What's Happening

By Sister Janice Brown, OP
Director, Dominican Center: Spirituality for Mission

September 29, 2026, Detroit – What happens when people gather to celebrate one of creation’s most essential gifts – water?

Some 51 people gathered on September 19, 2026, at St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center in Detroit for Celebrating Water, a Season of Creation retreat sponsored by the Dominican Center: Spirituality for Mission and St. Suzanne Cody Rouge CRC.

The gathering brought together Adrian Dominican Sisters and Associates alongside community members and friends, creating a rich and welcoming community for a day of prayer, learning, ritual, and exploration. Together, they shared in the Dominican call to contemplation, relationship, and care for Earth, our common home. The day offered everyone an opportunity to slow down, notice the beauty and sacredness of creation, and experience the joy of being together.

The time together opened with prayer and ritual, inviting participants to become present to one another, to Earth, and to our Creator. Chris Kendall, music minister at Gesu Parish in Detroit, led the group in a spirited and soulful rendition of Wade in the Water, as participants poured water into a bowl, nourishing a beautiful arrangement of flowers gathered from local rain gardens. It was a simple yet beautiful way to begin, a moment to slow down and recognize water as gift. 

From there, Naim Edwards, Director of Michigan State University’s Detroit Partnership for Environmental Stewardship and a member of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, invited participants to consider water on a scientific level and a life-giving level. 

With his energy, humor, and gravity, Noam helped participants see water not simply as something we use, but as a precious gift that sustains all life. One participant captured the experience perfectly: “I have never heard a keynote with such energy and depth.”

Deacon Steve Morello offered a Native American purification blessing with sage, creating another sacred moment in the day’s journey, and then blessing lunch that was provided by chef and social activist Chef Bee.

The group then ventured into Rouge Park with Noor Ahmad, of Friends of Rouge Park. From the warmth of the bus, participants explored the park’s playgrounds, the rookery where blue herons nest, and the large rain garden at Warren and Outer Drive that provides habitats and diverts dangerous rainwater from damaging approximately 1,200 homes in the surrounding area. Noor’s knowledge and enthusiasm helped participants see more deeply the connections among water, plants, animals, and people. 

And then, appropriately, the rain came.

Rain fell throughout the day, becoming an unexpected but fitting part of a celebration focused on water. Rather than simply being a challenge, it became a tangible reminder of the very gift the group had gathered to honor. We were not simply talking about water. We were surrounded by it, listening to it, and watching it become part of the landscape.

The day concluded with the Prayer of Creation 2026, inviting participants to carry forward a deeper appreciation for creation and a renewed commitment to care for our common home.

A Community Effort

The retreat was made possible through the collaboration of many members of the Adrian Dominican community. Sisters Nancyann Turner, OP, Cheryl Liske, OP, and Rebecca Hodge, OP, along with Adrian Dominican Associates Patty Gillis and Carol Hofer, were part of the team coordinating the gathering. Other members of the planning committee included Steve Wasko and Amethyst Crawford from St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center. Dominican Center Board member Joni Scott also contributed to the effort.

Their collaboration reflects the Dominican tradition of bringing gifts, energy, and diverse perspectives together in service of mission.

Gatherings such as this offer more than an opportunity to learn about creation. They create space for people to pause together, recognize the sacredness of Earth, and experience the joy of community. Through prayer, conversation, exploration, and even a little rain, the Celebrating Water retreat offered a beautiful reminder that creation continually invites us into gratitude, wonder, and care for our common home.

For information on other opportunities offered by the Dominican Center, visit www.dominicancenter.org.

 

Caption for above feature photo: Members of the Planning Committee for the Water Retreat are, from left, Associate Patricia Gillis, Sister Cheryl Liske, OP, Joni Scott, Sister Nancyann Turner, OP, Sister Janice Brown, OP, and Associate Carol Hofer.