God’s bountiful blessings
800 Years:
Sowing, Planting, Harvesting, Celebrating Ministries of hope and opportunity | 105 years old, 83 years a Sister · Fall 2016 · Vol. XIV
Table of Contents: 2
From the Prioress
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To Table: Celebrating a Rich Legacy of Love and Service
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From Farm: Celebrating Love & God’s Grace in Community
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To Table: Sounds of Praise & Gratitude
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From Farm: From Dominican Solidarity Grows Tender Mercies
11 Dominican Days Because of Grand 13 Rapids Dominican Sisters I am...
15 Development Section
Johnny Q Photography
18 Jubilees
Front Cover: Cesar Romero prepares with Sister Joyce Ann Hertzig for the GED math exam at GRCC’s Adult Ed-ELL class. This husband and father of two young daughters has a goal to become a nurse. 1
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“To contemplate and to
give to others
the fruits of contemplation.” – St. Thomas Aquinas
Dear Friends:
In a recent celebration of Sunday Eucharist at Dominican Chapel/Marywood, we sang David Haas’ song We Give You Thanks: We give You thanks, we give You thanks—for the grace to receive, in You we believe; we give You thanks, we give You thanks—with faith and hope and love we give You thanks. These words are so very apropos! Graced to receive our call to Dominican life, graced with deep belief in our Triune God, graced with Marywood and all of our missions: we give God our prayer of thanks, lived especially in the celebration of Word and Table at Eucharist, and we live with faith, hope and love into a graced future.
No strangers to farm life, we Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids proudly claim rural roots in the history of our Congregation. From Saint Dominic’s roots in rural northern Spain, and passing through the lands and large cities of Europe, we have drawn Sisters from the fields of Michigan and Canada and the lands of New Mexico.
In Faith,
Sister Maureen Geary Prioress
from the prioress
Nourishment, of course, requires seed and harvest. And labor, nature, nurture and pruning in between. These steps of sowing, planting, harvesting, and celebrating aptly describe the work of the Order of Preachers and the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids. Farm to table is not a current trend for us, nor is it merely a social movement. It is God’s work through a way of life lived in common and offered to the wider community. With great joy we celebrate 800 years of fruitful Dominican life and look forward to the next 800 years!
and ministry. The greatest growth comes quietly, but perceptibly, in the silence of contemplative prayer in which new life is germinating. The features in this issue share a few of the many ways in which these seeds are generating fruit, not only in our Congregation, but the wider community as well.
Johnny “Q” Photography
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n its simplest description, “farm to table” is a social movement which promotes the consumption of local food. The movement highlights the importance of healthy food and care for the environment. Stated more broadly, it celebrates the blessing of Earth at the table of humankind. And when interpreted with a sense of the Sacred, it can draw us into the great Eucharistic meal: bread and wine brought to Table and consecrated into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Bread for the world.
The 800-year-old heirloom seeds from the home of Saint Dominic in Caleruega, Spain are being nurtured organically and naturally through the Dominican charism of the Grand Rapids Dominicans. These seeds are still generating fruit in our common life, study
We give you thanks.
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farm to table
At first glance these words of the Grace Before Meals seem simple. After all, this is one of the first prayers parents teach their toddlers. Yet, in its simplicity, it expresses a profound, fundamental truth about our lives; all that we are and all that we have are gifts given to us through God’s bounty, in a manner of speaking, from God’s farm to our table. With grateful hearts we receive God’s abundant love and, in turn, offer our gifts and talents, our hopes and joys, our dreams and desires back to God to assist, in our unique way, in bringing about the Kingdom of God.
DSGR Archi
“Bless us, O Lord, and these your gifts, which we are about to receive from your bounty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
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Celebrating a Rich Legacy of Love & Service
ves
To Table:
Left: Sister Juliana visiting a family during her missionary work in Hungary. Right: Living at the Marywood Health Center, Sr. Juliana continues to serve others through her ministry of prayer.
Juliana Barilla, OP has long understood the great joy it is to serve God by serving God’s people. Not many of us get to spend over eight decades living out this great joy. But Sister Juliana is privileged to say she has been doing so as a Grand Rapids Dominican for 82 years and still counting.
Dominican Sisters. “The Dominicans first came to my small town of Melville when I was 19 years old. I remember one of the ladies of my parish being upset because Sister Mercedes Dargis, OP, the superior, showed her petticoat when she walked. It was actually her white habit showing under her black cape! In those days the Dominicans wore the black cape over their white habit when they went out into the world. I still remember how upset she would get,” Sister Juliana says, chuckling.
Sister Juliana’s rich life has placed her at the service of others. “I’ve liked everything about being a Dominican Sister. I’ve loved it all — the teaching, the prayers, the Sisters.
Sister Juliana gave serious consideration to discerning her vocation in life. She discerned the possibility of marriage along with the possibility of joining three different religious orders.
“What I’ve loved most depended on what I was doing at the time,” says Sister Juliana. Today, at 105 years old, Sister Juliana is part of the prayer ministry at the Marywood Health Center.
“At that time, a young lady of 19 was of marriageable age. I didn’t know how it would “pan-out”; if I was going to marry and be a lay worker with the Sisters or if I was going to join the Sisters,” shares Sister Juliana.
Sister Juliana is the oldest of eleven children. Her parents, John and Juliana Kulcsar Barilla, valued education for their children. Sister Juliana attended boarding schools which were staffed by various religious orders. Eventually, she attended St. Henry School in her hometown of Melville, Saskatchewan, Canada, run by the Grand Rapids
It’s “panned-out” pretty well for Sister Juliana. Sister Juliana is the oldest living Grand Rapids Dominican. She shares the blessing of longevity with her 101-year-old blood sister, Elizabeth Barilla, OP. Both women entered the Order of Preachers at the same time, August 21, 1934. Their younger sister, Ann Mary (Stephen Barilla, OP) would join the Congregation not long after them. Grand Rapids,
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Michigan was a long way from their hometown of Melville, a small farming village just outside of Grayson, Saskatchewan. Over her lifetime as a Grand Rapids Dominican, Sister Juliana has traveled to many places and served in many ministries. She spent 35 years in the classroom as a teacher - 21 of which she served in the dual roles of teaching and administration. She spent 50 years serving in religious education (CCD) as a teacher and/or supervisor. She returned home to Canada from 1971 to 1980 to care for her aging parents, both of whom were born in Hungary and immigrated to Canada. Sister Juliana, along with her sisters and brothers, was taught to speak and write in Hungarian. This would prove to be beneficial when in 1995 she and her sister, Sister Elizabeth, served as missionaries in Hungary! They traveled to Hungary to help those who had been persecuted for their faith during the 45 years of Communist rule. They had learned from their cousins of the burnings of Bibles and prayer books, the repression of religious houses and the need for Christians to practice their faith in secret. For three years Sisters Juliana and Elizabeth taught seminarians and others at St. Athanasius Theological Institute. Then at the request of the Sisters of St. Basil they spent another year teaching the novices there about the development of the Church since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), of which Hungarians had little knowledge. As Sister Juliana reflects on her life, her stories often revolve around her childhood memories. Her memories include family meals, friends helping each other through hard winters and a strong sense of community. It is a gift to be able to reflect on a long life lived well; to see that while many things may have changed, the most important things stay the same: prayer, study, service and community.
Seeds Sown in Canadian Soil Grow a Noble Tree You sowed a tiny mustard seed In far Canadian soil; With faith and prayer you watched over it And spared not time nor toil. It seemed too frail a plant to live, And yet for all to see, In God’s soul-plot it bears its fruits And grows a noble tree. Melville, Saskatchewan, Canada was a railway town with a population of about four thousand. There were about a hundred Catholic families, mostly English and French speaking in the town, and fifty Catholic families on farms nearby who were of Polish and German background. The Congregation’s Canadian mission grew out of a dream of Sister Ursula Lanciaux, who was born in Muskegon, Michigan to French Canadian parents in 1875 and would pioneer in schools with French-Canadian families: Holy Family, Saginaw, and St. Anne’s, Alpena. From 1918-1926 she taught French at Catholic Central in Grand Rapids.
DSGR Archives
School opened in Melville on September 3, 1928, with 169 pupils in the eight grades and 15 in the high school.
Sisters Juliana and Elizabeth (first and third from the left) along with their siblings and parents at a family gathering in Canada. Their younger sister, Ann Mary (Sister Stephen) (fifth from the right) joined the Grand Rapids Dominicans as well. St. Stephen died in a car accident in Canada in 1971.
In 1951, twenty-two professed sisters from Canada expressed their gratitude to Mother’s [Eveline Mackey] pursuit of her dream… with the poem that appears above. Source: Period Pieces: An Account of the Grand Rapids Dominicans 1853-1966 by Mona Schwind, OP
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From Farm:
Celebrating Love & God’s Grace in Community One of the graces of living as vowed Dominican women religious is living a life in common; in community. According to Ann Willits, OP, “Community is the spiritual bond, a holy communion, at the heart of us. It is what holds us together; being spiritually related. Eucharist is the ritual in which Community is constantly re-established.”
DSGR Archives
The Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids have always valued life in community. Living with each other as family allows each to cultivate her prayer life; share resources in common; tend to each other’s needs and challenge each other to live out her universal call to holiness. Common life also allows the pooling of financial resources that supports the vow of poverty. Donna Jean Thelen, OP, has lived this communal sense of giving and receiving as a Dominican Sister for 63 years. However, the seed of her servant’s heart was planted in childhood. As the oldest of eight children of Louis and Hilda (Fox) Thelen, Sister Donna Jean expressed her heart in the countless ways she loved and nurtured her younger siblings as they grew up on their family farm in Pewamo, Michigan.
farm to table
“As the oldest in the family, I loved them all. One would start growing up and I would pray for another sister or brother to come along!” shares Sister Donna Jean. Her childhood prayer continues to be answered through all those that God brings her way daily as she continues to live a life of service.
Sister Donna Jean tending to work in her office at Aquinata Hall.
Sister Donna Jean has devoted herself for the last 19 years serving the Congregation as a Common Life Coordinator. She has served in this role at Marywood Health Center and at Aquinata Hall.
“This is a ministry which is its own reward. It is a privilege and a real honor to be able to help people at this time in their life, when life gets a little bit hard.”
“This is a ministry which is its own reward. It is a privilege and a real honor to be able to help people at this time in their life, when life gets a little bit hard. I never have to wake up and wonder, ‘Where
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~ Sister Donna Jean Thelen
can I do a kind deed?’ It is very satisfying and exciting,” shares Sister Donna Jean. Sister Donna Jean brings her devotion to her Sisters through her tender acts of service and her generous gift of presence which, in turn, nourishes and strengthens the bonds of community. This value for common life echoes the manner in which the celebration of the Eucharist emphasizes community. While, like Eucharist, communal living is personal, it is not a private experience. Nourished by the Word and Eucharist, the giving and receiving within community is a sacrificial offering broken open and poured out for the common life of the Dominican tradition, which in turn, flows outward for the life of the world. The commitment to common life relies upon communal prayer. “Living and praying in community helps us to grow spiritually. We have arranged times for communal prayer. We pray Morning Prayer at 9:30 a.m. and Evening Prayer at 4:30 p.m. Communal prayer is taking place at Marywood, the Marywood Health Center and at Aquinata Hall all at the same time. “We spend a lot of prayer time together. That is so meaningful. Some Sisters can’t read the words anymore, but they still come to be with others. We do things together. We are a community,” explains Sister Donna Jean.
Regardless of the need, Sister Donna Jean is always ready to respond. Her deep love of living in community motivates her to be at the service of her Sisters.
“Living and praying in Community helps us to grow spiritually...We do things together. We are Community.” ~ Sister Donna Jean Thelen “I love being a member of a community. There is a lot of give and take with any group. Give and take for myself helps me not to become self-centered. We work our plans together, sometimes as a floor, and sometimes as a whole group. It takes a lot of teamwork. This teamwork really helps me become a person who gets used to sharing. Being a good community member means you pitch in and do what needs to be done; never counting the cost. I have good health. I can do a lot. I am appreciative I can do the things I can do. “We are all in this together. We are family.”
DSGR Archives
Douglas-Adam Greer, OP, describes living in community this way, “The gift you give is yourself. Give generously. Give often. If you start holding back, especially in the little things, you’ll never feel the real freedom of what
common life is all about. You have to give, give, and give. The gift comes back pressed down and flowing over when all humbly welcome the gift that we can be to each other in common life. Giving and receiving, receiving and giving, again, again, and again, is at the very heart of common life.”
From left to right: Sisters Mary Ellen McDonald, Donna Jean Thelen, Ottilia Schaub, Mary Ann Barrett at Aquinata Hall.
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DSGR Archives
Sister Joan directs the choir during a special event at Dominican Center at Marywood.
To Table:
Sounds of Praise & Gratitude
farm to table
When you are in the presence of Joan Thomas, OP you have the feeling of being in an intimate moment with an old friend. Sister Joan has the unique gift of making the person she is talking with feel as if they are the most important person in the whole world to her. Her smile, laughter and delight are melodic. This rare talent she possesses is not surprising; it reflects her daily prayer: a hymn of praise and gratitude. “I am grateful that my ministry has been expressed and experienced through music. I am grateful for being a Dominican. I have the deepest gratitude for experiencing generous women with huge hearts, women who are wonderful witnesses to the spirit of joy. I know I have been touched and have grown because of the people, events, experiences, and ministries that have been part of my Dominican life,” shares Sister Joan. In becoming a Grand Rapids Dominican, Sister Joan has found a community whose use of music as a vital component of prayer has enriched her life and ministry. “The musical heritage of the Grand Rapids Dominicans has been significantly influenced by three of our Sisters: 7
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Evangelista, Emmanuel, and Henry Suso, who were trained in Gregorian Chant, according to the principles of the Monks of Solesmes, the French Benedictine monastery responsible for much of the liturgical reform in Europe and America. These Sisters trained most of our Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters, as well as the students at Marywood Academy, in Gregorian chant. In turn, they were an inspiration to many of our Sisters, who followed them in studying music as well. “Indeed, music and sung prayer has been a longstanding tradition in our Grand Rapids Dominican Congregation—moving over the years to include all styles of music from Gregorian chant to contemporary music. In many ways this reality
Sister Joan has had the opportunity to express her love of music through ministry for 60 years as a Grand Rapids Dominican. She was a founding member of the popular singing group of Dominican Sisters and lay women friends called the Mellow D’s (“D” for Dominicans.) She taught music in Catholic schools in Michigan and New Mexico; provided administrative work at Aquinas College; and served in marketing for World Library Publications, where she organized their musicians for concerts and as presenters for conferences and conventions around the United States. Currently, Sister Joan serves as Liturgical Musician for the Congregation, a role in which she finds great joy and profound satisfaction. “Ministering with our Dominican Chapel Choir and our Sunday Assembly is a gift indeed! Many years ago we realized our prayer life isn’t just for us. It is for ALL who wish to share it with us. All are welcome—that was the vision as our Congregation discerned opening up the Chapel. When we opened up Dominican Chapel Marywood, we opened up our prayer life,” says Sister Joan. Much like the experience of worship described in the Michael Joncas hymn, We Come to Your Feast, Grand Rapids Dominicans, along with laity and local senior status priests of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, place upon the table of Eucharist “a simple cup of wine, the fruit of human labor, the gift of sun and vine; we come to taste the presence of Him we claim as Lord, His dying and His living, His leading and His giving, His love in cup outpoured.” Over the last three decades the celebration of the Sunday Eucharist at Marywood, has been just that, an offering of
“When Dominicans pray the Liturgy of the Hours, we pray as ecclesial people for the life of the world… For this prayer we leave our individual devotional styles and preferences to rely on forms and language that we hold in common. For this prayer, our individual needs and concerns are stretched by common purpose and mission….” ~ Dominican Praise, 2005
DSGR Archives
makes us unique among other Dominican Congregations nationally,” explains Sister Joan. Sisters visiting from other Congregations have been heard to wistfully express their desire to take our singing of the Liturgy of the Hours home with them! Beautiful psalm tones from several U.S. Dominicans have enhanced our prayer, too,
Sister Joan has always delighted in using her gift of music to offer praise and gratitude in Dominican Chapel/Marywood.
the fruits of weekly labor, hopes and dreams, challenges and sorrows, placed at the table—the altar of a compassionate, loving God. Gifts given to the Sunday Assembly through the generosity of God are offered back in prayerful songs of praise and thanksgiving. “During the Sunday Eucharistic celebration, the liturgy brings everyone together. They come with such faith. It is a powerful experience. “Through music we have the privilege of contributing to the formation of our people; touching their spirits, their hearts and their lives. Interpreting the words, and how the sound helps to interpret the words, is so key to whatever is being expressed through the song, whether it is pain, sorrow or joy. “Music is a key part of the Sunday Eucharistic celebration. It is so important along with the preaching, the service, and community. All of our charisms are expressed in the Sunday Eucharistic celebration. “I thank our Sisters back in the 1920’s for realizing the importance of music in our lives. It continues.”
As the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World proclaims: ”The joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of people of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted. These too are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ.” www.grdominicans.org
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From Farm:
From Dominican Solidarity Grows Tender Mercies As the ministries of the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids diversify and flourish and as their horizons broaden far beyond the familiar, much changes—or so it seems. One thing, however, remains the same—that is the undying conviction among the Sisters of who they are and what they are about. As stated in the Constitution of the Congregation:
Joyce Ann Hertzig, OP is one of God’s tenders. She rises with the sun to tend and nurture one of God’s greatest creations, the human being. Daily, at Morning and Evening Prayer, Dominicans reflect on the Psalms, which express every mood of the human heart: praise and thanksgiving, petition and longing, hope and confidence, lament and complaint, confusion, and even rage. These prayers help Dominicans to praise God and to remember our solidarity with all humanity. It is this sense of solidarity that awakened the heart of Sister Joyce Ann early in her vocation.
farm to table
DSGR Archives
“We undertake with great courage, confidence and joy the work and the risks involved in bringing about the “new creation” of the Risen Lord. Within our means and relying on God’s help, we prepare ourselves to engage in any role necessary to promote justice, to empower the powerless and oppressed, to teach the unknowing and to sustain the efforts of all who seek to live fully human lives.” ~ Constitution and Statutes, #14
“New creation” needs tending much like farming the land. The “tender” needs to be attentive, diligent and generous. What a wonderful word, “tender,” which by definition means concerned for, showing gentleness or sympathy.
Sister Joyce Ann, Cesar Morales, and his family celebrate Cesar’s becoming a citizen. Cesar proudly displays his Citizenship Certificate. Mentoring was sponsored by the Dominican Sisters WORD-ESL program in partnership with GRCC Adult Education English Language Acquisition Program. 9
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Photos from DSGR Arc hives
After graduating from Marywood Academy and Aquinas College, she taught in rural schools in Michigan. Then, in 1984, Sister Joyce Ann was missioned to Holy Trinity, Alabama, and then Mobile, Alabama. “I was a principal and a teacher for four years, then served 14 years in curriculum development and assessment,” explains Sister Joyce Ann. Training teachers and integrating principles of Catholic social teaching into curriculum came easily to this justiceminded Sister. “I was once asked how one could integrate Catholic identity into a math class. ‘Develop a story problem about the ratio of food to people in the world,’ I offered,” says Sister Joyce Ann. She describes what it was like in these two Southern cities in the 1980s and 1990s. “I was immersed in the reality of the South. It was rural. It was integrated, yet also segregated black and white. “In Mobile, I was living and working in what was then known as the poorest county in the United States. The impoverished lived next door to the wealthy land owners. Many homes, truly former slave shacks, had no running water; people traveled and carried water home in containers for drinking, cooking, and bathing,” shares Sister Joyce Ann. This community, in which Sister Joyce Ann was an outsider, tended to her and nurtured her love for working with people who have so many untapped gifts. Noticing and responding to people in need was something Sister Joyce Ann continued in her role as parish social ministry coordinator for Catholic Social Services in the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Georgia, from 2003 to 2006. “There, somebody I worked with referred to me as spider woman because she said I excelled at making connections between people, organizations… at creating collaborative environments. I welcome that imagery. My life in ministry has been about helping others see where the needs are and connecting them with those in need,” says Sister Joyce Ann.
Sister Joyce Ann Hertzig: A History of Ministry Left: A study session with teachers at St. Joseph School, Holy Trinity, Ala. Middle: Advocating for justice at the Martin Luther King January parade with a CCHD (Catholic Campaign for Human Development) group. Right: A neighbor family at Holy Trinity, Ala. is ready for our Thanksgiving dinner.
These days, she tends to the needs of people who live in the United States and for whom English is not a first language. Each week, her days and evenings are split between two ministries: tutoring in the Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) Adult Education English Language Acquisition (ELA) program preparing students to earn their National Career Readiness Certificate, and mentoring in the Dominican Sisters’ ministry assisting adults working toward citizenship in the United States. She recalls what steps led her to her current ministries: “I began volunteering at the Hispanic Center of West Michigan in Grand Rapids in 2012. They didn’t really have a formal position so I just used to show up and help the high school students, this one with math, that one with English.” This work of tutoring led her into her position with Grand Rapids Community College and to further service to help others become citizens. “It is an honor for me to walk with immigrants seeking full participation in the United States through achieving citizenship status. Each story is unique but each desires to provide a better life for their family. “I am a witness to the immigrant community. I want to be one body standing here, speaking, for the 20 who can’t. I want to encourage students who haven’t been able to succeed at testing into workforce training and better jobs due to unfamiliarity with a language, fear, or shame,” explains Sister Joyce Ann. Sister Joyce Ann dreams of a society in which all gifts are tended and nourished. “Whether they’re in need of confidence, a skill, a strategy, I want to prompt them, push them to the edge to discover what they can do. That’s where hope is, where opportunity is. All it takes is once to break through; I’m all about finding the ‘onces’.”
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2016
Dominican Days
Each year Sisters from far and near gather to celebrate Dominican Days, during which time we pray, study, and reflect on our Congregation and the world as it is in this time and place. This annual gathering renews our energy for mission, strengthens our bonds in community, and culminates in the celebration of the life of St. Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers. “We gather in gratitude as we celebrate together the Eucharist, the great Feast of Thanksgiving. And then, fortified by the Word and the Body and Blood of Christ at Table, we honor the theme of the 800th Jubilee of the Order: Sent to Preach the Gospel, as we are sent forth from this Assembly to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.” – Maureen Geary, OP, Prioress, welcoming remarks
Opening Eucharist sets the tone:
Dominican Days
“Have you ever experienced a mission statement—a mission—that was so completely embraced and enfleshed that it has been carried out across generations?” Sister Dolorita Martinez asked this question of our Congregation, beautifully illustrating that the mission of Dominic is one such mission that has flourished across centuries and generations— through the presence of each and every Dominican. “We ask, yet once again, ‘In what form shall our presence awaken the world?’” – Dolorita Martinez OP, opening preaching.
Welcoming new Associates: Our Dominican family continues to grow. New Grand
Rapids Dominican Associates, non-vowed women and men who desire to practice their Christian faith in the spirit of the Order of Preachers, are welcomed and affirmed to praise, to bless and to preach with their lives.
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Remembering our deceased Sisters: The lives of our deceased Sisters
continue to inspire our Congregation. With affection we recall their lives and ministries as an integral part of our celebration of Dominican Days. We drink deeply from the well of their faithfulness.
Inspired by the Spirit; planning for the future: Dominican Days always includes a significant focus on our call to mission. This year our focus was on Marywood campus planning, acknowledging our call to be good stewards of God’s generosity. “We have always, communally and individually, questioned, grappled, pondered and prayed about our call, our mission and our legacy. We have asked only the mercy of God, and of each other.” – Leadership Team Update
Prayer and reflection influence mission and ministry: Father Phil
Shangraw, a priest of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, led the Congregation through a retreat day reflecting on Psalm 136, “God’s mercy endures forever.” Father Phil invited us to ponder how our lives are continuing to write new verses in this psalm, aware that God’s mercy continues to shape us each day.
Go Forth – We are sent to love and serve the Lord: Dominican Days comes to
a conclusion on the Feast of Saint Dominic. Our closing is marked by offering praise and thanksgiving through the celebration of Eucharist. The final words send us on mission. Fed at the altar, embracing new insights and renewed by our bonds of communal life, we are once again emboldened by faith to serve with joy.
Moments of joy in community: Photos from DSGR Archives
Celebrating Jubilarians:
Please see page 18 for more about our Jubilarians.
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DSGR Archives
because of Grand Rapids Dominicans I am...
Discovering Dominican Charism; Discovering Myself Kascha Sanor, Aquinas College Class of 2017 As an incoming freshman, I was aware that Aquinas College was a Catholic college in the Dominican tradition; however, I had no interest in its religious identity. I believed the stereotypes and assumptions about Catholicism. I allowed the negative connotations to influence my personal association with religion and tried to keep my distance. As an underclassman, I was eager to attend everything “Aquinas”; from club meetings to study groups, coffee dates to service events. I continued to keep Catholicism at a distance even though each activity on campus was influenced by Dominican charisms. Over the last four years, that desire didn’t go quite as planned.
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“What makes me proud to be an AQ Saint is the unique intersection of prayer, community, and service that has truly fostered my collegiate experience.” ~ Kascha Sanor, Aquinas College Class of 2017 As a senior this year, I would really like to say that the pillar of study is my main focus. However, what makes me proud to be an AQ Saint is the unique intersection of prayer, community, and service that has truly fostered my collegiate experience.
Like many other students, I began to find that my innate truths were intimately aligned with our Dominican charisms. Things that I deeply cared about and strived for were echoed here in the Catholic community. Catholic social teaching provided a clear articulation of my foundational beliefs such as care for God’s creation, human dignity, and most influential: solidarity. I held these principles prior to attending Aquinas College, but never assumed that their explicit expression was within Catholic identity. With these newly articulated and deeply held values, and quite a few role models, I began to focus on social justice and how to incorporate these beliefs into my lifestyle. After countless service days and numerous retreat nights, I was hesitantly curious about what organized religion might look like. I, somewhat unconsciously, was seeking support from individuals willing to walk with me on my journey. I was encouraged by the community to attend Mass. I don’t hesitate today to say that Bukowski Chapel on Sunday evenings is exactly where I was meant to meet Catholicism. Students serve as greeters, sing in the choir, and serve as extraordinary ministers of holy communion. This is where my peers gather. This space is where we come into our faith, search for the deeper meaning, and apply it to our futures. It’s where we think critically about what our faith means to us; as individuals, and how we’re called to live. It was surprisingly reassuring when I acknowledged this aspect of my identity and it created a home on campus. Rooted in the Dominican charisms, the Aquinas College community stood by me and empowered me in the formation of my values. Campus has been a place to breathe, to learn, and to dig deeper into my identity. I’m asked to live our faith, to be a leader in the community, and to protect the journey of all those who wander. The Dominican charisms taught me what it means to be an AQ Saint, to lead by example, to practice hospitality, and to stand for social justice. The best way I know how to preach is through my actions and I do so by being involved in the interfaith movement. Inspired by the Interfaith Youth Core, founded by Eboo Patel, I see my time on campus as an invitation to engage with our charisms.
“Acceptance of personal values and a place of inclusion is what I strive to provide for others. Interfaith is about forming relationships. It’s creating the space for individuals to articulate their beliefs and to find commonalities that allow us, as a community, to serve the common good. Interfaith is actively preaching the Gospel through action.” ~ Kascha Sanor, Aquinas Collage Class of 2017 Interfaith is about forming relationships. It’s creating the space for individuals to articulate their beliefs and to find commonalities that allow us, as a community, to serve the common good. Interfaith is actively preaching the Gospel through action. A place of inclusion and acceptance of personal values is what I strive to provide for others. Interfaith engagement draws on my foundational beliefs and the strengths of my experience. It calls me into an ethic of accompaniment, where I, to the best of my ability, strive to journey with others, deeply and genuinely. When vocalizing beliefs, fostering relationships, or even creating interfaith programming, I turn to the Dominican charisms. I remember and lean on the moments when my campus community blessed me with their ethic of accompaniment. Because of the influence of the Dominican charisms on my higher education, I value humility, compassion, and a good cup of coffee. I know my time here at Aquinas is limited, but I hope my journey invites others to feel at home on and off campus. Editor’s note: Because of the Grand Rapids Dominican Congregation, many women and men, whose lives have been impacted through the witness and influence of the Sisters, continue to make a difference locally, nationally and internationally. This article is the first of many that will be written by those who proudly proclaim Because of the Grand Rapids Dominicans I am…
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Feeding Transformation an We are blessed to have so many people like you who walk alongside us every day, quietly sharing your time, talent and resources. Your support fuels us and we are very grateful! We are energized by your presence and encouraged by your engagement! Read below just a few of the many ways each of you is blessing us, as we in turn reach out to bless others.
“The Dominican Sisters have given immeasurably to our community and schools for decades. It only seems right to try to give back a little in appreciation for their years of exceptional service.” Barb Long Gala Event Committee Member past 3 years
GIFT OF
TIME
development
Linda Burpee & Sara Smolenski
“We love supporting the Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters because they are the most dedicated, hard-working, and loving group of women religious we have ever known. We feel privileged to support the Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters. They truly do God’s work on a daily basis and they do it selflessly.” Sara Smolenski & Linda Burpee Co-chairs of the Golf Outing for the past 4 years
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mission
ministry • Fall 2016
Barb Long & Arnette Kraus
“When I was asked to co-chair the Marywood Legacy Campaign, I was so honored and pleased to be able to actively participate in ensuring the future of the Dominican Sisters. The campaign afforded me the opportunity to meet, work with and hear the stories of so many people whose lives had been impacted by the Dominicans. I have since worked on friend-raising events. I count it joy to be able to help in any way.” Arnette Kraus Marywood Legacy Campaign Co-Chair, Gala Event Committee Member past 3 years
nd Nurturing our Community “We enjoy working with the Dominican Sisters and sharing our harvest of fruits and vegetables for all the prayers they send our way to have a prosperous crop for the year.” Stephanie & Susanne Dunneback
GIFT OF
Susanne Dunneback Ed Dunneback and Girls Farm Market
TALENT
“My sister, Sr. Marilyn Holmes, entered the convent as a Dominican Sister when I was just seven years old. Our entire family and especially my parents, Bill and Grace Holmes, could not have been any prouder of her for her decision at 18 years old to serve God and the community in such a manner. I spent my childhood years on the grounds of Marywood and have many fond memories of the time my family and I spent visiting with my sister and the Dominican Sisters Community. The opportunity for my wife, Kris, and I to give something back that benefits both my sister and the community she’s been a part of for over 50 years, gives both of us great joy and pleasure. Life has been good to both of us and being supportive of the Dominican Sisters, who are so selfless in their mission to others, just seems to be an appropriate way of helping them to continue their good work.” John Holmes
Rita & Jack Kirkwood
John & Kris Holmes
GIFT OF
TREASURE
“During a difficult time in our lives, we were led to the Dominican Chapel at Marywood where we have found a spiritual home. The Dominican Sisters are very special to us and we support them, in order to help ensure their future, as they continue to carry out their mission.” Jack & Rita Kirkwood
www.grdominicans.org
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Identifying a Need and Taking Action
Peg McClure & Karen Kania
“The Dominicans graciously opened their doors and welcomed the greater Grand Rapids community into their home for decades; they ventured out to share love and prayers. Today, some of the Sisters are limited in the ways they can interact and experience the Grand Rapids community that they helped shape for generations,” says Karen Kania. Karen and Peg McClure have accompanied Sisters through this blessed life as classmates and dearest friends. This summer, these generous benefactors filled our hearts and a growing need with an especially thoughtful gift: a Dominican Coach. It arrived to much fanfare and with a loving message: “It is not for doctor appointments, but for field trips and adventures,” voiced Karen, as she described how mobility challenges have made the world smaller for a growing number of Sisters dependent on the arms of aides and friends, wheelchairs, and walkers.
“May all drivers and passengers who travel on this bus go in safety, whether travelling for pleasure or learning or both, and may their minds and hearts be moved with gratitude for our benefactors and for the moments of joy received in their travels.” ~ Sister Maureen Geary at Blessing of the Bus Ceremony on June 28, 2016
Ensuring a Legacy
development
The ministries of the GR Dominicans touch the lives of thousands not only locally, but nationally and internationally. Your support helps make all of this possible! As we reflect on our history during this 800 year anniversary, we acknowledge the incredible support of so many generous individuals like you who help to secure our future and our legacy. The seeds of prayer, study, community and service planted long ago bear fruit today, just as the seeds we plant today will bear fruit for those who are yet to come. You help us ensure that the Dominican spirit will live on long into the future. 17
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ministry • Fall 2016
For further information about giving to the Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters please contact us at 616.514.3110 or development@grdominicans.org.
As Dominicans, We Advocate for Justice •
Care of Earth
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Economic Justice
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Human Trafficking
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Migration/Immigration
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Peace and Security for All Life
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Ending Homelessness
Campus Ministries Liturgy - Dominican Chapel/Marywood - Chapel of the Word (MHC) - St. Catherine of Siena Chapel (Aquinata) •
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C E L E B R AT I N G S I S T E R J U B I L E E S
Dominican Center at Marywood
During our annual Dominican Days, a joyful annual ritual is the celebration of the lives of our Sister Jubilarians. This year we celebrated 20 Dominican Sisters Preaching the Gospel for 75, 70 and 50 years: a combined total of 1,225 years! God is good, all the time!
Health Care & Spiritual Companioning - Aquinata Assisted Living - Marywood Health Center •
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WORD – ESL (English as a Second Language)
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Partners in Parenting
Overseas Ministries •
Maternidad de Maria, Chimbote, Peru
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Centro de Obras Sociales, Chimbote, Peru
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San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Mission & Ministry Editorial Team • Maureen Geary, OP – Prioress • Danny Lynn – Art Director • Lucianne Siers, OP – Advisor • Stacy Spitler – Editor
Prefer a digital copy? Request to be added to our electronic mailing list for the next issue of Mission & Ministry at rmgoeldel@grdominicans.org.
Photos from DSGR Archives
• Cami Mann – Editor/Contributor
www.grdominicans.org
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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
DSGR Archives
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 leading efforts to educate children and adults, care for people who are sick, and advocate for vulnerable populations. We have established and staffed schools, a college, and missions in Michigan, New Mexico, and abroad. Today we are teachers, caregivers, spiritual companions, advocates for peace and justice, artists, musicians, authors, and poets. Together we praise, bless, and preach God’s love through all we do.
Marywood Campus Resources Information 616-514-3325 View Chapel services and upcoming events at grdominicans.org View programs at dominicancenter.com Dominican Center at Marywood Event Bookings 616-514-3335 Dominican Associate Life 616-514-3115 Marywood Health Center 616-588-1645 Aquinata Assisted Living 616-259-1702
Like us on Facebook Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids Dominican Center at Marywood
“The Order yesterday, today, and tomorrow, sets the theme of this year of the celebration of the Jubilee. What will the Order be tomorrow? It will no doubt be the preacher, free, and joyful. As yesterday and today, it will no doubt be motivated by the desire to live and preach, for its own time, communion as the first apostolic community lived with Jesus in order to make the promise of the Kingdom be heard as Good News for all.” ~ Bruno Cadoré, O.P. Master of the Order of Preachers 2010 - Present Letter Opening the Jubilee year of the Order of Preachers Rome, 1 January 2016 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God