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August 5, 2025, Adrian, Michigan – A pilgrimage to places in France where St. Dominic lived and ministered was an inspirational and, for some, life-changing experience for two Adrian Dominican Sisters and three Co-workers. 

Attending the Deepening the Dominican Experience pilgrimage were Co-workers Jennifer Hunter, Chief Operating Officer; Lisa Schell, Archivist; Sara Stoddard, Chief Financial Officer; and Sisters Mariane Fahlman, OP, and Carol Jean Kesterke, OP.

The pilgrimage took more than 30 Dominican Sisters, Associates, and Co-workers from various U.S.-based congregations of Dominican Sisters to places of interest in France. These included Carcassonne, the walled medieval city where St. Dominic preached; Fanjeaux, a village where he lived; Prouilhe, the site of the first monastery of nuns founded by St. Dominic; and Toulouse, where the first Dominican Friars gathered. 

The experience was meant to help the pilgrims to “enter more fully into Dominican history” and reflect on the Dominican spirit, individually and with one another. It involved tours of the various areas, presentations, discussions, formal sharing, and informal sharing at meals and other times.

Team members leading the pilgrimage were Sister Mary Ellen O’Grady, OP, a Sinsinawa Dominican Sister; Sister Jeanne Goyette, OP, a Caldwell Dominican Sister; Father Rick Peddicord, OP, Director of Catholic and Dominican Mission at Fenwick High School, Oak Park, Illinois; and Suzanne Wong, a friend of the Caldwell Dominican Sisters who has been a team member for the tour about 15 times.  

Lisa was impressed by the knowledge and presentations of the team members. “The information that they were giving us was delivered with such heart and such expertise. We definitely benefited from all those years of experience,” she said.

Jennifer appreciated meeting others during meals and the pace of the program. “We did a lot of walking, and had a lot of conversation,” she said. “It forced [us] to decompress, not being in the hustle and bustle” of a daily work life. 

Sister Mariane said she found the entirety of the program intriguing and knowing that I’m walking, I’m staying where Dominic founded the first female monastery.” 

Lisa agreed and was impressed by the opportunity to “be on sacred ground and learn about St. Dominic and walk on the same paths he walked, go to the same places where he ministered.”

Sister Carol Jean was especially taken by sitting in the same chapels as Dominic and Thomas Aquinas were in ministry. She said she was moved by the opportunity to “be in places where so many greats of the Dominican Order were, and to see how close Dominic was to the Sisters.” 

Lisa said she had been “steeped in history” since she began her work with the Adrian Dominican Sisters in 2018, “but there’s something different when you’re in the place.” The experience brought her to the “depths of commitment to the Dominican way, the values, the charism.”  

The experience “gave good context to what we’re doing” in the day-to-day ministry at the Adrian Dominican Sisters Motherhouse, Sara said. “I know who we are and what we do, but [the experience] made it more real. That’s where all this comes from and why we’re doing what we’re doing today.”

As pilgrims, Sister Carol Jean noted the group listened to and immersed themselves in what’s before them. For example, the experience brought home to her the itinerancy of the Dominican Order and the desire of Dominicans from the first days to be with the people they were serving. St. Dominic brought the Friars out of the monasteries for that very reason, she said. In later years, after Vatican II, she said, “we stepped out of the habit to identify more with the people.” 

The group also learned about the present as much as the past as they got to know Dominicans from other congregations and experienced the French culture and people. Jennifer was surprised by how many people in France could speak English. “It put it into perspective how we Americans don’t make efforts to learn cultures,” she said. “I was nervous about the language barrier, but I never felt it.”

Sister Carol Jean, who had attended the Deepening the Dominican Spirit pilgrimage 21 years ago with only Dominican Sisters, was surprised at the number of lay Associates and Co-workers who attended this year. She was impressed with “how we’ve expanded the mission to partner with Co-workers and Associates and how engaged and eager they were.”

Both Sisters Carol Jean and Mariane were also impressed by the Co-workers who accompanied them this year. “I was deeply touched by the three women, their commitment to the mission and love for the Congregation,” Sister Mariane said.  

“Co-workers for us aren’t just people who come in and do a job and leave,” Sister Carol Jean said. “They’re really brought into our Dominican vision, our Dominican values, our Dominican mission.”

The participants also reflected on how the experience in France has affected their daily lives. 

“I feel that I have been transformed,” Lisa said. “Every time I go someplace new and I don’t understand the language, it calls on [me] to be more flexible.” She said she has also learned about the meaning of the Dominican charism, or spirit. “I felt like I was on the receiving end of the charism.”

Sara added: “You feel transformed and impressed, and you have a greater appreciation of Dominican heritage and history.” The experience also transformed her idea of her work with the Adrian Dominican Sisters. “It’s definitely a ministry and not a job,” she said. “This drove it home for me.”

Jennifer said the whole experience was energizing. “It makes me appreciate the fact that I’m here and I’m on this journey with all of you.”

 

Caption for above feature photo: Adrian Dominican Sisters and Co-workers who attended the Deepening Dominican Spirit experience were, from left, Sara Stoddard, Jennifer Hunter, Sister Carol Jean Kesterke, OP, Sister Mariane Fahlman, OP, and Lisa Schell.

July 28, 2025, Adrian, Michigan – The Leadership Council of the Adrian Dominican Sisters issued a statement today calling on the president and members of Congress to use funding policy influence to enable safe and effective humanitarian aid in Gaza. Below is the statement.

Statement of the Adrian Dominican Sisters 

As women of faith who pray to the same God as all our Abrahamic kin in the Middle East, we cry out in horror at the sight of starvation sweeping across Gaza. 

One in five Palestinians now face starvation, including thousands of children – infants and toddlers. The little ones Jesus called unto himself are now among those suffering the most, ravaged by the effects of malnutrition from weeks of aid blockages earlier this year and now from the unconscionably limited and perilously dangerous food distribution. 

Palestinians are dying from starvation – and from their dire attempts to obtain food. Conditions in Gaza are “catastrophic and rapidly deteriorating,” according to the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs.

We call on President Trump and Members of Congress to exert the massive influence of U.S. funding policy in order to give humanitarian aid distribution to established aid organizations and to call on Israel to allow them unblocked road access and safe passage into Gaza. Food, water, medical supplies and other urgently needed goods must be allowed into Gaza immediately and distributed safely at the great scale needed if the heartless, immoral, and painful starvation is to be brought to an end.

“Let the little children come to me,” Jesus said. And, please God, let them be fed!

Members of the Adrian Dominican Sisters Leadership Council are Sisters Elise D. García, OP, Prioress, and Peg Albert, OP, Peggy Coyne, OP, Sara Fairbanks, OP, Dusty Farnan, OP, Patricia Leonard, OP, Frances Nadolny, OP, Lorraine Réaume, OP, Corinne Sanders, OP, and Mary Soher, OP.