth Justice (VEJ) are already bringing hope to Brightmoor, a Detroit neighborhood fraught with violence and poverty.

“We had the heart to do something to help the City of Detroit,” said Sister Janet Stankowski, OP, treasurer for the Board of Directors. “We wanted to be a presence in the city.”

She and Patricia Gillis, an Adrian Dominican Associate, had Detroit in their hearts when they started Voices for Earth Justice, a non-profit, interfaith network of people who bring faith and theology into their work to preserve the environment. Based in Southfield, Michigan, VEJ offers women's retreats; seasonal celebrations; sustainable gardening experiences; Earth literacy programs; community garden consultation; and advocacy on climate, energy, and environmental health issues.

Patricia is the executive director of Voices, and Sister Patricia Benson, OP, PhD, also serves on the Board of Directors. Other Adrian Dominican Sisters and Associates volunteer their time.

Voices for Earth Justice purchased this house and its surrounding property in Brightmoor, Detroit, as a means to bring hope to a troubled neighborhood.

Sister Janet explained that the VEJ staff and board had been “keeping our eyes open for some property,” with or without a house. Finally, they found a house and property on the corner of Puritan and Greydale Streets in the Brightmoor neighborhood of Detroit. They signed the papers on October 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology.

The only house on that corner, and surrounded by two parks, the house has “the ambience of being a presence of hope” in a troubled, violent, and poverty-stricken neighborhood, Sister Janet said, acknowledging the risk that’s also involved. Staff and Board members have still not determined what to do with the house and property, she added. Some possibilities include renovating it to use as their own office and letting others who need housing – for example, a single mom and her children or a married couple – live in the house and partner with them.

Whatever they decide to do, the VEJ Board and staff already know that they’ve brought a sense of hope to the neighborhood. Sister Janet recalled a recent incident in which a neighbor stopped by while a group was raking leaves. On behalf of other neighbors, he asked what they were doing and, on learning who the group was, expressed his thanks. The house had previously been the scene of violence, and the VEJ group now brought hope to the neighborhood, he told them.

Sister Janet noted that VEJ could use some volunteer help to work on the house and property. Down the line, she said, they will probably need professionals in such areas as plumbing and electricity, but they also need volunteers to do other types of work – and particularly prayers from the Sisters, Associates, and other friends for the success of their endeavor. “We would welcome their active participation by praying,” she said.

For information on Voices for Earth Justice, or to volunteer, call 248-351-9001 or email voices4earth@juno.com.

Archbishop of Detroit Visits Dominican Sisters of Adrian

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 14:49:00 GMT

Archbishop of Detroit Visits Dominican Sisters of Adrian

November 23, Adrian, Michigan – The Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron, Archbishop of Detroit, paid a special visit to the Adrian Dominican Sisters on November 23, 2011, celebrating Mass with the Sisters who live or work on campus and meeting with the General Council. Although he had been to Weber Retreat and Conference Center before, this was his first visit to St. Catherine Chapel, where the Liturgy was celebrated, and to the rest of the Motherhouse campus.

Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, Prioress, warmly welcomed Archbishop Vigneron on behalf of the General Council and of the Sisters on campus and those serving in ministry throughout the United States and the world. She noted his connection to the Adrian Dominicans as a native of Michigan, born in Mount Clemens. In addition, many Adrian Dominican Sisters have come to know him through their own ministries in the Archdiocese of Detroit. The Motherhouse is situated in the Diocese of Lansing, but the Congregation and the Archdiocese of Detroit have had a rich relationship through the years.

Posing by the stairs in the Madden Hall lobby of the Adrian Dominican Motherhouse are, from left: Sisters Corinne Sanders, OP, and Kathleen Schanz, OP; Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron; and Sisters Attracta Kelly, OP; Julie Hyer, OP; and Tarianne DeYonker, OP.

In his homily, Archbishop Vigneron focused on the call of the people of God to recognize that our very lives are in God’s hands and to give glory to God. As Christians, we must focus our hope in Jesus, the Word Incarnate. “We are disciples of Jesus and our loyalty to him is our deepest commitment,” he said.

Archbishop Vigneron noted the particular gift of men and women religious, such as the Adrian Dominicans, to be “eschatological witnesses” of Jesus Christ. Although the schools and health care centers established by religious orders and congregations are important, in themselves they are not enough. “I came to Adrian with the sense that your greatest gift is your commitment to Jesus,” he said. “You are committed to stand fast in the name of the Lord Jesus. That is the gift that God has given you to give to all the disciples,” the reminder that their “sure hope” is in Jesus. On behalf of the Church, Archbishop Vigneron expressed his appreciation for that role.

Following Mass, Archbishop Vigneron toured the Motherhouse before meeting and dining with the General Council: Sister Attracta; Sister Tarianne DeYonker, OP, Vicaress and General Councilor; Sister Julie Hyer, OP, Administrator and General Councilor; and Sisters Corinne Sanders, OP, and Kathleen Schanz, OP, General Councilors.

Archbishop Vigneron was installed as the fifth Archbishop of Detroit on January 28, 2009.

Latest Book by Sister Janet Schaeffler Focuses on Advent

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:43:00 GMT

Latest Book by Sister Janet Schaeffler Focuses on Advent

November 15, Detroit, Michigan – Just in time for Advent, Advent 2011: An Amazing Journey, the latest book by Sister Janet Schaeffler, OP, is available through Twenty-Third Publications. This collection of Advent reflections, practices, and prayers is one of five books written by Sister Janet, the fruit of her years of ministry in catechetics and adult faith formation. For a listing of the publications of numerous Adrian Dominican Sisters, see our Sisters’ Publications page.

Presentation Focuses on Disappearance of 1,500 Young Women in Juárez

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:56:00 GMT

Presentation Focuses on Disappearance of 1,500 Young Women in Juárez

November 8, Adrian, Michigan – Since 1993, about 1,500 young women in Juárez, Mexico, have disappeared – most likely raped, tortured and murdered – and the U.S. has been complicit in this systemic violence.

That was the heart-breaking, horrific message brought to the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters on November 3 during two presentations on “Femicide in Juárez.” Held in the afternoon in the Rose Room of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Dominican Life Center and in the evening in the auditorium of Weber Retreat and Conference Center, the presentations were sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters and the Michigan Peace Team (MPT).

Sister Mary Pat Dewey, OP, welcomed the audience to the presentations, and Sister Elizabeth Walters, IHM, introduced the speakers. They are a Michigan Peace Team core member and staff member, respectively.

The focus of the presentations was the ongoing violence against women that has taken place in Juárez. Since 1993, nearly 1,500 young women have disappeared. The bodies that are found bear the signs of the rapes, torture and beating that the women endured before they were murdered. People of Juárez have also been assassinated as the result of an ongoing war between two drug cartels.

Sister Nina Rodriguez, CSJ, leads the Rose Room audience in a peaceful Tai Chi movement.

Sister Donna Kustusch, OP, set the context for the presentation, drawing on her 18 years of experience in Juárez as founder and director of Centro Santa Catalina, a faith-based community for women and children. She connected the violence in Juárez to the extreme poverty of the people; corruption in the federal and local governments; the maquiladoras, or factories, in which women labor for long hours at little pay; an educational system that can’t meet the needs of the people; the military structure; the drug trade; and a long-standing culture of violence that fosters a “machismo” attitude.

Yet, while the people of Juárez face these complex challenges, they are “good, solid people of faith. Life goes on,” and the people go about their daily lives in spite of the violence that surrounds them, Sister Donna said. She added that the American culture, with its high consumption of the drugs produced in Mexico, is complicit in this systemic violence, and Americans need to be aware of this.

Sister Nina Rodriguez, CSJ, reflected on her four months as a Peace Team member in Juárez, emphasizing the violence and the suffering of the families whose loved ones were murdered. In 2010 alone, she said, 3,000 people were assassinated. “The news is full of kidnappings and extortions,” she said. “Girls disappear and are never heard from, or their dead bodies are found.”

Sister Nina spoke of the precariousness of life in Juárez. One day, she caught the glance of a young man selling newspapers; the next day, she discovered that he had been murdered. In another incident, a young family went to visit the wife’s mother in the hospital. The husband stepped outside to answer a phone call. His wife and their two young daughters found his body in a pool of blood. The three-year-old still trembles in fear, Sister Nina said. Sister Nina said that she listened to “story after story after story” from the family members of murder victims. “There’s no pain like the pain of those parents,” she said.

Sister Liz Walters, IHM, of the Michigan Peace Team, introduces the speakers.

Speaking through translators, Marisela Ortiz Rivera spoke of her own experiences in Juárez and of her involvement as co-founder of Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa (May Our Daughters Return Home) in pursuing justice and an end to the violence.

Marisela became involved after one of her students, a factory worker, disappeared in February 2001 after leaving work. Her family searched for seven days, until they found her body: wrapped in a sheet, showing that she had been raped, violated, and tortured. Her entire body had been beaten, and there were burns and bite marks on her skin.

Through the efforts of the FBI, who were investigating a drug case, the family discovered that their daughter had been kidnapped by the police and taken to the Mafia. The brutality that the young women endure is in many cases part of the initiation process of the Mafia; men prove how strong they are by the extent of the damage they inflict on the young women, Marisela said. Yet, in spite of the frequency and brutality of the murders, Marisela said, the police never investigate these cases, and justice is not served.

Since she became active in pursuit of justice for the murder victims, Marisela said, she and her family members have been threatened. At one point, she recalled, someone put a gun to her head and ordered her never to speak again about the disappearances. A sign was left on the school where Marisela taught, threatening the lives of anyone who supported her efforts and noting that two other human rights teachers had been killed. In 2008, her son-in-law was murdered; Marisela believes the murderers mistook him for her son.

Marisela Ortiz Rivera speaks of the prevalent violence against young women in Juárez, Mexico.

Before leaving for the United States, Marisela helped to found Hope Project, which reaches out to the children whose mothers disappeared. Local people have formed community to teach the children about life without violence. “This is a life-long commitment that we’re making, trying to create a new culture,” Marisela said.

In wrapping up the presentation, Sister Donna spoke of the need for “transformational education,” especially for U.S. citizens who need to understand that our drug culture is complicit in the systemic violence of Juárez. Audience members of the afternoon presentation discussed the need to become involved, to educate the public about the situation in Juárez and the role that our culture plays in it.

Sister Maria Riley, OP, Reflects on Bishops Social Justice Document

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:45:00 GMT

Sister Maria Riley, OP, Reflects on Bishops Social Justice Document

November 8, Washington, DC – Forty years after the Rome Synod of Bishops wrote their prophetic document, “Justice in the World,” Sister Maria Riley, OP, and Father James Hug, SJ, reflect on the timeliness of the document in 2011, and on the social justice issues described in the document – that have only grown worse. Both are on staff at Washington, D.C.-based Center of Concern, founded in 1971 to “study issues relating to development, justice, and peace from a Christian perspective.” Watch their discussion on You Tube.

Sister Mary Ellen Leciejewski Profiled in Health Care Magazine

Adrian Dominican Sisters — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:21:00 GMT

Sister Mary Ellen Leciejewski Profiled in Health Care Magazine

Sister Mary Ellen Leciejewski, OP, ecology program coordinator for Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) is profiled in the September/October issue of Practice Greenhealth’s member newsletter. To read the article, click here.