Summer 2021 · Vol. XXII
Time as Gift, Challenge, Healer
The Treasure
of Time
Table of Contents: 2 | From the Prioress 3 | Preaching Time
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Motherhouse
5 Cornerstone Laid 100 Years Ago 7 | Changes on
Marywood Campus
11 | Dominican Center: A Year in the Light 16 | Planned Giving 17 | Jubilarian Highlights 21 | Heroes Work Here
Aquinata Hall Heros: Nurse JoAnn Kusmierski, Common Life Coordinator Sister Donna Jean Thelen, Community Assistant Marcia Dells, Director of Care Rachel Romero, Common Life Coordinator Sister Joyce Williams, Nurse Bailee Majeski.
Now is the Acceptable Time ~ 2 Corinthians 6:2
We’ve been given time... to render justice, to heal divisions, to touch in, to tap resources, to request pardon. We’ve been given gifts... so we discover, so we exchange, so we support, so we nurture, so we dream. We’ve been given companions.... for integrity, for encouragement, for perspective for humility, for accountability. We’ve been given life in the Spirit... so we surrender and sow openness, so we laugh and sow joy, so we hope and sow trust, so we weep and sow contrition, so we love and sow human kindness. We welcome God’s timeless love, Commissioning us to be the Body of Christ, “blessed and broken.” ~ Mary Ann Barrett OP
“Our baptism calls us to be faithful even in the face of these immense challenges,” Sister Maureen Geary reminds us in her reflection “Preaching Time”. And, yes, though our faith has been tested, we behold the wonder of “presence” in our world today.
We are all beginning to feel relief from more than 18 months of isolation and distance from our families, friends, colleagues, worshipping communities, and all who have a role in our lives.
As Sisters gathered in Community, the first time in months, we celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone of the motherhouse. What a gift to celebrate one historic beginning as we prepare to celebrate the transition of our motherhouse to another corner of the Marywood campus. Praise be the work of the women in our Archives Department. This year they have taken time to cull and curate collections of our Congregation. Enjoy the memories captured by Sister Mary Navarre, accompanied by photos selected by Sister Michael Ellen Carling in “Changes” on page 7.
Our lives came to a halt from one day to the next. While we maintained ‘social distancing’ from the world around us, none of us were really, truly separated from each other.
The ministry of Spiritual Direction at Dominican Center at Marywood has been a beacon of hope for many in the chaos and confusion of Covid time,” shares Sister Diane Zerfas in “A Year in the Light”.
People around the world found ways to come together as we banged pots and pans from our apartments, stood on porches with lit candles, sang songs and made music together using internet tools like Zoom, and of course we used the telephone and letter writing to stay in close contact with our families and friends.
Despite the forced closure of the space at Dominican Center at Marywood, our programs and formation classes continued online. Zoom brought a Village together to truly show the movement of Spirit among us.
Sister Sandra Delgado OP Prioress
Dear Friends,
Sisters wrote letters to the frontline workers who put their own lives on the line and kept the world going. Among the frontline workers whom we consider heroes are all of our employees. In this issue of Mission & Ministry, we are saying thank you to each and every staff member. We are blessed by those who care for us as much as they care for their families. It is a mutual feeling. We have felt the losses they have experienced, and they have felt ours.
We have so much to be thankful for as we reflect on these past months. As we emerge and celebrate and most certainly as we focus on transition, we keep our grateful hearts lifted in prayer. Henri Nouwen reminds us of this purpose and the liberation found within, “Above all, prayer is a way of life which allows you to find a stillness in the midst of the world where you open your hands to God’s promises and find hope for yourself, your neighbor, and your world.”
With my prayers of hope for you and yours,
from the prioress
Sister Mary Ann Barrett’s poem reminds us that “We have been given time...” and “Now is the acceptable time.” Dominic recognized the importance of time spent in silence and contemplative prayer; he espoused life in community while also honoring the sacred value of time alone. Perhaps this time was exactly what our Sisters needed to prepare our hearts for transitions.
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Preaching Time ~ Maureen Geary OP
Take a walk with me on paths trod by Jeremiah and Matthew. Jeremiah was having a tough time in his day. Oh boy, was he having a tough time! His anger and frustration come spewing forth: YOU DUPED ME, GOD! Everyone mocks me! The message you gave me, God, is just too hard! People won’t listen. And they shun me. Or worse. Your word has brought me derision and reproach.
reflections on time
Of course: it’s not that God has abandoned Jeremiah. Rather, God has given him a mission that Jeremiah does not know how to carry out. He wants to resign: “I will speak in His name no more.” God has asked too much! For Jeremiah, God’s message “becomes like fire burning in my heart; I grow weary holding it in; I cannot endure it.” Who needs this job—the lot of a prophet? Who wants it? Yet it comes, to each of us at least in small measure, by our baptism. I say “in small measure” because few of us would claim that we are called to the ministry of prophet. Really though — this work is not a part-time job, especially not for those who made profession to the Order of Preachers. Prophets and preachers cannot be silent.
Each of us has experienced a difficult ministry, or relationship, or communal living situation, or profound dissonance with country, church or workplace policies. And in some way, in each of these situations, we have been asked to be faithful. Not successful. Just faithful. This saying comes from St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Asked how she endured in the endless task of serving the dying on the streets of Calcutta, she replied that she was called only to be faithful to her service. Success was someone else’s judgment. It did not impact her service.
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Maureen Geary OP This prophetic work, this work of preaching, is a communal venture. Dominican Sister Kaye Ashe wrote, “The search— for self, for wisdom, for love, for truth, for justice, for God—is strenuous and unending. We need good companions in order to persevere in it. In good company, in a community of conviction, the quest never loses its relevance, its urgency, or its savor.” We Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids miss our connections with our Associates and our Sunday Assembly who join us in forming a community of conviction.
It’s impossible NOT to think of the trio of pandemics affecting our lives these days: racism, climate crisis, Covid-19. Our baptism calls us to be faithful even in the face of these immense challenges. And I suggest in the context of Jeremiah’s story our faithfulness comes in our NOT falling silent. We too must let that fire burning in our heart move us to action in word and deed. Now for Peter. In one encounter with Jesus, Peter got “the keys to the kingdom”! But soon after, in a heated exchange with Jesus, he clearly shows he does not understand what needs unlocking—our hearts, our courage, our resolve. The price of faithfulness is not small. It is a denial of self, a denial of status and a denial of power. It is speaking a prophetic word. It is taking up the cross, daily. Talk about a mission we don’t want! God asks this of US. We may not always like the message of Jesus. We may seek to challenge him, as Peter did, and hear the harsh words: “Get behind me, Satan.” Talk about feeling duped! Yet we need to hear the starkness of the message. Christianity is not for the faint of heart. It does not call us to sit comfortably on our clouds of faith, even our clouds of faith, hope and love, without tumbling into the mess below and doing what needs to be done and being who God needs us to be. Faithful. Not necessarily successful. I am less than satisfied that I know what I am to do, who
I am to be. But I will show up. I grow weary holding it in. I must not be silent. WE must not be silent. For sustenance we turn to the beautiful words of Psalm 63. We are thirsting for God. God’s right hand does uphold us. We need only take it, and walk where it takes us, preaching the Word. “Preach the Word, whether convenient or inconvenient, in season or out,” as our brother David Lincoln reminded us when our new Associates made their commitments. Our sister Catherine of Siena implores us “Speak the Truth in a million voices. It is silence that kills.” And with racism as virulent and violent as ever, we take inspiration from our brother Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “If physical death is the price that I must pay to free my white brothers and sisters from a permanent death of the spirit, then nothing can be more redemptive.
“We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.” “Use me, God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself.”
Sisters and brothers: We have not been DUPED. We have been CALLED and SENT. Let the people say: AMEN.
Sister Maureen Geary preached this message in August 2020 in Dominican Chapel/Marywood to a congregation of socially distanced, masked Sisters.
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The community gathering for the blessing of the cornerstone in 1917.
100th Anniversary of Motherhouse Cornerstone On June 14, 1917, the Congregation purchased land at the corner of Fulton Street and Lakeside and plans for the building of a long-anticipated Motherhouse began. Four years later, on June 5, 1921, the cornerstone was laid for the building atop the hill on Fulton Street. On September 1922 the first Mass in the Chapel at Marywood was celebrated.
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In honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and in appreciation for the beautiful woods on the serene property, the building was named Marywood. Over the decades more than one thousand Catholic women who became vowed religious called Marywood “home.” Sisters soon relocated from their residence at St. John Home to their new Motherhouse at Marywood. Today 160 Dominican Sisters continue to find their home at Marywood, and are happy that, although the main building will be under new ownership, they will continue to live on the Marywood campus in adjacent housing enjoying the beauty of the woods and the name that honors Mary, the Mother of God.
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Sister Chela Gonzalez, carrying the Dominican candle, leads the procession of Sisters singing Salve Regina.
Expressions from the Ceremony “Over the past 100 years, we Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids and this building have experienced change. Change is a sign of life! It happens in the wake of something that precedes it. Change is brought to us if we are open to God’s Spirit and providential care. We say thank you to the Sisters emboldened by faith who have gone before us, as well as those now living in this Congregation. We acknowledge God’s everlasting love guiding us to serve with joy. We are grateful to all persons near and far, to the east and west, north and south, who have walked with us to lay cornerstones of justice for future times.”
~ Maureen Geary OP “How fitting on this first vespers of the feast of the Body of Christ we, the living stones, acknowledge Christ as the cornerstone of our Congregation. There have been challenging times and days of plenty. Shortly before the cornerstone was laid, a world-wide influenza pandemic occurred. Grand Rapids was impacted as well; however, with courage and faith, plans begun in 1917 were not deterred. One hundred years later in 2021, the Covid pandemic now tests our Sisters, yet they remain just as steadfast in pursuing their plans for the future. With faith and courage, we stand on the foundation of Christ Jesus who continues to be with us. We are grateful for Congregational Leaders, members, and many places and people with whom we journeyed over the past century. We, Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, thank our generous God for the many blessings given us.”
Transitions at Marywood “Neither our mission nor our ministries are tethered to the bricks and mortar of our buildings.”
~ Sandra Delgado OP Prioress For over a century, the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids have called the 34-acre Marywood campus our home. With an increasing number of older members, our Congregation recognizes the Motherhouse no longer meets our needs. But, oh the joy that comes with the knowledge our move will provide much needed housing for low-income seniors in West Michigan. Marywood will continue to be the Sisters’ home. Sisters are currently in process of transitioning residences to nearby apartments, the former Marywood Health Center building, Aquinata Hall, and Benincasa.
~ Sandra Delgado OP
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Changes on Marywood Campus ~ Mary Navarre OP
When I drive home from my workday at Marywood of late, I usually avoid the heavily trafficked Beltline and take less travelled roads. This has the bonus of a view of the Rogue River as it spills over rocks and rills before tumbling into the Grand River and from there to Lake Michigan and then onward to distant shores.
from the archives
When Marywood, our motherhouse, was built one hundred years ago, the brook that ran through the wooded land, Coldbrook Creek, also joined the Grand River. Little acclaimed today and buried underground for most of its route, Coldbrook Creek
continues to fulfill its role as a tributary to the Grand River, which in turn finds its way to Lake Michigan and eventually through the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, out the St. Lawrence Seaway, into the Atlantic Ocean and the whole world. There is something about a river that calls us to pause. These arteries of life-giving water are always changing as they hurry to the sea.
Rivers are always changing, and so must we. And so must Marywood, our Motherhouse.
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What do the Sisters recall about the first time they saw Marywood? For many of us it was the drive up the road from Fulton Street the day we entered. That moment is etched in our memories as we anticipated our new lives as a Dominican Sister. Saying good-bye to family and friends, to all that was familiar, was made bearable by the excitement of the possibilities that lay ahead. Donning our somber postulant uniforms, we looked about and found our new classmates wide-eyed with wonder, trepidation, and excitement. Before long we all became familiar with Marywood from the top floor infirmary where the sick and elderly were cared for by Sister nurses to the ground level where we learned how to fold sheets, hot and fresh from the mangle in the enormous laundry. On the way to and from, we passed through the huge kitchen where the fragrance of fresh baked bread and cookies tempted us to ask for “just a taste.” In the evenings, we bonded with our new sisters singing the hauntingly lovely prayers of Compline. For those who entered in the 1960s, there were camp-style renderings of songs like Kumbaya and We’ve got a home at Marywood that outshines the sun, all with guitar accompaniment. Marywood became “home.”
Now we are leaving our home. When asked what she would miss most, one sister replied, “Marywood has been my home for most of my life. I’ll miss all of it.” In the next breath, she said, “I am ready for the next move. I want to get on with it.”
Greeting new arrivals.
We know it is the community, the living, breathing, worshipping together that is sustaining—not the bricks and mortar that hold up the building. Yet there are those memories of the first view of Marywood as we made our way up the drive on the day of entry. . . and the memories of so many dear friends who were carried down that same path in the hearse making its way to Resurrection Cemetery - the Salve Regina lingering in the air. There is no denying the poignancy of that moment— and this moment. Yet, there is also the reality that this land, this home at Marywood, has always known change.
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As the hearse wends its way down the front drive, the Sisters sing the Salve Regina as family and friends bid farewell.
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Over the millennia, the bedrock on which the Marywood Campus sits has been covered with at least four glaciers. The last one receded 11,000 years ago leaving behind gently rolling hills. Marywood was built at the apex of one of those hills 780 feet above sea level. The first human persons to occupy this land after the glaciers receded were members of the Hopewell Indian culture, noted for their hospitality to strangers, as well as their courage, stamina, and love for their children.
Centuries later in June 1917, Dominican Sisters chose to purchase this land to build their motherhouse because it was deemed a hospitable land with its many trees and birds providing a serene setting for prayer, learning, a playground for young students and a garden. It would also take courage and stamina to purchase, build, sustain, and, when the time came, to move on. We are ready for the next move; we will get on with it—yet it is good to remember.
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In November 1919 ground was broken, and in June 1921, the cornerstone was laid. The new motherhouse for the Sisters with attached academy and college for the education of children and young women was completed in 1922. Outgrowing the original space, an east wing was added for sleeping rooms and administrative offices in 1954. The west wing roof garden became enclosed for more dormitory space creating Lourdes Hall in 1958. The infirmary on fourth floor eventually became apartments when a new infirmary was completed in 1967.
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Marywood Academy High School closed in 1974 and the grade school in 1989. The west wing then became living space for sisters on the upper floors. Lower floors were leased to Spectrum Hospital as well as the Head Start program for several years. The ground level of the academy was then refurbished and Dominican Center Marywood opened in spring 1993 providing space for conferences and programs in spiritual development.
Rooted on the bedrock of a land of hospitality, and freely flowing waters, gifted by the dedicated lives of our forebears who served with courage, stamina, and love, we can say with St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians 4:11, we have learned “in whatever situation [we] find ourselves, to be content.” 9 mission 9 mission
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A Look Back at Marywood Marywood procession 1948. Postulants walk up the front drive in early spring. Sister Barbara Hansen welcomes the Salvation Army Family Lodge to the Marywood Campus. Prayer in the Chapel. Marywood Academy Preparatory School for Girls brochure. Sister Catherine Ann Winowiecki in the bakery. Sisters Emmanuel Kopp and Evangelista Rohrl, the “Makers of Music” at Marywood. MellowDs sang and played for audiences. Instruments of Hope St. Francis of Assisi Sculpture Garden for Prayer and Meditation. Sister Leonard Lynch with Kindergartners. 11 Welcoming community to liturgy.
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DIANE ZERFAS OP
CARMELITA SWITZER OP
ANN WALTERS OP
A Year in the Light A message from Diane Zerfas OP, Dominican Center Interim Director The pandemic forced closure of the doors of Dominican Center at Marywood March 13, 2020. With ingenuity and courage, our Dominican Center team set into motion a plan to keep welcome lamps burning for all seeking community. Here are some highlights of this unusual year: J
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Solace, hope, kindness emanated from the ever-widening circle of the Dominican Center Village and Stay in the Light second Monday Zoom gatherings. Sharing the wisdom of spiritual giants continued as Foundations in Spirituality attracted the largest class of participants in years; they joined from all over Michigan as well as Arizona, Mississippi, Canada. We said a bitter-sweet goodbye to Margarita Solis-Deal, celebrating the leadership gifts she brought to our Dominican Center ministry; yet wishing her well in new ventures. The pandemic forced an earlier than expected permanent closure of our Conference Center services arm and employee farewells followed. Dominican Center’s Ministry of Spiritual Direction has been a beacon of hope for many. Spiritual Directors found ways to connect with their longtime directees. New directees sought a spiritual director and Ann Walters OP, spiritual direction referral coordinator, met each with compassion and wisdom and connection. This year Zoom broadened the reach of our Spiritual Director Practicum. Formation classes continued online and in May we celebrated six newly certified spiritual Directors upon completion of the two-year Practicum. The 2018 introduction of the apprentice role has been a Godsend and helped assure online availability in all formation programs. Currently Amanda Dobson has been working with Carmelita Switzer OP in Foundations. Andy Rebollar has joined Diane Zerfas OP in the Practicum. Mindy Hills works with Diane Zerfas OP in planning retreat experiences and envisioning ongoing formation for our spiritual directors. With the announced sale of the motherhouse, transition at Dominican Center is ongoing. Our search for a new executive director is active. As we look forward to a full Fall schedule we remain committed to best safety practices and intentional in-person and virtual program design. We soon hope to announce a new location for the Dominican Center for Spirituality. Apprentice Amanda Dobson characterized this year of change with this idea, an excerpt from her post on our Dominican Center Blog.
“This past year has been one long exercise in letting go of the way I think things have to be and being delighted by how God shows up in unexpected places. Yes, even Zoom.” 11 mission
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The Spirit Invites Us Forward In May, Dominican Center’s Spiritual Direction Ministry celebrated six newly certified spiritual directors, all completing the two-year Practicum journey they began before a pandemic abruptly closed the physical doors of Dominican Center. Sister Diane Zerfas invited each to share key insights from their time in formation. One insight, in particular, seemed to echo among their answers; despite meeting in a virtual format this past year there were gifts of presence and sacred bonding of community. They noticed a deeper capacity to access interior peace as the outside world was experiencing chaos, and this collective sense of ‘peace’ seemed to help ground their contemplative practices in a profound way.
Mindy Hills
This year has yielded both challenges and gifts in ways we as spiritual directors practice. We remain dedicated to preserving peace filled presence for our directees so they feel supported. The Sisters continue to inspire and lead through their relevance, resourcefulness, and as they serve their mission with hospitable hearts. We have all clearly been stretched by the events of this past year. There has been a collapse of ordinary life, exposure of fear-infused wounds, and a societal lesson in letting go. As I witnessed and welcomed the newly certified spiritual directors into our Dominican family, I am inspired and filled with hope that God’s divine light is shining to restore our world with the spirit of love. Mindy Hills, Spiritual Director, Dominican Center Spiritual Direction Ministry Apprentice
Open to the Call A few days after arriving in Chuuk, Micronesia, I found myself, a new Jesuit Volunteer, surrounded by the most beautiful sunset I’d ever experienced. The sky was aflame with vivid colors, reflecting off the water, completely immersing me as I sat in awe at the end of a dock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I carry that sunset with me, but more importantly, a profound sense that God led me there and continues to guide my journey through life. A life that constantly reminds me to be open, listen attentively, and prayerfully discern, so I not only hear God’s call but also respond to it.
Andy Rebollar
In Fall 2020, Sister Diane Zerfas invited me to be a Dominican Apprentice and help facilitate the first-year Spiritual Direction Practicum – which would be 100% virtual. I knew God was working within this invitation. Now there was space in my life for this role. I was able to respond affirmatively. This response led me to witness firsthand the seamless movement of the Spirit, converging twelve separate spiritual journeys into the practicum and creating a sacred space for God’s grace to inspire, challenge, invite, and transform all those who engaged in it. Collectively -- prayer, assigned readings, peer group process, discussions, and relationships provided the entry points for God to meet us where we were and lead us deeper in communion with each other, ourselves, our God, and our callings as spiritual directors. This is God’s grace in action - made more visible when we are open, when we listen, and allow Divine Love to lead us. We may not know where it will take us, but responding to God’s call can lead us to experience more of those awe-filled moments of beauty. How might God be calling you to something of beauty? Andy Rebollar, Spiritual Director, Dominican Center Spiritual Direction Ministry Apprentice grdominicans.org 12
Presence in the Age of Zoom What is presence in the virtual age? What does it mean to be present on a Zoom call ? As a spiritual director, what does it mean when you cannot be physically present with your directee? How do you practice when you no longer have access to your place of practice?
What is this mystery of presence anyway?
Amanda Dobson
These are several questions I have been pondering this past year-and-a-half, this year of Pandemic, this year of Zoom. I have to admit, as co-facilitator along with Sister Carmelita Switzer, I was very unsure if the Foundations in Spirituality course would work in a Zoom format. We had no idea what to expect. Would people sign up? Would they feel comfortable sharing over a computer screen? Would their internet connections work? And the deeper, quieter thought I mostly kept to myself: But I don’t like Zoom. This is about presence. This needs to be in-person.
This past year has been one long exercise in letting go of the way I think things have to be and being delighted by how God shows up in unexpected places, even Zoom. They signed up. It was the largest class DCM had seen in years. They shared. Both in small group break-out sessions and in the large group, and they were hungry for more. Zoom was not the great hindrance we feared it would be. Because of Zoom, we were able to have participants from Arizona, Mississippi, and even Canada, in addition to all over Michigan. One participant mentioned wanting to take this course for years, but her work and ministry commitments had made it impossible. Zoom allowed her to finally take the course. Another participant mentioned how nice it was not having to drive somewhere in ice and snow. As I sat in my cozy bedroom Zoom corner, Monday night after Monday night, I was starting to agree. Many mentioned how important this class had become for them during a year of isolation and lockdown: “An oasis in the desert” one participant called it. “A lifeline” said another, and “I feel like I have found my people.” As a spiritual director, I still have to adjust to the reality that when the world fully opens back up, Dominican Center will not be open to me in the same way. When I left the campus for the last time, I did not know I was leaving the campus for the foreseeable future. Dominican Center had become a kind of home for me when I felt spiritually homeless; a most beloved sacred space of peace and prayer. There is some grief here, and as Rolheiser encourages in “The Holy Longing”, this is an important step and not to be skipped.
But I’ve also witnessed the birth of something this year: Connection when it felt our world was coming apart; Community in the midst of isolation; Healing in a time of sickness; The flow of the Spirit during lockdown. I am more convinced than ever that our programs are life-changing and that the Spirit continues to show up in unexpected places and exciting ways. May we all have the courage to “not cling” to our ideas and preferred ways and places of how and where we think God works in the world. May we accept the spirit of the life we are in fact already living. Pray for us, Sisters, as we pray for you. Amanda Dobson, Spiritual Director, Dominican Center Spiritual Direction Ministry Apprentice
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Dominican Center Programming Find more programs and register at dominicancenter.com
Foundations in Spirituality 2021-2022 A serious reflective study that opens minds and hearts to the teachings and life examples of great Christian spiritual teachers. Explore the rich preaching of St. Dominic; the unbreakable faith of St. Teresa of Avila; the deep spirituality of St. John of the Cross; the life-giving wisdom of the Beguines; the fortitude of John Calvin; the daily prayerful life of St. Ignatius; and the lives of many more. Introduces contemplative prayer as a grounding spiritual practice.
The very first book our Foundations participants read is “The Holy Longing” by Ronald Rolheiser. Rolheiser encourages his readers to view their lives through the lens of the “Paschal Mystery,” asking the question, “where do I find myself within the story of Jesus?” He asks his readers to 1. “Name your deaths” 2. “Claim your births” 3. “Grieve what you have lost and adjust to the new reality” 4. “Do not cling to the old, let it ascend and give you its blessing” 5. “Accept the spirit of the life that you are in fact living” (Rolheiser 148)
I’ve been contemplating this pattern, both personally as a spiritual director and in light of moving all of our Formation programs this year to virtual.
Dates: Mondays, September 20, 2021 – May 23, 2022 • 6:30 – 8:30 pm Presenters: Carmelita Switzer OP, Spirituality Program Associate Coordinator/ Spiritual Director & Amanda Dobson, DCM Apprentice/Spiritual Director FD: Spirituality
Cost: $600, plus book fees
Be Still and Stay in the Light (Online) Gather with Dominican Center’s spiritual community. Join us from your own sacred space to explore what staying in the light meant to you. Be in community with Dominican Center and others the second Monday of each month to quiet the world without and within. Cultivate light as part of a weekly practice. Date/Time: Mondays, beginning Sept. 13 10:30 am – Noon #5610-086 FD: Spirituality
Suggested donation: $10
Centering Prayer Join us via Zoom each Tuesday at noon and settle in for this meditation practice that nurtures interior silence. No registration required. Link: us02web.zoom.us/j/82042706178 Date/Time: Tuesdays • Noon – 1:00 pm Presenter: Esther Yff-Prins, Spiritual Director
Tending the Call ~ Ongoing Formation for Spiritual Directors (Online) Tending the Call invites Spiritual Directors to revisit the teachings of foundational companions and re-imagine ways they might support your present-day ministries. Dates/Time: Tuesdays from 6:30 – 8:00 pm Fall Series • 6 sessions • September 7 – November 16 Winter Series • 6 sessions • February 8 – April 12 Presenters: Amanda Dobson, Spiritual Director; Andrea Leroy, Spiritual Director and Counselor; Carmelita Switzer OP, Spirituality Program Associate Coordinator FD: Spirituality
Cost: $100/series, plus books
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A Bottle Full of Tears ~ A 4-Week Retreat on Moving Through Grief (Online) This year has called us to be attentive to loss and to the truth of impermanence. The human experience of loss is inevitable. Through practice, insight, and stopping to look deeply we may be worked by loss, learn from it, and love through it. Grief is a natural reaction, an individual reaction. There is no timetable. Grief is love that has nowhere to go. Join like-hearted seekers as we explore and process the stages of grief. Dates/Time: Wednesdays: September 8 – September 29 • 6:30 – 8:30 pm Presenters: Debbie Eisenbise, Spiritual Director and End-of-Life Doula FD: Spirituality
Cost: $130, $100 for Spiritual Directors
Called to be a Spiritual Director ~ Year 1 Spiritual Director Practicum 2021-2022 Using an Ignatian spiritual framework, develop a sense for finding meaning in the moments. Dedicate space to deepen your relationship with the God who loves you into life. Move closer to uncovering your authentic self, the one that will guide the discernment of your calling. Dates/Times: Every other Friday, September 10, 2021 – May 20, 2022 • 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Presenters: Diane Zerfas OP, Spirituality Program Coordinator/Spiritual Director & Andy Rebollar, DCM Apprentice/Spiritual Director FD: Spirituality
Cost: $2,000 plus book fees. Cost includes instruction and facilitation.
Being Home in Body, Mind, and Soul: A Weekend Retreat to Create Sacred Sanctuary (Online and In-Person) Spring 2020 radically altered how many of us work, attend school, care for and connect with loved ones, and live in our physical homes. With the pandemic came countless unknowns and changes we were likely unprepared for. Let us reflect on our experience of being at home in body, mind, and soul as well as contemplate action we might take to create sacred sanctuary within our homes and within our very being. Dates/Time: Friday, September 24 – Sunday, September 26 Presenters: Mindy Hills, Dominican Associate, DCM Apprentice, Spiritual Director, Retreat Leader & Sandra Mitchell, Certified Coach, Writer, and Retreat Leader Cost: $130
Fall Sacred Seed Retreat ~ A Contemplative Journey into Creation (Online and In-Person) Dominican Center, in collaboration with Plainsong Farm, invites you to an experience that will cultivate your ability to become silent and still as you deeply listen and rest in God’s presence. “It is our hope that you discover solitude in nature as a meaningful spiritual practice,” says Facilitator Mindy Hills. Dates/Time: Thursday, October 7 – Saturday, October 9 Presenters: Mindy Hills, Dominican Associate, DCM Apprentice, Spiritual Director, Retreat Leader & Emily Ulmer, Plainsong Farm Program Director Cost: $165
Ignatian Retreat ~ Seeing God’s Presence in our Daily Lives (Online) Journey with us on our online Ignatian Retreat as we introduce a discipline and practice that will move you to a spiritual depth. The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola immerse you in deep noticing of the Divine in all things, revealing the face of God in our daily lives. Prayer practices and weekly Scripture passages will guide and support us as we pay attention to the Holy around us. Dates/Time: Wednesdays: October 13 – May 11 • 6:00 - 8:00 pm Presenters: Diane Zerfas OP, Spirituality Program Coordinator/Spiritual Director and Mindy Hills, Dominican Associate, DCM Apprentice, Spiritual Director, and Retreat Leader FD: Spirituality
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Cost: $250
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We are here to help! If you have questions or would like to discuss your plans, please contact:
“…They are the burning candles of God…”
Alyssa Morillo Scheidt, Director of Mission Advancement 616.514.3110 amorilloscheidt@grdominicans.org
Not long ago we lost a former teacher and dear friend, Eileen Moss. Deeply devoted to God and guided by her strong faith, she dedicated her life to her students, to parish ministry, and later, to volunteer service.
If you’ve already included the Sisters in your plans, please do let us know! We have some unique things to share with you, as a member of the Veritas Society!
grdominicans.org/veritas
~ Shaker Antoinette Doolittle, quoted by Joan Chittister in The Time is Now
Eileen was part of our Veritas Society—an amazing community of supporters who live lives of deep faith and who share our values and our commitment to:
preach justice | pursue truth | pray for peace By including the Dominican Sisters in their will or other estate plans, Veritas Society friends, like Eileen, ensure our work continues long into the future. She was just one of more than 40 current members that are the burning candles lighting the way for us today, and for those who will one day follow.
veritas society
Are you ready to join this inspiring group of friends and help to light the way for others?
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Celebrating Jubilarians Please join us in honoring the commitment of our 2021 Jubilarians. Jubilees are celebrated at 25, 50, 60, 70, 75, and 80 years a Sister. We honor each woman and find ways during her Jubilee year to celebrate her unique contributions to the world and our Congregation.
To Praise, to Bless, and to Preach Our desire is for our presence to nurture hope in the world. For hope is that aspect of faith which makes us certain that the world is cared for and loved by God. Hope obliges us to work toward the realization of the promises found in Jesus: freedom, peace, justice, and reconciliation. Through ministry, community, study, and prayer we share Christ’s message—redemptive love that reflects God’s desire for a just world. Our hope is to continue opening ourselves to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit—and to be a flame of truth, love, hope, and mercy.
jubilee celebration
All I can say is - life is gracious. ~ Jarrett DeWyse OP God’s mercy is fresh every morning. It is the way I live. So much of life is a mystery – win a few encounters and lose many more, but always in the cloud of smoke and fire. I try to remember that not getting what I want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. The years continue to pass by, and I wonder what is God calling me to this time, at this moment, at this turn of the journey? The only thing I am sure of is Mercy covers me each day as I try to live, pray, preach, and study; as I try to be a generous, compassionate and loving presence in the midst of the wonderful people who travel the path of peace and reconciliation with me. The smoke of the Holy Spirit blows circles round my rich and surprising days and lights a fire of passion for the nights when the lonely and disenfranchised seek refuge in a loving embrace. Sixty years of committed Dominican Life is but a breath, and the smoke and fire allow the Light to shine, demanding a lot of gratitude and gumption. All I can say is — life is gracious.
JARRETT DEWYSE 60 YEARS
Take heart in the messages shared by these wonderful women who travel the path of peace and reconciliation with me. Each has been a light in my life and I trust you will discover words of wisdom and courage and delight in their own Jubilarian stories which can be found at www.grdominicans.org/who-we-are/our-sisters/.
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THOMAS ESTELLE BRYAN 75 YEARS
MICHAEL ANNE NIC 75 YEARS
LAURENA ALFLEN 70 YEARS
DONNA BROWN 70 YEARS
OLGA MIZZI 75 YEARS
MARY LEE PITRE 75 YEARS
MARIA GORETTI BECKMAN 70 YEARS
TERESITA GARCIA 70 YEARS
THOMAS ESTELLE BRYAN OP
MARY LEE PITRE OP
MARIA GORETTI BECKMAN OP
“This is what the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God.” ~ Micah 6:8
God gave the heart a voice to sound its joy and called it Music. Much of my life has been centered in praising God and making music a vital part of my being. Music in the next world will be Heavenly!
“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.” ~ DSGR Congregation Stance
LAURENA ALFLEN OP
DONNA BROWN OP
I have found many opportunities to deepen the spiritual longings of my heart that were awakened by Vatican II: prayer, contemplation, community life, ministries, and a zest for life, love, joy, music, and painting—All gifts from God, my creator, and wonderful family heritage. This is why I became a Dominican Sister.
Marking each of the jubilee years: silver, gold, diamond: the jewels become more precious. The variety of ministries have been blessings, offering new opportunities to praise, to bless and to proclaim.
OLGA MIZZI OP O Lord God, how great you are. I thank the dear Lord for many blessings as a Grand Rapids Dominican. My brother “Alex” told me I wouldn’t last two months and Here I am Lord!
MICHAEL ANNE NIC OP I thank God for this amazing life of 75 years.
TERESITA GARCIA OP I praise and thank my loving God for this loving Community; for calling me to teach, to mission work, to parish ministry.
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TERESA HOULIHAN 70 YEARS
PETER MARY KORSON 70 YEARS
GENEVA MARIE SCHAUB 70 YEARS
MARY BRIGID CLINGMAN 60 YEARS
DAVID THERESE KORSON 70 YEARS
LORRAINE RAJEWSKI 70 YEARS
HELEN BUECHE 60 YEARS
CHRIS HERALD 60 YEARS
TERESA HOULIHAN OP
LORRAINE RAJEWSKI OP
MARY BRIGID CLINGMAN OP
“It is good to give thanks to God, to proclaim God’s steadfast love in the morning, and faithfulness in the night.” ~ Psalm 92
Just to be is a blessing, just to live is holy.
I am rooted by Moses’ admonition: “I set before you life and death. Choose life!” And for those moments of discouragement and helplessness Jesus’ words: “Go tell John what you have seen—the blind see, the deaf hear!”
GENEVA MARIE SCHAUB OP
“Be still and know that I am God.” ~ Psalm 46:10
Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Justice and all else will be given to you. All things work together unto good for those who love God.
PETER MARY KORSON OP
HELEN BUECHE OP
To PRAISE, to BLESS, to PREACH! Our Dominican Charism is my Joyful Jubilee Prayer. I am eternally grateful to God for the Gift of my Vocation.
Your loving presence ignites a blazing desire, To enflame hearts of hope ablaze with courage, journeying in the warmth of your Embrace.
DAVID THERESE KORSON OP
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CHRIS HERALD OP “Veni, vidi, vici. I came, I saw, I conquered.” I have put my hand to the plow and never looked back.” these words ring through my heart: “To serve the Lord is my delight.” The generosity of God cannot be outdone. God has been abundantly generous to me. Amen.
EILEEN JARAMILLO 60 YEARS
CARMELITA MURPHY 60 YEARS
ROSANNE SZOCINSKI 60 YEARS
ELAINE LABELL 60 YEARS
MARY KAY OOSDYKE 60 YEARS
DIANE ZERFAS 50 YEARS
EILEEN JARAMILLO OP
MARY KAY OOSDYKE OP
“I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it for me.” ~ Matt: 25-40
Come celebrate with me, for God has been terribly faithful to this “piece of clay” to which God gave “the breath of life” and “called” some 60 years ago!
ELAINE LABELL OP
ROSANNE SZOCINSKI OP
I feel very grateful for the Sisters and Leadership Team as we all are living through the experience of the pandemic. Everyone gives from their experiences from their living on mission.
“I give you thanks for this wondrous life; all your works are wonderful.” ~ Psalm 139:13
CARMELITA MURPHY OP ‘You get up at sunrise, take what life gives you, and keep your hair combed!’
DIANE ZERFAS OP “I trust the tiny whispering sound that calls me by name and claims me as God’s own, and I trust the hand of my friend, Jesus, inviting me to bear abundant fruit that will last.” ~ I Kings 19:12; Isaiah 43:1; John 15:16
Remembering our Deceased Jubilarians 75 Years
Marie Bernarde Salazar OP John Anne Paquette OP Viola Marie Henige OP Marie Eugene Charbonneau OP Anne Keating OP Jean Milhaupt OP Dorothy Giglio OP Phyllis Brown OP JoAn Brown OP
70 Years
Marlene Edwards OP Janet Mish OP Mary Martens OP Rose Elizabeth Powers OP
60 Years
Phyllis Ohren OP
25 Years
Clare Raaymakers OP
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Heroes Work Here The Sisters at Marywood were not alone during these many months of the pandemic. We have relied on so many during these months which have included lockdowns, quarantines, postponed appointments, concerning symptoms, anguish over lost loved ones. Through it all, our employees surrounded us with support. Each of our employees went above and beyond to provide for our Congregation’s day-to-day needs—and to conscientiously keep the entire campus safe. As the Sisters took on new roles, so did our staff, all rising willingly to meet the needs of our locked-down Community.
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In July, we celebrated Employee Appreciation Week with Sisters and staff, enjoying each other’s company for the first time in 18 months. The highlight of this annual celebration is always the prayer and blessing over each employee, this year with the sprinkling of Holy Water— a symbol of life. We are grateful to each person who has cared for us and cared about us. We ask that God continue to bless them and their families with an abundance of grace. ~ Sandra Delgado OP
Our core values transcend vowed religious and lay employee distinctions. These values guide life and work at Marywood, Aquinata Hall, and around Marywood Campus.
Dignity of the Human Person • Stewardship • Service • Collaboration Hospitality • Inclusion • Lifelong Learning Rachel Romero, Aquinata Hall administrator, and Marcia Dells, community assistant, never give up. They are the team we need as we confront unusual, extraordinary times. Rachel never misses a beat keeping up with the CDC guidelines for licensed nursing facilities, protocols, and more. We are so blessed by Marcia’s experience and patience during these times of hiring and scheduling challenges. ~ Donna Jean Thelen OP, Common Life Coordinator, Aquinata Hall
Our Dietary and Food Service team, led by Kim Gauthier, senior kitchen manager, has been phenomenal. It has taken extraordinary ingenuity and physical and mental strength to meet the food service requirements for both a licensed care facility and for residences, especially when Sisters were restricted to their rooms or floors.
With the strict protocols in place during these past months, Marywood has probably been one of the safest places to live and work. But we have to recognize the underlying fear experienced by Sisters and employees. We treasure each employee and recognize that they put themselves at risk to care for us, and they do it with such grace.
~ Sandra Delgado OP, Prioress
~ Joyce Williams OP, Common Life Coordinator, Aquinata Hall
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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage
PA I D Grand Rapids, MI Permit No. 451 2025 Fulton St. East T 616-459-2910 Grand Rapids, MI F 616-454-6105 49503-3895 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 • Dominican Chapel/Marywood • Dominican Center at Marywood • Marywood Campus • Justice • Health Care & Spiritual Companioning • Aquinata Assisted Living • Care Resources • WORD ESL, Citizenship, Education
S A V E
T H E
D A T E
• Aquinas College • Maternidad de Maria, Chimbote, Peru • Centro de Obras Sociales,
Chimbote, Peru
Mission & Ministry Editorial Team
T W E N T Y
T W E N T Y - O N E
• Sandra Delgado OP – Prioress • Danny Lynn – Art Director • Stacy Spitler – Editor/Contributor
TUESDAY,
DECEMBER
7,
• Alyssa Morillo Scheidt, Contributor
All photos are from the Archives of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids (DSGR) unless otherwise noted.
Like us on Facebook Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids Dominican Center at Marywood
A VIRTUAL GATHERING More information coming this Fall grdominicans.org/annual-celebration
2021