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God Calls, We Serve

Home is Where the Mission Is

A Sense of Place Emboldens Mission and Ministry Ministries of Solidarity | Associate Life 25th Anniversary · Spring 2017 · Vol. XV

Table of Contents: 2

From the Prioress

Standing in Solidarity with our Global Neighborhood

Caring for the Land; Growing in Gratitude

Home Is Where the Heart Is

13 Dominican Associates Because of the 15 Dominicans I am....

Johnny “Q” Photography

16 Mission Advancement

Front Cover: Beth Tanner, Sister Chris Wood, and Yara Pena-Toy are part of a team of nurses serving the needs of patients and residents at Marywood Health Center and Aquinata Hall on Marywood Campus. 1 mission

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The spacious grounds we’ve longed to see, Marywood, our Marywood. Thy walls our cherished refuge be, Marywood, our Marywood. Thanksgiving hymns shall always ring, As we to God our praises sing, And beg the Lord His blessing bring On Marywood, our Marywood. – From the Song Marywood, Our Marywood

Home is Where the Mission Is...

In some religious traditions, the final incorporation of each new member includes a vow of stability, or commitment to the physical space of the monastery or convent. In the Dominican tradition, the members embrace itinerancy, a going forth from place. This is lived out in different ways. Some Sisters have had ministries of 40 plus years at missions such as Aquinas College and Grand Rapids Catholic Central, or 25 plus years at many other beloved missions. Our long-standing commitment to and love affair with these institutional ministries is not diminished by our willingness to be sent, to move into other mission fields. Thus, there is no inherent conflict between place and itinerancy, when the place of Mission remains always open to change. Itinerancy can mean movement from place to place, geographically. It can also reference an intellectual search for Truth wherever it may be found. And, it identifies with The Way, an early term for the followers of Jesus Christ. So, too, with the Mission and Ministry that flows from the physical space of the Marywood campus. Purchased in 1917, we are celebrating 100 years since this place began taking shape as home. Yet this aura of stability is actually very dynamic in the incredible creativity, risk, change and encounters which have originated here and flowed out into new ministries both here at Marywood and in other mission fields. Dr. Seuss wrote “Oh the Places You’ll Go.” Frequently given as a graduation gift, it exhorts the new graduate to embrace with courage and excitement the endless opportunities that education unleashes:

Striving to be both dexterous and deft, place for us today also includes a coming home. Aquinas College students regularly visit Marywood, sharing faith or excitement about a National Championship in Men’s Hockey. Seekers come to Dominican Center to deepen their faith journey. People come for healing, for respite, for language skills, and for resting in contemplative beauty. Colleagues come to work here, contributing their service to our mission. Our tent widened 25 years ago to welcome Associates, now nearly 140 strong, who embrace our Dominican charism and participate in our call to be preachers of the Good News. I have been privileged to visit the home of St. Dominic in Caleruega (Spain). The Dominican convent is on the estate once owned by Dominic’s parents, and the original tower remains. From this land, “place” is felt viscerally. Yet, Dominic set out from this established place and became an itinerant preacher, walking thousands of miles, and inspiring his nascent Order with the commitment to Truth and the impetus to Mission. We embrace stability in both our faith in the Risen One, Christ Jesus, and in Mission and Ministry. Home is where the Mission is. In Faith,

Sister Maureen Geary Prioress

Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare

from the prioress

Perhaps we should start at the very beginning: the title of this publication and the heart of St. Dominic’s vision - Mission and Ministry.

“Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.”

Johnny “Q” Photography

How does a Dominican (a vowed religious in an Order that embraces itinerancy) begin a column in an issue about Home and Place?

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Standing in Solidarity with our Global Neighborhood July 1969 forever changed our collective consciousness as we witnessed a televised image of Earth floating in the expansiveness of outer space. We knew there were other peoples in the world. After all we had traded, visited and even gone to war with many of them; however, we now had a visual image that emphasized we all share one Common Home. Our local neighborhoods grew exponentially. In many ways we, nearly 50 years later, continue to wrestle with the meaning of a larger Common Home and our individual and collective responsibility within it.

Our Congregation is fortunate to be part of a greater community of vowed women religious. We collaborate with the membership of Dominican Sisters International (DSI) and the Dominican Sisters Conference (DSC). One of those collaborative efforts was held this past March at the Conference on the Status of Women at the United Nations (UN). Below, Margaret Hillary, OP, shares her incredible experience of standing in solidarity with our global neighborhood.

Katherine Maloney

standing in solidarity

We are part of a global community. We, as human beings "enjoy a right to life and happiness, and endowed with unique dignity. So we cannot fail to consider the effects on people’s lives of environmental

deterioration, current models of development and the throwaway culture.” (Laudato Si #43) The Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids have been a voice advocating the right to life, happiness, and human dignity long before the promulgation of Laudato Si.

The Dominican Sisters International Delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women From left to right: Sister Juliana Idoko from Nigeria (Sister Catherine of Siena of Gusau), Sister Emmanuel Yen Do from Vietnam (Sister Catherine of Siena), Sister Clementina Oti Nigeria (Sister Catherine of Siena of Mafoloku), Sister Judy Morris, USA (Sisters of Peace, Kentucky), Sister Helena Im from Mexico (Mission San Jose), Sister Margaret Hillary, USA (Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids), Sister Laura Ines Nino Martinez from Colombia (Presentation Sisters). 3 mission

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Katherine Maloney

Women representing faith-based NGOs, workers’ rights and union groups, secular groups, and many others had the opportunity to speak truth to power at the town hall meeting with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres during the Commission on the Status of Women. Women urged the Secretary General to create gender parity in UN hiring, make measurable gains in advancing women’s rights worldwide, and stay steadfast in his commitment to feminism.

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came to New York expecting to meet and learn from Dominican Sisters from all over the world, as well as observe for a brief time the operations of the UN. My expectations were far surpassed by the two-week experience. I was utterly immersed in the lives, dreams, hopes, and struggles of grass roots people from around the world. The difficult and often disturbing realities described by conference participants from around the globe were only part of the picture, however. Each woman who shared her story demonstrated great hope, courage, ingenuity, and steadfast determination to make things better. They were full of enthusiasm as they described their work toward implementing the goals of the Beijing Declaration and Sustainable Development. At the conference, I met Sisters from Nigeria who live amid the terrorist group Boko Haram. Boko Haram travels through the country as cattle herders, killing those in their path, or drives them off their land and then occupies their farms. Other young Sisters have established schools in which they intentionally educate boys and girls together—an important lesson in teaching these young people that they are equals. Typically, only

“Each woman who shared her story demonstrated great hope, courage, ingenuity, and steadfast determination to make things better.” ~ Margaret Hillary, OP boys are educated in Nigeria. Girls, it is believed, do not require education for their inevitable roles as housewives and mothers. How could one not have a deeper compassion for women and children in nations outside of the United States after hearing these moving accounts? Dominican Sisters from Pakistan and Chiapas, Mexico talked to me about how their people are affected by decisions made by the government of the United States. I learned that when Pakistan offers assistance to the United States in the struggle against Al Qaeda and ISIS, the terrorists in Pakistan retaliate by killing the children of government officials and Christians. Another Sister shared that the Mexican people in Chiapas cannot understand why the people of the United States will not help them in their plight. She explained that Monsanto, the multi-national seed-producing company, was able to influence Mexican law to require that farmers

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In 2015, countries adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) depicted in this chart. The SDGs build on the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and aim to go further to end all forms of poverty. Explore this site to find out more about the efforts of the UN and its partners to build a better world with no one left behind. www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment. The Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids and our Dominican affiliates around the world support the pursuit of these goals. purchase registered seed from Monsanto each year because they are not permitted to replant seed. A farmer must register his own seed if he doesn’t want to purchase from Monsanto; however, few can pay the exorbitant price levied on seed registration. As a result, farmers can grow food only for their immediate family. They cannot share food with extended family and neighbors—a deeply treasured cultural practice. Those farmers who continue to share food can be imprisoned. Being part of the Dominican Sisters International group of representatives to the UN CSW was a privilege, an

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awesome time of study, and a humbling moment. I was impressed by the courage of all the Dominican Sister Communities I encountered, from Nigeria, Vietnam, Pakistan, Colombia, Chiapas (Mexico,) Ireland, New York, and Michigan. The train ride into the city each day was a marvelous opportunity to visit with each other and acquire new insights into our experiences and view of the world. Gratefully, Dominican Sister Margaret Mayce of Amityville, New York, who represents Dominican Sisters as an NGO to the United Nations, led us in daily discussions to help us debrief, clarify our experiences, and to understand the functions of the UN.

These thrilling, eye-opening days left me with a greater appreciation of the freedoms afforded to citizens in the United States:  to openly express our views,  to organize and protest publicly to call attention to unjust situations,  to freely practice our religious beliefs, and  to work corroboratively with our government to develop solutions to social problems.

“Their positive vision and wisdom is a source of encouragement—that our future is in good hands and young women around the world are creating a better place for their children and for all of us. ” ~ Margaret Hillary, OP

I learned so much from the Sisters and from all the men and women working with the UN. I came away impressed and inspired by their knowledge, integrity, courage, enthusiasm, and energy. Their positive vision and wisdom is a source of encouragement—that our future is in good hands and young women around the world are creating a better place for their children and for all of us. I have developed a deep appreciation for the integrity and determination of young women around the globe as they work in their own sphere of influence to make our world a safer and better place for children and all people. When one observes the diligence with which UN workers and NGOs conduct their research and explore plausible solutions for environmental problems, health issues, educational limitations, and affronts to human dignity, one cannot help but feel confident that our world is gradually but surely being shaped into a more just, equitable and safe place for all our children to live.

~ Margaret Hillary, OP

Sister Margaret Hillary is Religious Education Director at St. Ignatious Mission Parish in Helena, Montana. One of her church mission locations is the Flathead Reservation.

Worldwide Dominican Family Speaking Truth to Power The Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids is fortunate to be part of a greater community of vowed women religious. We collaborate with the membership of Dominican Sisters International (DSI) and the Dominican Sisters Conference (DSC) in many matters. Through this collaboration, the worldwide Dominican Family has a presence at the United Nations, both in New York, though the Sisters and in Geneva, Switzerland, through the Friars. To speak truth to power is our responsibility and our privilege. Having a Dominican presence in 101 countries, where we live and share the day-to-day reality with the citizens of those countries, affords us a unique perspective and voice. Our solidarity with our global neighbors emboldens us to speak on their behalf at the United Nations; sharing their stories, realities, hopes and dreams with those in positions of power. We work with the 192 nation member United Nations, in its efforts to promote human rights and sustainable development in a world where justice will ensure human security and dignity for all.

Why Should Dominicans be at the United Nations? “We have had Dominicans at the UN since the mid-90s, both in Geneva and in New York. It is a way that we Dominicans can understand international politics and have the capacity to speak with country representatives when an injustice is cited. Issues in Pakistan are different than those in Nigeria or Peru. Our Dominican NGOs, Margaret Mayce, OP (Amityville) and Mike Deeb, OP (South Africa) have access to express our concerns and raise issues to people who have the power to change things. NGOs have a broad view of how countries work together and NGOs have world-wide colleagues to enhance their view of the world politics.” ~ Lucianne Siers, OP. Sister Lucianne worked at the UN as NGO for Partnership for Global Justice and served as the Executive Director of that small non-profit group of 120 Women and Men religious congregations of the US and Canada from 2001-2012.

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DSGR Archives

Caring for the Land–

growing in gratitude

Growing in Gratitude “’Praise be to you, my Lord’. In the words of this beautiful canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. ‘Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with colored flowers and herbs.’” These are the opening words of Pope Francis’ second encyclical, Laudato Si: Care for Our Common Home. Pope Francis draws our attention to the fact that we are part of the natural world, not set apart from it. As such, we have a responsibility to care for it.

Since 1992, the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids has been engaged in initiatives to support a relationship with Earth. The Congregation's Care of Earth Direction Statement reads: We commit ourselves to foster the contemplative stance that all the earth is sacred and interconnected; respect and accountability for the earth are necessary to the survival of life. We affirm that actions which impact the environment will be preceded by the question: Is this action which I (we) are performing supportive of the environment? Much more than merely an ideal on paper, it is daily action on the Marywood Campus. Terrence O’Neil, Grounds Maintenance Manager, and his team work diligently in the planning and year-round care of the campus. They view themselves as stewards of the land, caretakers of spaces that quiet the mind with their beauty and simplicity.

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According to Terrence, “Campus aesthetics serve a multitude of purposes. Patients in rehabilitation at the Marywood Health Center admire the beauty of the meticulously maintained landscape beds that surround the building. Sisters strolling the grounds on warm spring days revel in the beauty of budding flowers and trees. Guests discover a peaceful park-like setting. Conference groups are delighted by the quality of the grounds. Parents dropping their children off at Whistle Stop know that the well maintained campus provides an enriching atmosphere for their kids to explore every day.”

Archives Photos from DSGR

The work of the grounds team is about more than just creation of a beautiful landscape; they commit to sustainable, environmentally sound practices across campus. “As part of our Care of Earth platform it is paramount that we maintain our grounds in an environmentally sustainable manner for future generations. Protecting our drinking water supply from toxic contamination is extremely important. It is up to us to act as responsible stewards of the environment, and hopefully set the example for our neighbors. Our pollinators are facing great dangers from toxic pesticides and we all know without them our food sources could suffer greatly. Planting native species and avoiding toxic chemicals will help secure our food and water for many years to come,” shares Terrence.

ager ds Maintenance Man un ro G , eil ’N O ce en Terr

We can learn much about ourselves as we tend to the land in a nurturing, contemplative manner. We come to understand that interconnectedness is not only about the relationship between humanity and the natural world, but about the interconnectedness of the human family. Five years ago when Terrence came to work on Marywood’s campus, he did not expect to find the depth of happiness, gratitude, and job satisfaction he experiences daily. As he nurtures and cares for the land, its inhabitants care for him. “I had never experienced such a satisfying work environment before. The Sisters’ gratitude for all of the workers here amazes me on a daily basis. That gratefulness has transcended into my daily interactions with family, friends and strangers. There is just such a powerful sense of positivity around campus that is infectious. I never have a bad day at work here. The old saying holds true, ‘Find something (and somewhere) that you love, and you will never work a day in your life.’” 

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Home is Where the Heart Is “Dominicans are preachers of truth. One truth is that each of our lives is a story of movement, change, and letting go. Movement reflects itinerancy, a core attribute of St Dominic’s vision. And letting go is a reflection of the vow of poverty, holding everything with a light grasp. That’s core to our Dominican spirit. After the letting go, there is again a ‘taking up.’ We pray and study and live, trusting the movement of God in our lives,” says Maureen Geary, OP, prioress of the Congregation. Marywood Campus has cradled many people over the century since the campus was purchased in 1917 and the motherhouse opened in 1922. Aspirants, young women in their teens, began their formation here. Children would follow, attending Marywood Academy, a day and boarding school. The academy graduated its last high school students in 1975, and completed its mission of teaching young children in 1989. Today, the campus remains the home of the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids where Sisters live in community and minister in many ways. And it remains a place of learning. As time goes by, ministries and facilities here have been transformed through new and exciting ventures. Always open to encountering the Holy in each other and in all people, the Sisters intentionally seek ways to invite the wider population to Marywood. In 1993, the doors of Dominican Center at Marywood opened to welcome the public for spiritual formation,

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Johnny “Q” Photography

home is where the heart is

We can be at home in a place, in a way of life, in our relationships, in our changing bodies, and in our faith journey. Sometimes, our sense of being at home takes time, and may happen only with struggle at first. Ultimately, the external trappings fall away, and home is where the heart is.

Nurses and the Pastoral Care Team of Dominican Sisters work closely serving the needs of patients, residents, and families. Here Sister Diane Dehn and Beth Tanner, LPN touch base.

study, and prayer: for transformative experiences. In the 2000s, the campus saw growth in healthcare and related services for seniors. While some might see the emphasis of ministry in healthcare, education, or faith formation as

Johnny “Q” Photography

Yara Peña-Toy and Beth Tanner became friends during the aggressive nursing program at GRCC; their respect and appreciation for each other is apparent. The Dominican Sisters are blessed to have many with such professional expertise and caring hearts like theirs at Marywood Health Center and Aquinata Hall.

separate ventures, we see the interconnectedness of these ministries.

realized, “Each time I returned to Marywood, I felt more and more at home. I was discerning and praying.”

If you’ve ever sat at the bedside of a loved one, perhaps in a hospital or rehabilitation center, you know how important nurses are. Maybe you recall your own time spent in the care of another. For many of us, the nurses who brought us back to wellness are forever etched in our memories.

Sister Chris would later return to Marywood to become a Dominican Sister of Grand Rapids and to help put processes in place, and build awareness, so that Sisters would remain at home in the various places of residence at Marywood as they aged. These wellness ministries brought Sister Chris home to Marywood, though on a long and winding path.

Chris Wood, OP, is one of these nurses. “As a nurse and nursing instructor, I stress with my students that we are not just the sum of parts—every person is so much more.” Sister Chris arrived at Marywood for the first time in 1998 as a consultant to the Congregation. The Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters had a project for her: come walk with us as we embrace aging with dignity and grace, learn to access the support systems around us, and explore the spirituality of aging. It was during this work when she

The early stages of Sister Chris’ journey were about checking things off the list. “I entered religious life in 1969 in California. I got my teaching degree. Goals achieved: a nun and a teacher. I thought I would be a teacher forever. But God had other plans for me.” “I decided to go back to school to become a nurse. Later, I began my nursing career caring for some very sick kids at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. When the hospital saw that I’d been a teacher and that I was

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Circa 1940

Marywood Academy

~ Chris Wood, OP

As Sister Chris began studying for her master’s degree, she realized, “I was into nursing for the long haul. I also knew God was calling me to care for seniors in particular.” She would go on to get her doctorate in nursing. When Sister Chris arrived as a consultant “she shared ways to be at home in our own bodies as we age, respecting limits, unmasking challenges, looking for adaptive ways to maximize the enjoyment of life,” recalls Sister Maureen. As Sister Chris describes it, “My focus was on helping Sisters understand there are a lot of good things about aging, even as we recognize our bodies don’t work as well in our 80s as they did in our 30s and 40s.” A good thing, since Sisters remain in ministry throughout their lives! Now home at Marywood, Sister Chris’ presence as an expert in gerontological health care is precious to the Grand Rapids Dominican community. And her holistic view of people—body, mind, and spirit— is a centering energy in her life and her life’s work. Today, as a college instructor, she’s helping address the acute shortage of nurses by teaching women and men in West Michigan. Some of her students train with Sisters and lay patients at Marywood Health Center and Aquinata Hall, a licensed home for the aged. As an academic discipline, gerontology is the study of the social, cultural, psychological, cognitive, and biological aspects of aging. “The ability to translate that knowledge into caring for human persons is especially critical for a community like ours,” says Sister Maureen. “Sister Chris is particularly gifted in this area and her expertise, her love for religious life, and her pastoral sensibilities are

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Circa 1950

Marywood Academy

Circa 1967 Aquinata Hall

Circa 2013

New Aquinata Hall

Photos from DSGR Arc

“My focus was on helping Sisters understand there are a lot of good things about aging, even as we recognize our bodies don’t work as well in our 80s as they did in our 30s and 40s.”

hives

a nun, they hired me to work in this very high tech pediatric acute care center,” says Sister Chris. “But again, God had other plans for me.”

sure she wanted any part of nursing. “I had seen so many—too many—who treated patients like just one more task, who didn’t really seem to care for patients. I realized that I like caring for people, but it took me a long time to accept that I wanted to be a nurse.”

2013

Marywood Health Center

incredibly valuable to our Congregation and to the new health care professionals she trains.” She melds education, formation in values, and health care. “When I attended nursing school, it was forever before my first hands-on experience with patients. Our courses were in theory and our hands-on assessments were on other nursing students and mannequins,” describes Sister Chris. Now as a nursing instructor, she is helping Grand Rapids Community College roll out new teaching methodologies in healthcare by focusing on patient care experiences in a clinical environment like Marywood Health Center. ~ Her former student Yara Pena-Toy knows the mysterious pull to nursing. “I have a degree in accounting but after seven years working in my field, I felt I needed to do something where I could help others.”She got her Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) credential, “to see if I’d like caregiving—I loved it!” While studying, Yara worked as a private duty CNA. She loved the one-on-one experience working with older people in their homes. “It made me so happy to be helping them.” Yara graduated from GRCC’s nursing program, passed her boards and is now a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). Her first postion was at Aquinata Hall. She’s now studying to be a Registered Nurse. “The residents at Aquinata show so much appreciation. They have given their lives not only to God, but to helping people. It’s nice to be able to help them.”

Beth also worked as a CNA, even helping care for Sisters at Marywood Health Center, before going on to pursue a nursing degree. Her youngest son turned three and Beth says, “When he marched off to preschool, it fired me up to go back to school!” Sister Chris was also Beth’s nursing instructor. “She taught me to be confident in asking the questions that need to be asked. That’s been a hard thing for me; I don’t like being nosy. But to be a good nurse, you have to ask those hard questions. Sister Chris taught me to believe I could do it—to believe in myself.” Now an LPN,

“The residents here show so much appreciation. They have given their lives not only to God, but to helping people. It’s nice to be able to help them.” ~ Yara Peña-Toy

Beth has found her professional home in nursing. St. Catherine of Siena said, “Be who God meant you to be …” Sister Chris, Yara, and Beth are doing just that as they “set the world on fire” with their passion for nursing and service. Their heart for people has given them a home in the field of nursing, rooted in a holistic view of the human person. From various walks of life, with various personal stories, people continue to find a home at Marywood. We invite you to come and walk the journey with us, as God calls and reveals the plan for each of us. 

Unlike Yara and Sister Chris, Beth Tanner wasn’t so

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Dominican Associate Life is a relationship open to non-vowed women and men who desire to practice their Christian faith in the spirit of the Dominican Order of Preachers, the Grand Rapids Dominican Associates will celebrate their Silver Jubilee this year. One member of the first class of Associates reflects on her personal experience of coming home.

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A Silver Jubilee

Dominican Associates deepen their faith life by spending time in prayer, study, commun ity and service. Charm Kulczyk, (left foreground) with Dot Ledrick who was also part of the first class.

dominican associates

Coming Home “I noticed a yearning within me for something more, something that would enrich my connection to God and to all,” shares Charmaine Kulczyk, who many know as Charm. As they say, “Timing is everything.” The Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids have testified to this for more than 140 years. As a Congregation, they have always been open to the movement of the Holy Spirit. They continue to witness to the “signs of the times,” and to act boldly and with great compassion. As Charm was noticing a desire for more, the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids was exploring the possibility of beginning Dominican Associate Life. Diane Zerfas, OP invited Charm to join the brainstorming sessions. “Although I was not a founder of the Associates, I was asked to participate in those early conversations. There were 11 of us brought together to share our understanding of Dominican life. We shared what we were hoping for and the Sisters were drawing from us too. We spent days in prayer and contemplation. 13 mission

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“We spent a whole year of really committing ourselves to becoming Associates; to reading and studying about Dominican life. We had days of prayer and time for social interaction, important so we could get to know each other. All of this communal formation experience took place within the context of the wider community of the Dominican Sisters,” explains Charm. The year of prayer, study, community and service (the four pillars of Dominican life) culminated with a commitment ceremony on July 29, 1992 where Charm and 11 others became the first Grand Rapids Dominican Associates. Letting the four pillars guide Charm’s life seems as natural to her now as breathing. However, having grown up in the Chicago area, she had no prior knowledge of the Dominican Sisters. She encountered them when she and her husband moved to Grand Rapids in 1971. She first crossed paths with the Dominicans at her parish, St. Mary Magdalen

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Preach in All Ways

dyke (left) For the past eight years, Sister Mary Kay Oos ector Dir as on cati has served with passion and dedi y man of path the of Associate Life. She follows in . Life e ciat Asso an Sisters who helped form Dominic the of ber mem a is Associate Fran Georgeff (right) of her first Associate class 25 years ago. As part aration prep in rs ministry, Fran has served the Siste ting dina coor and for Dominican Day Celebrations es. ciat Asso new for annual commitment ceremonies

in Kentwood. Through her parish and diocesan work, Charm collaborated on many projects with the Dominican Sisters. Her admiration for the Sisters grew as she became more familiar with them. Their lives and ministry resonated in ways for Charm that seemed to echo a deep truth within her. "Becoming a Dominican Associate was like coming home. I came from a large family, Polish/German and predominantly Catholic. There was a naturalness of ministry within our home, of welcoming and caring for each other and in community with those around us. “Within the Dominican Community I found something that closely resembled my heritage family openly welcoming all people. “It was a good fit for me, so like my faith and my experience of family. It spoke to the very essence of who I am. It has continued to be that for me. It is a launch pad for everything that has happened since then [1992].” 

Touched by the Holy One, we journey in solidarity with the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids and with one another. Connecting and collaborating in Christian mission and spirituality, We embrace the Dominican charism, ministering in joyful faith and compassionate love. Dominican Associate Life Mission.

As I consider the 25 years of growth and development of Dominican Associate Life, I see the Spirit of God at work in our world in new and life-giving ways: 140 women and men, whose baptism has reached a whole new depth of meaning in their lives, partner with our Dominican Sisters in prayer and study, collaborate in service and proclaiming the good news of the Gospel in word and deed. They know who they are and what their mission is. They find in Dominic’s vision of joyful proclamation of faith a ray of hope for our world and nourishment for their spirit. I am in awe of the work of God manifest in their gifts, shared through their diverse ministries with many at this time in our history." ~Mary Kay Oosdyke, OP, Director, Associate Life

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Exploring our

Spiritual Landscapes My bone country lies just beyond the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, in the northern panhandle city of Wheeling, West Virginia. I moved to Grand Rapids thirteen years ago. While my life is here, my heart longs to be back there, nestled safely in a valley where the foothills stand as protective sentinels and the river provides constant reminder that life is always flowing—come what may. Landscapes play a powerful role in our spiritual imaginations. Diane Zerfas, OP and Carmelita Switzer, OP helped me to understand this during my training in the Dominican Center Spiritual Direction Practicum; a two-year training and formation program for those discerning a call to the ministry of spiritual direction. The Practicum is training ground in which we not only explore the ministry of spiritual direction, but also who we are, physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. My cohort was encouraged to reflect on the view outside the front door of our childhood home. My view was from a door perched high on a hillside with a view of the foothills, river, trees, and houses down below. It was a view in constant dynamism; as the seasons changed, so did my view. I have come to understand that my spiritual imagination was shaped not only by the landscape of the natural world, but by our large front porch. Ours was a gathering space. Neighbors stopped to sit and visit during evening walks. My friends and I would sit on the porch, late into the night, talking, giggling, and dreaming. My mother would sit on the brick wall of our porch and talk with mothers perched across three other porches. My mother and all of the mothers enveloped me in their unconditional love, as they watched me grow up. 15 mission

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Photos from DSGR Archives

because of the dominicans i am...

Australian Aborigines believe that there is a geographical place that is so interwoven into who we are that it resides deep within our bones. They call it bone country. Our bodies and spirits intuitively know we are home when we enter our “bone country.”

The opportunities to be found in Grand Rapids were exciting, yet part of me ached for that front porch community. As I ached, I searched for a place that felt like home. I was deeply grateful to have found a local front porch when I walked through the front doors of Dominican Center at Marywood. Because of the Grand Rapids Dominicans, I am home. The beauty and girth of Marywood comforts me like my sentinels. The vision, hospitality, courage, peace and joy of the Dominican Sisters flow as steadfastly and swiftly as my Ohio River. The programs offered through the Center let me explore who I am, challenge me in the area of justice and draw out a sense of wonder and awe and reverence and worship from deep within—all in a space that is safe and warm, like the unconditional love of those mothers on their porches. A sense of place and belonging is crucial to the spiritual life. I have found a home in this space on Fulton Street. Much like my childhood front porch, Dominican Center at Marywood does not impose itself on me, but rather tenderly holds space as I, through prayer, study, community and service, continue to discover the dreams and visions God has for me as we walk the landscape of my spiritual imagination. ~ Cami Mann

Photos from DSGR