Mission & Ministry Fall 2018

Fall 2018 · Vol. XVIII

Hope for Peace & Justice In this Issue: • Who do you want to be?

• They call it

Rubble Mountain • Personal

Prayer Ministry

Spirit-Inspired Dominican

Transformation

Table of Contents: 2

From the Prioress

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Who do you want to be?

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They call it Rubble Mountain

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Let there be Peace

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Because of the Dominicans I am...

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A Plan for Giving

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Personal Prayer Ministry

Front Cover: Maria Goretti Beckman, OP unites the World Peace Flame with our Dominican flame in St. Catherine of Siena Chapel. Our dream is as simple as it is ambitious: one flame uniting people all over the world.

Together, may we realize this bright ambition of our humanity.

The World Peace Flame (WPF) has been burning since July 1999, when seven flames, lit by eminent peacemakers on five continents were flown by military and commercial aircraft to the United Kingdom. On July 31 they were brought together and united into one flame in Bangor, North Wales. The flame has now been lit in every country of the world. It is still being passed from person to person and lit by thousands of people daily as a dedication to peace.

Sisters and Brothers, Live faithfully the vocation to which you have been called.

Listen patiently and lovingly to one another, with humility and gentleness, striving to keep the unity of the Spirit, in the peace that binds you together: One body, one Spirit, one hope to which you were called, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, over all, through all, and in all.

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians.

Sister Sandra Delgado, OP Prioress

Greetings...

This question was exclaimed in 1511 by Dominican Friar Antonio de Montesinos in a scathing sermon delivered during an Advent Sunday Mass to landowners in the New World—many of whom had slaves. The sermon prompted protests from the landowners that reached King Fernando in Spain, who ordered the matter to be studied. Two years later, the examination would culminate in the very first human rights legislation in history. This was 1513; the Order was not yet 200 years old. Yet more than 600 years later Dominicans around the world continue to ask the same question in the face of injustice, ¿Con que derecho? Members of the entire Dominican family seek answers, and in a number of ways.

And today we continue to minister in ways that bring about change and pursue justice: We welcome newcomers to our country. Sisters help shape lives by teaching adults to read, to improve their English language skills, and to acquire the skills needed to achieve a high school diploma and earn citizenship.

We feed people in poverty and assist those without homes.

Sisters write to our government officials, advocating for systemic change around issues including immigration, affordable healthcare, and protection of the environment.

Sisters and Associates stand with organizations like Pax Christi West Michigan in promoting meaningful dialogue and prayerful action.

Throughout our history, the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids have preached peace and justice. We did this when we helped German-speaking children acclimate to their new home in the United States by teaching them English. We did this when we cared for children who needed a home and yearned to be loved. We did this as we taught, not only the Catholic faith, but the ways in which to be good and caring citizens in our world.

At the recent funeral of Sr. Marie Michael Jacobs, we heard her described as a person who worked for justice. Through her ministries, she consistently strove to effect change and to invite others to join her, just as Dominicans have done throughout our history. The 800-year tradition continues today in this Dominican Congregation. It continues with each of you, our friends, former students, employees, Associates, neighbors, and supporters.

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Join us!

It is peace that binds us together. ~ St. Paul Ephesians 4:3

from the prioress

“¿Con que derecho?” With what right?

www.grdominicans.org 2

Who do you want to be?

Every year in early August, the Sisters and Associates gather for Dominican Days, a time of prayer, study, and community. This past August, Megan McElroy, OP and Joan Williams, OP facilitated the retreat day. Focusing on St. Paul’s invitation to “live faithfully our vocation” (Ephesians 4:1-6), Sister Megan talked about the vocations we all hold in common. Here is an edited version of her reflection.

What do you want to be when you grow up? As children we may have answered, “I want to be an astronaut, a doctor, lawyer, chef, a nurse, actor, singer, fire fighter, police officer.” The options were only as narrow or as broad as our imaginations would take us.

praise, bless, preach

For some of us, that job was a vocation. It’s what we were born to do. Vocation is Spirit-inspired; it calls for energy, passion, and imagination. Beyond the vocation to the married, single, religious, and presbyteral life, there are three vocations that we share, whose imagination, energy, and passion are what our world cries out for today.

First is the vocation to be Christian. In the spirit of Jesus, those called to the Christian life are simply and profoundly called to be people who are kind. That may sound naive, but as we look at our world, being kind seems to be harder than we thought.

In baptism, we were immersed into the waters and became “other Christs.” We are to walk the path that Jesus walked and live the way that Jesus lived. The first response of Jesus to those he encountered was to be kind – to acknowledge them and see in them a brother or a sister, a child of God. Jesus was kind in the way he encountered those who were outcast from community, in his willingness to touch the sick and dying, in his embrace of the little ones, the poor ones, the different ones. He was kind in his civility towards those who didn’t see things the way he did or believe what he believed. But his kindness was not timidity; he was no doormat. His kindness was born of his knowledge of who his Abba was and his desire to share that Abba with those around him.

His kindness brought him closer to those whom the 3 mission

ministry • Fall 2018

world would rather ignore and alienated him from those who would seek the status quo. In the end, it cost him his life.

As we consider our world today, we see a world craving for kindness in the faces of those who are bullied at school, of immigrant parents separated from their children, of refugees seeking a safe place to call home. We know deep in our hearts that we cannot stand by idly. We are to live our Christian vocation with stupefying kindness because our world hungers for such kindness. We will not be able to heal all of the world’s brokenness, but we can be certain that our kindness will be a balm to aching hearts and suffering spirits.

Second is the vocation to be Dominican. In the spirit of our holy father, Dominic, those called to the preacher’s life are to be people of joy! Our joy is more than just happiness. It’s evangelical joy.

It’s Good News joy announcing to the world that all of creation is abundantly blessed! Good News joy tells us no matter what happens in life, we know in the core of our being that we are blessed because God loves us, God has saved us, and God is with us, and all of that is cause for joy.

With news assaulting our senses with daily images and messages of violence and fear-mongering, it’s

Vocation: what we were born to do. Spirit-inspired; calls for energy, passion, and imagination.

Dominican Associate Val Keller, Candidate Morgan Bengel, Nunsense Producer Dan Goggin with Rose Seraphine Sagorski, OP, Aquinas student Marissa Ebels and Helen Bueche, OP, Megan McElroy, OP.

tempting to get caught in the web of despair, but that is not who we are. We are to live our Dominican vocation with unsurpassed joy because our world thirsts for such joy. We do not deny the suffering and pain in our world, communities, relationships, and minds, hearts, bodies, and spirits, but neither do we deny that God is with us in the very midst of it all. This is Paschal Joy, and it is this joy that will quench our thirsting world.

Third is the vocation to be human. This one is surprising because we don’t think about our very existence being a vocation. Vocation means to be called. The prophet Isaiah says, “The Lord called me before I was born; while I was in my mother’s womb, God named me.”

In many ways, our world has disregarded its vocation to be human. It’s time to lay claim to it once again. In the first chapter of Genesis, God says, “Let us make humankind in our own image, according to our own likeness” (Gn 1:26). In other words, the vocation to be human is to be God-like, like God. If the vocation to be Christian is one of kindness and to be Dominican is one of joy, then the vocation to be human is one of love, for if we are made in the image and likeness of our God, then we are called to love as God loves, for God is love.

God so loved the world that he sent Jesus in order to be closer to us. Love is a unifying force. Yet, we live in a time when much of our world, society, politics, and church are torn apart by division and disregard for the other. It feels like we are inching closer to the cliff’s edge.

We are to live our human vocation with overflowing love because our world aches for such love. In Colossians 3:14, St. Paul urges “clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” In Ephesians 4:3, St. Paul says it is peace that binds us together. It should come as no surprise that our world will know peace when all of humanity reclaims its call to love as our God who is love.

To live a vocational life is no small order, but lived with energy, passion, and imagination, we’ll witness the transformation of the world. So what do we want to be as we continue to grow up together? We want to live faithfully the vocation to which we have been called: as Christians exercising kindness; Dominicans filled with joy; and humans living in love with our God who is over all, through all, and in all. 

~ Megan McElroy, OP

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Ava Meena, My Meena Life

They call it Rubble Mountain– justice & peace

It casts a shadow over the city that they call "new" Stuttgart, raised during the years after World War II. The mountain I stood on is what remains of "old" Stuttgart, razed by bombs dropped by fighter planes.

The mountain stands as a permanent reminder to German citizens—and to visitors from all over the world— of the death and destruction that war always brings.

It’s the children I weep for most.

I stood on a mountain… and cried... and prayed.

I stood on a mountain and declared that for the rest of my days, I would preach peace. Only peace can protect the children. ~ Maria Goretti Beckman, OP

5 mission5 mission ministry • Fall 2017• Fall 2018 ministry

For Sister Maria Goretti, it was her experience on Rubble Mountain that helped form her peacemaker spirit.

Rubble Mountain, Birkenkopf, in Germany, is a 1,676-foot monument representing the destruction of the past and serving as a permanent reminder of the consequences of war.

It led her to Pax Christi. “Pax Christi is people-centered and people-powered, and it raises awareness and knowledge about issues that “WE” as a world community need to care about,” says Sr. Maria Goretti.

The people of Pax Christi work for peace through justice: locally, nationally, and globally through

prayer, study, and action. Sister has been a member of Pax Christi USA, Pax Christi Michigan, and Pax Christi International since the early 1970s.

“I’m very excited to announce that Pax Christi West Michigan is being re-activated," says Sister Maria Goretti. The group was on hiatus following the death of longtime coordinator Joe Walker.

It was one of Dominican Center’s 25th Anniversary Prophetic Voices: John Dear—Catholic priest, pacifist, author and lecturer­—that stirred members of the audience to voice their need to gather and share the peace in their hearts. They approached Sister Maria Goretti and asked if Pax Christi could begin meeting at Marywood again.

Pax Christi of West Michigan is one of 13 local groups in the state. “We are meeting the third Sunday of each month,” says Sister Maria Goretti who is co-chair with Andrew Harmon, a millennial with a gift for organizing and facilitation.

“I first heard of Pax Christi in 2014 while organizing an all-faith and non-faith peace vigil for victims of violence in the Middle East,” says Harmon, also an employee on the Dominican Center team. “Pax Christi is well-equipped to advocate for peace around the world and to do so through nonviolent action.”

“Engaging with Pax Christi West Michigan is a way for me to be connected to people who have been working for justice and nonviolence for a long time.”

Harmon, with Father Lou Anderson and Barbara Hansen, OP, recently staffed an information table at Aquinas College; their goal: to raise awareness among Aquinas students. Harmon is also approaching student groups at Grand Valley State University.

“Our hope is to encourage a Pax Christi student movement,” says Sr. Maria Goretti. “Andrew is planting collaborative seeds.”

One of the Dominican Sisters~Grand Rapids stances on peace states: “We believe all creation, including Earth itself, to be sacred and we stand in witness to the triumph of life over death, love over hatred, and hope over fear.”

Pax Christi began as a Catholic peace movement. “I would like to see groups in every parish offering people of all ages ways to dialogue and advance peace in their own lives. We want to generate conversations that encourage people to put peace and justice first. Instead of people filing lawsuits against one another to resolve issues, Pax Christi dialogues encourage peaceful resolution. We need to teach peace in our schools and end the bullying that endangers children,” says Sister Maria Goretti. 

Justice & Peace at Marywood As Dominicans, we support dialogue—not only among those who are like-minded, but all persons. In this way, we can promote justice and peace, and deeper union of persons, communities, and organizations.

Our Congregation is intentional about our visions for the ministries of Dominican Chapel and Dominican Center at Marywood.

We believe that every person is a vessel for all that is good and holy in this world—and through these ministries we offer safe and welcoming environments where people can gather for worship, prayer, reflection, learning and dialogue.

We support collaboration and dialogue by providing gathering space for other organizations seeking: Space for civil discourse Stillness and quiet for contemplation Collaborative event planning Professional inhouse catering Room options for diverse events Inclusive environment with warm Dominican hospitality JJ JJ

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Let there be Justice & Peace on Earth… let it begin with me.

Catholic Social Teaching encourages all people to participate fully in the political process. Justice Promoter Brigid Clingman, OP leads a proactive advocacy campaign keeping Sisters apprised of legislative activities that are counter to our Congregation Direction Statements. During 2017-2018, Sisters and Associates are calling and writing to local, state, and national government officials. More than 60 postcards and letters are sent each week from Marywood about issues of concern.

PEACEMAKER AWARD

P ROCLAIMING PEACE

In June, Pax Christi Metro New York presented the Sister Christine Mulready Peacemaker Award For 2018 to Carol Gilbert, OP and Ardeth Platte, OP. The award states: “Carol and Ardeth, your life-long commitment to peace is grounded in the love that both Thea Bowman and Dorothy Day proclaim. From the classroom to the public square, from government facilities to military bases, from places of worship to diplomatic centers, you have allowed love to conquer fear. Like Thea, you embrace a simple life that is open to people and filled with laughter and music.

Like Dorothy, you know the link between poverty and militarism and you stand up and speak out against both. Thank you for your great courage to live, love, and laugh, to believe that peace is possible, and to help to bring it into being. We are privileged to honor you.”

Sisters and Associates and friends from Pax Christi West Michigan, Instruments of Hope, and the Institute for Global Education gathered for a Peace Service in Dominican Chapel/ Marywood and a Peace Walk in St. Francis Sculpture Garden.

These interfaith gatherings were coordinated by Mary Pat Beatty, OP to honor the International Day of Peace, September 21. This day is a time for humanity to come together, in spirit and in action, to forward the ideals of and conditions for peace. A peaceful society is one where there is justice and equality for everyone.

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PRAYING FOR PEACE The World Peace Flame offers the inspiration that we as individuals can and do make a difference to this world by our thoughts, actions and words. It is a reminder that we should never give up hope and never stop making the effort to create peace. Grand Rapids peace activist Alex Beecroft is firekeeper of the flame originally lit in 1999. On the International Day of Peace, Alex brought the flame to Dominican Center and passed it on.

Finding Peace with Amy Kam Each morning and night, Sisters gather in Chapel to pray the Psalms.

They, in turn, offer others the invitation to discover the holy, in people and in the everyday, through prayer, study, service, and community. It is Dominican practice to faithfully live these pillars so that life can be lived fully in God’s love.

Sunday Assembly community. From the moment I walked in, I could feel the love, the welcome.

Nobody knew me, but I felt an immediate sense of belonging.

Contemplative prayer and spiritual direction at Dominican Center were the paths that led Amy Kam to a peacefulness where she learned how to be open to God’s love.

"We’ve been through a lot together. This church community, and Sister Ann, and me. They’ve been by my side through spiritual growth, career challenges, through raising a teenager, through loss, through cancer. Sister Ann showed me that I didn’t have to have permission to be me.”

Inspired by Ann Walters, OP, after having met her during a Contemplative program at Dominican Center, Amy knew she wanted to talk with someone in her faith journey—someone with whom she could be truly open.

What brings peace is when we let go of our fears, and we let go of our fears when we feel accepted. That’s the gift of God’s love.

“Dominican Center is, by intentional mission, a safe place to have the conversations that others in your immediate circle can't or may not be willing to have,” says Sister Ann. “You live your life and get disconnected from aspects of your faith journey, and getting those plugged back in is about finding new ways to draw your faith into your everyday life … Sister Ann helped show me this through the lens of God’s love,” said Amy. Years ago, Sister Ann invited Amy to O Antiphons.

"That’s where I first experienced the Chapel and the

Be Be Be Be Be

still and know that I am God still and know that I am still and know still ~ Psalm 46:10

Amy was received into the Catholic Church three years ago this past Easter at Dominican Chapel at Marywood.

“The resilience and faithfulness I’ve observed in Amy is truly inspiring, as is her desire to share what she has learned with others,” says Sister Ann. About two years ago, Amy began leading Zentangle programs at Dominican Center. “Zentangle is a non-verbal expression, on paper, of mindfulness.

It’s helped a lot of people reduce their anxiety, and find focus. It helps you learn to be present in the moment; people find that very hard to do these days, and yet it’s very easy to do while you’re drawing.”

"What Amy is guiding is a creative form of contemplative prayer,” describes Sister Ann. "Doing Zentangle as prayer creates the space to experience in the core of our being 'Be Still and Know that I am God '." 

because of the dominicans I am...

Through their formation and vowed lives, Sisters have learned to invite the holy in through prayer and reflection.

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A Plan for Giving Veritas Society member honors “words and deeds that are authentic, compelling, and true.”

As Mike Wood describes the impact they have had on his life, his face reveals just how deeply he loves and admires the Dominican Sisters.

Mike shared his story recently, speaking on why he has chosen to intertwine their legacy with his own, by leaving them a gift in his will. “I have not encountered any other place, people, or community who embodies the charity, wisdom, and passion for justice more than the Dominican Sisters~Grand Rapids.”

veritas society

What was Mike’s inspiration? It was reflecting on what he treasures most in his own life. “I realized the gifts I have received from the Sisters are beyond price. Because of their influence, I am a loving husband, with children who are good parents and spouses. The Sisters instilled in me business ethics that demand integrity and a passion to serve. For my whole quality of life, I am rightly grateful and joyful for the abundance of grace they bring to all they do.”

With his decision to include the Sisters as beneficiaries of his charitable remainder trust, Mike became a member of the Veritas Society. Veritas means “truth”.

It is the motto of the Dominican Order and the foundation of the Sisters’ mission. By becoming a

I am grateful for the light they bring

to the darkness. member, Mike is plan-fully helping the Dominican legacy impact generations for years to come.

Whether through a will, a trust, or another element of estate planning, Veritas members are maximizing giving beyond one’s lifetime. Today’s planned gifts offer significant flexibility to accommodate a range of life circumstances and can provide potential tax benefits as well.

Mike’s planned gift will help ensure that even decades from now, his support for the Sisters will live on.

Whether through prayer, spiritual companioning, teaching, or another of their many ministries, the Sisters’ reach is wide and deep—and furthered by the generous support of those whose lives they’ve touched, like Mike's.

We are deeply grateful for all the ways you support our ministries! Watch your mailbox for an opportunity to continue to help further our mission—thank you!

To find out more about partnering with the Dominican Sisters through a legacy or planned gift, contact: Alyssa Morillo Scheidt, Director of Mission Advancement 616.514.3110 | amorilloscheidt@grdominicans.org 9 mission

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Personal Prayer Ministry Every Sister has a personal prayer ministry. We wanted to give you an opportunity to learn more about the Dominican Sisters~Grand Rapids new Leadership Team. And what a wonderful way for them to share something about themselves—through their personal prayer ministries.

I pray for persons with dementia and their families and caregivers My mother has dementia.

I have seen and lived with my brothers and myself caring for our mother at different times. It can be very difficult and can literally tear families apart.

My prayer is that families be given the graces needed to be present and loving to each other throughout their days together. ~ Sandra Delgado OP Prioress

I pray for people who have no homes and no families.

I have chosen this prayer intention because of the many homeless children and adults who live in the streets of San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Many died from violence or hunger.

Often, they were without a registered identity and consequently were buried in common graves with no one to mourn their loss. I never could be hardened to this reality that I witnessed daily and in close proximity. ~ Joan Williams, OP, Vicaress

I pray that peace will prevail

I pray for an end to gun violence

Our recent Chapter called us to a recommitment of our energies in every way possible so that peace prevail. I deeply desire that our troubled world, as well as individuals and many communities, will know the peace of Christ.

My prayer intention is one way to help bring this about.

Resorting to guns is often the first response in settling differences or assuaging pain. Mass shootings rarely shock us and we hardly give thought to daily shootings. We’re numb to the reality that lives are lost and changed because of gun violence. I pray for an end to gun violence, so we can take one step toward peace through dialogue, understanding, and reconciliation.

~ Maureen Geary, OP, Councilor

~ Megan McElroy, OP, Councilor

It’s not only Sisters who can hold a Prayer Ministry. Consider what will be your Prayer Ministry as we approach Advent and a new year. What light will you help cast around your being, your family, your community, your world—to light the way for peace, justice, love?

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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage

PA I D Grand Rapids, MI Permit No. 451 2025 Fulton St. East Grand Rapids, MI 49503-3895

T 616-459-2910 F 616-454-6105 grdominicans.org

About Us The Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids are a community of vowed women religious and Associates who follow the Catholic traditions of St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena. Since 1877 we have been praising, blessing, and preaching God’s love through all we do.

Ministries • Prayer

Advent 2018

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Dominican Chapel/Marywood

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Dominican Center at Marywood

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Marywood Campus

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Justice

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Health Care & Spiritual Companioning

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Aquinata Assisted Living

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Marywood Health Center

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Care Resources

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WORD – ESL

During this Advent season, resolve to find a better rhythm of work and play, of justice and peace, of prayer and silence.

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Partners in Parenting

Register at DominicanCenter.com

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Aquinas College

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Maternidad de Maria, Chimbote, Peru

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Centro de Obras Sociales, Chimbote, Peru

Mission & Ministry Editorial Team • Sandra Delgado, OP – Prioress • Danny Lynn – Art Director • Stacy Spitler – Editor/Contributor

All photos are from the Archives of the Dominican Sisters~Grand Rapids (DSGR) unless otherwise noted.

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New Year’s Resolution: Making Room for God with Diane Zerfas, OP Wednesday, December 5 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Dominican Center

O Antiphons Evening Prayers Monday, December 17 – Sunday, December 23 7:00 pm to 7:45 pm, Dominican Chapel/Marywood A seven-day ancient Christian ritual in preparation for the coming of the Light of the World: Jesus. Each evening begins with a contemplative candlelight procession, then moves into the singing of hymns and psalms; the proclamation of scripture, and a reflection by special guest speakers.

Join us in anticipation…