CAMPUS MINISTRY

Relationship is at the Heart of Ministry

The past year and a half has brought considerable hardship and challenges to many people in the world. Pictured on these pages are just a few ways that Dominican students, and the entire Dominican community, helped those in need and continued to live out the Four Pillars of Dominican Life and the Five Sinsinawa Core Values.

Our students built community and served by cleaning parks, preparing prayer services and participating in liturgies. They never faltered in this unique year, as students worked for justice and served those in need, whether family or friend, alumni or neighbor, or even their peers. From studying social issues and coming together in deep prayer, to experiencing retreats and celebrating our faith as individuals and as a community, this year was filled with the Holy Spirit in countless ways.

Black Lives are Sacred

Campus Ministry’s Social Justice Committee hosted Black Lives are Sacred: Public Witness in November. The public witness invited people of all faiths and backgrounds to gather to proclaim the truth, that Black lives are sacred.

The witness began with prayer and a keynote address. Dominican senior Natan Fessahaye, and juniors Chante Gayden, Barry Applewhite and Saron Weldemariam led the prayer and address.

Service and Study - The Speaker Series

As part of the uKnighted Service program that all students complete throughout their four years at Dominican, sophomores heard from a series of guest speakers who are pillars in the community working on contemporary social issues. Students were then challenged to study the social issues and reflect upon how they can be of service to their community about these issues. Students heard from the following guest speakers: • Pastor James West - Director of The Repairers of the Breach, Milwaukee’s only homeless daytime center • Nate Gilliam - Lead Organizer for the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and

Health Professionals • Adam Procell - Partners in Hope, a program that seeks to rebuild homes, lives, and families by developing faith, nurturing hope, and modeling love with persons who have spent time in prison • Ali Jablonsky - Director of Spiritual Care at Tufts Medical Center in Boston • Sean Lybeck-Smoak - Director of Experiential Learning and Career

Education at Cardinal Stritch University

Holy Thursday Prayer Service

The school community celebrated Holy Thursday together and prepared for the Holy Triduum with a Holy Thursday prayer service. With a combination of music, poems, speeches and skits, Dominican’s prayer and liturgy team illustrated the healing power of a redemptive spirit and the truth that comes from serving the good of others.

Sophomore Retreat

The final retreat held in the 2020-2021 school year was the Sophomore Retreat, entitled “The Call.” Students focused on where God is calling them and the Dominican Pillar of Study. We were grateful and blessed to be able to hold a retreat for each class this school year!

Freshman Retreat

Our freshman class went out in the community, cleaning four local Milwaukee County Parks as a part of their Freshman Retreat. Following their morning of service, the freshmen returned to school to spend the remainder of their retreat learning about the Four Pillars of Dominican life.

Each year in the uKnighted Service Program, our students focus on a different Pillar of Dominican Life. In student’s Freshman year, that focus is on the Pillar of Community. Freshman Retreat is one of two events for our Freshmen focused on community.

Baby Drive For Women’s Care Center

In a combined effort of all five North Shore Catholic Schools, a collection was taken up at the North Shore Catholic Shools Mass for baby items to be donated to the Women’s Care Center.

Why Representation Matters

To honor Black History Month this year, Dominican and the Social Justice Committee created the theme “Why Representation Matters” for the month and created opportunities for student panels to speak with public officials in Wisconsin.

Students met with Alderwoman Milele Coggs who spoke to students about why she chose to devote her life to public service, what she is proud of, people that have inspired her, what is most important to her in her work, and advice for anyone considering a career in public service.

Subsequently, Dominican students had the opportunity to ask questions and visit with Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, and Milwaukee native, Mandela Barnes over Zoom. Students were able to ask several questions encompassing education, representation, advice, and inspiration.