nurturing possibilities
Taking Teaching Beyond the Ordinary Legacy of Spiritual Exploration 路 Congregation Annual Report 路 Spring 2015 路 Vol. XI
T able of C ontents : 03 From the Prioress Nurturing
04 Possibilities Dominican Spirit
09 at Aquinas
A Legacy of
10 Spiritual Exploration “Educere” Far
12 Beyond Our Dreams 16 Annual Report 18 Tapestry in Time 19 On the Horizon
2015 Jubilarians We are grateful for these holy women who celebrate their Jubilee this year and we continue to be enriched by their lives. We honor each Sister as we share their stories during this special year.
80 Years ~ 1935 Kenneth Fitzgerald Aquino Boyce Anthony Therese Pacek Rene Langlois Rose Callahan Helen Bolger Susanna Gilbert Marie Rosaire Longtin
Johnny "Q" Photography
Right: We are pleased to showcase on the cover of Tapestry in Time and throughout this magazine, a montage of two of the eight tapestries hand-stitched by every member of our Congregation. These tapestries hang in Dominican Chapel/Marywood and rotate based on the liturgical season. They are inspired by the scripture: “God has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up hearts that are broken.”
75 Years ~ 1940 Angele Richard Christine Jozwiak Jeanne Ann Brunett Lourdes Palazzolo
Front Cover: Students at San Juan Diego Academy in Grand Rapids help Sister Katrina Hartman conduct an experiment in their new science lab.
Lucille Leannah Marie Raymond Baker Patricia Clare Carroll Lucinda Lehmkuhle Bede Frahm Thomas More Connolly Rose Seraphine Sagorski Justyn Krieg
Michaela Schrems Elizabeth Eardley Wilhelmina Knieper Sheila Wood
70 Years ~ 1945 Mary Sullivan Mary Ann Otway Loyola Maestas Eileen Marie Prueter Marie Joseph Ryan
Lenora Carmody Phyllis Schoenborn Marie Emile Rivard Diana Mlynarchek
60 Years ~ 1955 Nathalie Meyer Therese Rodriguez Emilia Atencio Ardeth Platte
Mona Schwind Mary Lucille Janowiak Rena Ruddy Angelina Gonzales
50 Years ~ 1965 Eva Silva Lucia Zapata Marie Celeste Miller
Carmen Rostar Lynne Hansen
You can read the stories of these Sisters by requesting a copy of the 2015 Jubilarian Booklet at 616.514.3106. Or, find them at www.grdominicans.org/who-we-are.
D ear F riends :
“
In recent decades our teaching has moved from the primary setting of the classroom in the schoolhouse to the classroom of the world. Sisters today teach in
the religious education setting (including in prisons in Honduras), the English language learning laboratory, through healthcare and accompaniment in times of illness, in the shared contemplative prayer of lectio divina, in spirituality formation, and through advocacy for justice and peace, as well as in formal education settings. In our evolving educational ministries, in the encounter of the human person with the world, we seek God’s grace and new ways to cooperate with it. Consecrated to the mission of Jesus, we preach with our lives just as we teach with our lives. Education takes place in every encounter. Countless thousands have been formed in this tradition by the Grand Rapids Dominicans. The question “Sisters, will you come and teach?” still receives our resounding YES today. With continued commitment to nurture possibilities through teaching and preaching,
Sister Maureen Geary Prioress
...we preach with our lives just as we teach with our lives.
from the prioress
“Sisters, will you come and teach?” meant that we had to first be formed in the Dominican tradition. As novices, young Sisters became proficient in the Liturgy of the Hours, Gregorian chant, cleaning (and cleaning and cleaning again, including the laundering and pressing of habits), and the setting of a hospitable table. Fulfillment of the ministry of teaching also meant proper formation in curriculum and pedagogy, and led to our founding of Aquinas College. After Vatican Council II, Sisters from all walks of ministry took up the renewed study of theology and Scripture at the Aquinas Institute of Religious Studies at Aquinas College. Many Sisters earned doctorates and other advanced degrees. Our love of study and contemplation has deep roots. These, too, would be lovingly tended, whether a Sister was missioned to classroom teaching or another form of ministry.
Those who are featured in this issue of Mission & Ministry reflect every Sister’s presence and legacy as teachers in all places and times. Above, the students at St. Stephen Catholic School in Grand Rapids recently enjoyed a visit from Sister Mary Ann Barrett.
Johnny “Q” Photography
“Sisters, will you come and teach?” was next asked in a letter from Traverse City, Michigan, drawing Sisters westward to serve the educational needs of children and families. Invitations followed throughout Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, to St. John’s Home in Grand Rapids, to Melville, Saskatchewan in Canada, to San Juan Pueblo in New Mexico, and points in between. In the early decades the call was always to teach in classrooms. Later, that came with challenges such as a mimeograph machine in danger of flaming out as it churned the worksheets needed for the dozens of children filling every available square inch of the classroom in the 1950s and early 1960s!
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Sisters, will you come and teach?” In 1853, Sisters from Ratisbon, Germany, responded to this plea from New York City and sent several Sisters to educate the children of German immigrants there. Newcomers themselves, they journeyed to a new mission field to praise, bless, and preach through the ministry of education.
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Nurturing Possibilities: Taking Teaching Beyond the Ordinary The mission given by Saint Dominic was to proclaim the Word of God by preaching and teaching. He urged the first Dominicans to identify with every culture and listen to those who sought deeper meaning in life and wished to know God. For centuries, Dominicans have aspired to live fully the motto of “Veritas” or truth, in all of our actions as preachers, teachers, and people of God. The intellectual tradition based on Veritas goes far beyond the “three Rs”; it includes nurturing lives of integrity, commitment, compassion, and service. Essentially it is a life of preaching the good news.
Being Preachers and Teachers
today’s educators
Our Congregation has embraced the mission to preach and teach with our entire beings, seeking new ways to reach our students whether in a traditional classroom or in human interactions. This is a part of our calling and our spirit, expressed in our unique Dominican manner. And so often we discover that WE learn as much as our students when we take teaching beyond the ordinary. “For us it is looking at what we do as preaching the gospel of a loving Christ who cared for everyone,” says Justine Kane, OP, PhD, Assistant Professor in the College of Education at Wayne State University. “Whatever we are doing whether art, singing, teaching or researching, we are using our voice to spread the gospel.” "Being a Dominican has changed me. I love to preach and you don’t have to be at the pulpit to do that,” says Chela Gonzalez, OP, Director of Catechesis for the Diocese of Boise. “I’ve come to embrace preaching as sharing my faith and sharing my stories. I speak from my experience. That is teaching.” Dorothy Ederer, OP, Director of Campus Ministry for St. John’s Church and Student Center at Michigan State University, has combined her passion for
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storytelling and her own experience as an author with her commitment to college ministry. Sister Dorothy is coaching a group of students to write a book of spiritual anecdotes, which she will help them publish. This exploration fits beautifully with her goal to see students using their gifts and talents to their full potential. Sometimes God calls us to educate and advocate as a passionate voice of concern in a world filled with noise. As the Congregation’s Promoter of Justice, Mary Brigid Clingman, OP, MSW, promotes the call of justice rooted in the mission, vision, and history of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids and supports all members in these efforts. “A big part of my role is to get things organized,” says Sister Brigid, who spends every day teaching by sharing information about each advocacy issue for the Congregation to study.
Fostering Lifelong Learners “My purpose is to see who these children are and try to meet their needs. Engage them,” says Marie Rachael Guevara, OP, MA, who volunteers as a tutor at Cristo Rey High School and Holy Redeemer Catholic Grade School, both in an underserved area of Southeastern Michigan. “One of the things that I
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Sister Justine Kane and doctoral student Joyce Burrell review research online during a recent consultation.
“I want each student to discover a sense of their own capacity to live out their goals and dreams. I also hope to inspire them to give back to others, personally and through their jobs in education.” ~ Sister Justine about working with graduate students who are already teachers want to inspire is a love of learning, a desire to never stop learning. That will take my students places.” “I tell students that this is just the beginning of their journey to learning. They will continue learning every day of their lives,” says Anna Maria Santiago, OP, PhD, as the Bevis-Haynam Professor of Community Development at Case Western Reserve University. Her Dominican vows and academic excellence guide her as a professor teaching future social work professionals. “They have the ability to continue being captivated by seeing the world around them with fresh eyes,” Sister Anna Maria continues, referring to her graduate students. Their vision of the world adjusts as they look through lenses influenced by advanced instruction and research. Sister Anna Maria’s research focuses on how place (where one lives) matters in the lives of women and their children who experience life in a low income environment. Education and opportunity matter to all of God’s people, all of whom can learn and grow.
“My hope was always to inspire students to be lifetime learners,” says Maria Tardani, OP, a former teacher at Marywood Montessori School, which served boys and girls from preschool through 6th grade and later provided the launching pad for the Stepping Stones Montessori School in Grand Rapids. “I also hoped that they would have a loving heart and respect for all they meet.” Mary Alice Williams, a community activist and parent of two Marywood Montessori students in the 1970s and 1980s, saw the Sisters through the eyes of a mother.“The Sisters were very invested in the development of my two children, who were very different from each other,” she says. “What they nurtured was that best possibility in each child and they did not expect them to be cut from the same mold.” “The Sisters gave them a lifelong commitment to learning, and each has pursued a life of the mind that was sparked in the early days with Montessori,” says Mary Alice referring to her daughters who now have careers as a veterinarian and a Montessori-trained teacher, respectively.
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“Today, no matter what type of ministry we engage in, teaching is the undercurrent of what we do.” ~ Sister Marie Rachael The Sisters always are passionate about their ministries, even when their training and education take them someplace they didn’t expect. Such is the case with Katrina Hartman, OP, PhD, retired Aquinas College Chemistry Professor who now is volunteering at San Juan Diego Academy. The Catholic elementary school was founded by six parishes to serve mostly Latino children residing on the southwest side of Grand Rapids. After retiring from Aquinas, Sister Katrina was interested in projects that related to her training and skills. When a donation allowed them to expand their science curriculum, Manuel Brenes, PhD, Principal of San Juan Diego Academy, reached out to her with a request for help. Sister Katrina evaluated the needs of the elementary school, aligned those needs with state and national standards, and supported the teachers in selecting a science curriculum that made sense for their students. Along the way, she spent hours in the science lab sorting through materials that were donated over the years, bringing the lab up-to-date. “She is very qualified,” says Dr. Brenes, referring to Sister Katrina, who also trained the teachers regarding the new curriculum and materials, returning in January to meet one-on-one with each teacher to assure they were ready for the second semester. “She has provided a lot of ideas to make science exciting for the kids.” Sister Katrina’s work has changed the way science is taught at San Juan Diego Academy and changed the way all of the students there view the world of science. “She
2009 Summer Arts Camp participants assembled in front of Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities, which originated as a dream of Sister Kathi Sleziak and was brought to life through the Dominican Sisters' partnership with Mary Angelo and the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association. 6 mission
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has made science likeable, the students can explore science and have some fun at the same time,” says Dr. Brenes. ”Our staff readily teaches concepts and theories, but Sister Katrina has shown us that we have to help the students discover and figure things out on their own.” “You need to keep yourself mentally up-to-date, growing, progressing, reading, and studying,” says Mary Louise Stauder, OP, Pastoral Assistant at St. Ignatius Catholic Mission, located on the Flathead Reservation about 50 miles north of Missoula, Montana. Sister Mary has many roles within her remote church community, including teacher, administrator, counselor, and friend. “What you do and the subjects you teach are part of it, but the deeper part is who you are and how you relate.” What started as a dreaming exercise for Katheryn Sleziak, OP, now Administrative Assistant/Special Projects at Marywood Health Center, with her Dominican Sisters on retreat, turned into the seeds for a neighborhood program that continues to evolve. “Our purpose was to dream our wildest dream,” says Sister Kathi. “My dream focused on the idea of an after-school program for children in an at-risk neighborhood.” That initial dream has become a non-profit organization that is known as Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities and includes both the Cook Arts Center and Cook Library Center in a largely Hispanic Grand Rapids neighborhood. “My purpose was to promote and empower the children and families in that neighborhood to identify their creative talents and make the most of it,” says Sister Kathi,
Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities
Following Your Passion
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reminiscing about the unexpected turn her career took when she accepted her Congregation’s offer to leave her special education classroom in Port Huron and explore how to turn this dream into a reality. Thousands of children and adults have benefitted from her vision since 2001 when the program first opened its doors, an incredible legacy of the Dominican Sisters’ commitment to education whether in a classroom or in other settings.
Bringing Ministry to Life Expressing the Dominican values or pillars of prayer, study, service, and community, in each interaction is a way of teaching, whether in the classroom or not. “My work is a ministry, it is not just a teaching job,” says Sister Anna Maria. “My teaching extends not only to what I say in the classroom but to everything I do. For me there is a need to maintain the integrity that comes with fully living out the four pillars of Dominican life. Hopefully, when I’m in my best self, something I strive to accomplish daily, people can see that integration of those four pillars in what I am doing and the way that I interact with them.” Monica Meyer, OP, retired educator who now serves as a volunteer at Marywood, spent the years from 198090, living in the 8th Ward of New Orleans and training
Johnny “Q” Photography
Sister Katrina Hartman shows San Juan Diego Academy 5th grade teacher Christine Wright the newly organized boxes of 5th grade science curriculum materials during a summer training.
San Juan Diego Academy
Our Archivist, Sister Michael Ellen Carling, spends an afternoon sharing our story with students from Forest Hills Northern High School. The Legacy Room at Marywood is open to visitors and features changing collections from the Dominican Sisters Archives.
Maria Tardani, OP, says of working as a Montessori teacher, “No one loved that job more than I!” Sister Maria is now retired from teaching and works in the Congregation finance office.
teachers at St. Xavier University in the Workshop Way method of classroom instruction. “Affirming the dignity of human beings. Affirming intelligent involvement with others that led to a sense of responsibility, love of learning, and awareness of other human beings,” she recalls are the key lessons that she shared with educators from all over the country, lessons that she witnessed working wonders in the classroom time and time again. “When the teacher and the students respect the rights of others in the classroom, mutual respect and self-esteem are nourished.” With ministries of the heart interwoven with jobs as teachers, advocates, administrators, authors, and catechists, the Sisters in our Congregation set about their work always recalling that to teach truly is to preach. There are opportunities for those interactions everywhere. Edith Marie Schnell, OP, Pastoral Associate at St. Paschal Church in West Monroe, Louisiana agrees, taking her role a step further and assuring that the volunteers who work with her to bring religious education to life for both children and adults know that she supports them and their efforts. “It is my job to inspire them to be the best they can be,” she says. “I want my team to feel good about themselves and the message they are sharing.”
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Sister Edith Marie points out that everyone can continue learning throughout life. “I like to see people doing things they didn’t think they could do,” she says with her trademark laugh.
“Now the kids relate. They recognize the strengths of their people. They have a sense of who they are, deep pride in themselves as a Native person, and an appreciation of the values and differences they have inherited from their Native grandparents,” says Sister Margaret, reflecting on this breakthrough in engaging the young people who had begun to distance themselves from the Church. “Since Vatican II, they don’t have to choose either Native ways or Catholicism. Such a relief that they don’t have to choose between.”
Following Dominic When taking a deeper look at our tradition as the Order of Preachers, following in Saint Dominic’s footsteps to
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Taking that advice one step further is Margaret Hillary, OP, Pastoral Assistant and Director of Religious Education for Sacred Heart Parish on the Flathead Reservation in Montana. In her first year on the Reservation, her students told her that they would like to experience their Catholic lessons through their own culture. Sister Margaret saw this as a way to help the young people feel good about themselves and their heritage. She worked to create a unique lesson plan for the students that integrated the message of Christ into the Native messages that they know from their families.
Fifth grade students at Holy Redeemer Grade School in Detroit take their studies to the next level with the support of their tutor, Sister Marie Rachael Guevara.
share the Gospel with people where we encounter them on our journey through life, we see teaching taking place both inside and outside the walls of traditional classrooms, as has been our Order’s path for 800 years. “Today, no matter what type of ministry we engage in, teaching is the undercurrent of what we do,” says Sister Marie Rachael. n
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Sister Margaret Hillary spends time working one-on-one with a religious education student at one of her church mission locations on the Flathead Reservation in Montana.
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Aquinas College/Andris Visockis.
Sisters join Aquinas College students in a week long celebration and birthday party in honor of Saint Thomas Aquinas in January 2015.
We have always reserved space in our hearts and in our home at Marywood to share learning resources and ministries with others. From Marywood Academy and its history as a groundbreaking college prep experience for high school women to Marywood Montessori and its commitment to encouraging children to choose to learn in their own way, the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids have always invested in education. While examples of this are many, the Sisters' involvement, in 1886, in founding what is now Aquinas College is unique. Aquinas began as the Novitiate Normal School, originally in Traverse City, to train members of the Dominican Congregation for teaching. In 1922, Sacred Heart (later Marywood) College grew out of the Novitiate Normal School and was chartered by the State of Michigan as a two-year college for women. The college was located at the newly-constructed Marywood motherhouse on East Fulton Street in Grand Rapids. In 1931, Marywood College was transformed into a full-fledged junior college, Catholic Junior College (CJC), and enrolled men for the first time, becoming the nation’s first coeducational Catholic college to be founded by a congregation of women religious.
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The Dominican Spirit Thrives at Aquinas
Our Congregation interacts with the students at Aquinas College on a regular basis through events such as this intergenerational discussion for a social work class.
In 1940, CJC officially became Aquinas College, a four-year-degree-granting institution. Over the years, Aquinas College has grown in enrollment and diversity of students, faculty, and staff. Its curriculum has expanded to meet the changing needs of students of all ages. Aquinas College and its students maintain a connection to their Dominican heritage by actively participating with Sisters at Marywood and in the Dominican pillars of prayer, study, service, and community. n
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Sustaining a Legacy of Spiritual Exploration Dominican Center at Marywood Embodies Sisters’ Mission to Preach and Teach
spiritual exploration
“We founded DCM in light of our deepest values, asking ourselves how we wanted to be in relationship with people in our greater West Michigan community. We wanted to continue our ministry of education in a much broader way,” continues Sister Carmelita. “The Center became the Dominican Sisters’ physical expression of a welcoming and inclusive environment for all who want to learn and engage in dialogue. We continue to welcome all who have a similar care for the common good.” “Overall our Dominican Congregation values the Center as an expression of our mission, which is to preach and teach that Jesus Christ lives in our midst,” says Sister Carmelita. “Along with our strong Catholic foundation, there is an ecumenical outreach here,” says Diane Zerfas, OP, Program Director of DCM. She points out that the purpose of DCM was never to be a place of conversion, rather a place where people could participate in programs that enrich their personal spiritual journey. Many programs have roots in Catholicism, such as those focused on Pope Francis or the way of the cross, for example. There are also many meaningful programs that promote interfaith dialogue, justice-making, and prayerful reflection. “People can find worship experiences in their own church. Here we provide opportunities to explore the language of prayer experiences and new ideas 10 mission
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Christopher John Wilson
“I think our world was hungry for hospitality, inclusion, and dialogue in 1993 when we created Dominican Center at Marywood (DCM), and I think we have even greater hunger today,” says Carmelita Murphy, OP, DMin, President of LEAD, Inc., and Prioress of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids Congregation from 1988-1994.
Lisa Mitchell is Executive Director of Partners for a Racism-Free Community Grand Rapids and a Dominican Associate. In her professional and personal life, she advocates for justice and prays for awareness of racial disparities. Above, Lisa introduces a speaker at a February 2015 Lunch and Learn event that she hosted at Dominican Center.
“At Marywood we provide opportunities for people to expand, explore, and enjoy their spiritual life as a mature Christian…and welcome seekers…looking for an anchor...” ~ Sister Diane Zerfas that people might not have come across on their own,” explains Sister Diane. “We offer possibilities that people can encounter in their spirituality.” “Everyone is welcome at DCM,” assures Lisa Mitchell, Executive Director of West Michigan-based Partners for a Racism-Free Community, and a frequent participant
in programming at DCM. “Even though the Sisters are Roman Catholic they are very ecumenical and interfaith-minded so that everyone feels welcome in their space no matter what religion or faith they practice.” Lisa, who also is a Dominican Associate, says that the Sisters are very focused on discovering what can be helpful to each person on their own spiritual journey; that is why the programming is so varied, allowing everyone to find something that fits their spiritual goals. “Just walking into the Dominican Center, you feel it is a sacred place,” Lisa adds. “This place is transformative and truly life enriching.” “Our intention is to provide opportunities for people to expand, explore, and enjoy their spiritual life as a mature Christian,” adds Sister Diane. “Also, our programs can appeal to the seeker, the person looking for a faith tradition and an anchor to God in their life.” Jordan Bruxvoort, Director of Micah Center, a coalition of churches in Grand Rapids that work together to seek solutions for social justice issues, has participated in several classes at DCM over the years. “What was most helpful to me was the emphasis on growing in discernment of the work of the Holy Spirit in my own life and seeking to grow in helping others discern what the Holy Spirit is up to in their lives,” says Jordan.
He points out that the lessons learned through courses at DCM in spiritual direction have helped in his work; for example, applying the concept of creating space with his board of directors to encourage spending time listening intentionally before choosing a course of action. Jordan describes this process as something he learned in the spiritual direction practicum. There, participants share a question or sticking point in their lives and, after asking questions for clarification, the group listens in silent discernment for that person. Then, instead of offering advice or another perspective, group members discipline themselves to only share what came to them during the silence. “I find that people are very open to this kind of discernment process,” says Jordan. “It is a welcome relief from just trying to figure it out by yourself. This process is energizing.” “The thing that I’m most happy about is that people who have come to our programs have been spurred to take the things they learned to places far and wide,” says Sister Diane. “Through many people, much like Lisa and Jordan, the Dominican Center sphere of influence continues to broaden.” “I think there is a certain beauty in our brick and mortar place,” says Sister Carmelita. “Once a fellow came up to me and thanked me for the Center, saying that there is prayer seeping through every brick here. I agree, there is a sense that God dwells here.” n
Current programming can be found online at dominicancenter.com or call 616-514-3325 to request a catalog.
Jordan Bruxvoort, Director of Micah Center in Grand Rapids, often applies the practice of intentional listening, learned at DCM, in his personal and professional life. Here, Jordan reflects with Sister Diane Zerfas about the impact DCM has had on him.
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Sister Kate Okolocha uses the Aquinas College library to work on a class project that explores new methods of teaching and learning that she will take into her future classrooms when she returns to Nigeria.
sharing with the world
“Educere” Far Beyond Our Dreams As Dominican Sisters, we consider our educational philosophy to be one of “educere” or the act of leading, drawing out, or bringing forth. We are not teachers who simply train others. Our commitment to education has always been to help students recognize and develop their gifts, then send them forth to live out and share what they have received. We would not name ourselves a missionary Congregation, but over the years, we have reached out to go wherever there is a need, and welcomed others to our door from wherever they have traveled. We have experienced many opportunities to combine this missionary spirit with the philosophy of “educere” as we continue to nurture possibilities in those we encounter, from all walks of life.
Welcoming Others Here We support development of women religious to be leaders in their own countries through the Dominican Alliance Education Project, which represents seven congregations of Dominican Sisters in the United States. The Alliance is currently focusing on three countries in Africa: Nigeria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The program involves partnering with universities or colleges, such as Aquinas College, to provide tuition support for visiting Sisters from Africa. Each Congregation provides room and board within their motherhouses to the Sisters. 12 mission
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By providing resources for a quality education it is our intention to see the Sisters reach out into the world to teach, counsel, and lead others in their respective disciplines. We project that these Sisters will share the benefits of their education and preaching ministries with students of all ages, strengthening school systems, their own religious communities, and local churches. The degrees help them assist their African schools to maintain the highest possible standards, as well as assure that the Sisters can continue in their ministries.
In 2012, we welcomed Kate Okolocha, OP, and in 2013, Roseline Elemowu, OP, from the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Gusau in Nigeria to live with us at Marywood. These Sisters face significant barriers to obtaining a college degree in their own country; it can take more than a decade to earn a bachelor’s degree, while keeping a Sister from ministry for most of that time. Sisters Kate and Roseline now are studying at Aquinas College, with generous help from the college, and expect to complete their degrees within the next two years thanks to the support of the Dominican Alliance Education Project.
Supporting Those Remaining in their Homeland The presence of Sisters Kate and Roseline among us as companions and students continues to have a ripple effect far beyond what we envisioned. Because of our interaction with them, we now also support Sisters from their Nigerian community who participate in a newly established School of Theology there. Our commitment to reach out to assist in their education is important for the development of a more expansive Christian community in Nigeria, and for the support of Dominican life there. Another example of the powerful transformation that can be achieved through collaborative support with the Dominican Alliance is the education of many Sisters in their homeland in preparation for a career of service to their community. Nasilele Simushi, OP, earned a diploma in dental sciences in 2003 in Zambia. She began working as a dental therapist in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia while applying to attend medical school to pursue a degree in dental surgery in her own country. The Dominican Alliance Education Project provides her with tuition assistance, thus allowing her to pursue this advanced degree and ultimately serve the population in Zambia. “I love the work of dentistry and I feel that this is a mission that God has entrusted me to contribute to the overall health of my patients,� says Sister Nasilele in a letter of thanks for our support.
Opening Doors to Life in America For the past 17 years, our WORD~ESL program has provided foreign-born students with a safe and welcoming environment in which to learn basic English
language skills that will help them pursue education and work opportunities. Students come to our doorstep from countries North and South, East and West, in order to improve their aptitude in English, and the quality of their life in the United States. Carmen Rostar, OP, serves as the Director of the WORD~ESL program and works with many volunteers to offer support to those who have immigrated to the U.S. We also offer the Justice for Our Neighbors program in connection with Grand Rapids Community College, preparing adults to take the United States citizenship exam. To date, 586 students have participated in the WORD~ESL program; 310 tutors have served the adult students; and 375 participants have passed their citizenship exam. Upwards of 12 of our Sisters work regularly as volunteer tutors.
Taking the Dream Abroad Our dreams for study and ministry also have reached beyond U.S. shores. Over the years, Sisters were sent to many other countries, enriching both the Sisters and their students with insights into world cultures, religions, philosophy, classical and modern languages, and music. In 1972, Thomasine Bugala, OP, a member of the Aquinas College faculty, was invited to teach in Japan. Sister Thomasine spent 23 summers teaching English to eager Japanese students. She revised and wrote textbooks and other materials instructing others how to teach English in Japan. Those tools to assist teachers were important in a country where English is necessary to be employed in international positions and to learn medicine and aeronautics. Many Aquinas College students joined her and experienced life as tutors in Japan. In the early 1990s our Sisters were invited to participate in the renewal of Christianity in the former Soviet Union. Several of our Sisters from families of Eastern European origin had been raised with the languages of their ancestors and became eager to make connections and to be present to the reclaiming of Christian roots in their ancestral homelands. Elizabeth Barilla, OP, and her sister Juliana Barilla, OP, born in Canada to a family of Hungarian origin, travelled to Hungary, both were in their 80s at the time of this ministry outreach! There they found members of their family separated by the Iron Curtain and also located
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Sister Ann Walters shares her passion for her faith
through her travels to train Novices and Sisters in Nigeria.
Visiting from Nigeria as a part of the Dominican Alliance
Education Project, Sister Roseline Elemowu lives with us and participates in common life at Marywood while earning a degree in theology at Aquinas College. When she returns home she will share her knowledge with other Sisters who teach there. Sister Nasilele Simushi is grateful for the support from the Dominican Alliance, allowing her to attend medical school for dental surgery in her home country of Zambia. Sister Carmen Rostar poses for a celebratory photo with the family of a WORD~ESL student who recently completed the citizenship process. Our WORD ~ ESL program benefits from the collective experience of (back row, L-R) Sisters Carmen Rostar, Diane Dehn, Mary Courtade, Ann Norman , Doris Faber, Jean Reimer, (front row, L-R) Margaret Kienstra, Janice Mankowski, Josine Schafer, and Pat Kennedy.
Dominicans who had lived in the “underground” and carried on religious life during the reign of Communism. Because the Barilla sisters could communicate using the Hungarian language from their childhood, they were able to relate to the young who were still doing their course work using old texts. In particular, Sisters Elizabeth and Juliana ministered in a newly-formed Hungarian Catholic Seminary (Eastern Rite) educating young seminarians. They taught English to students and faculty and became an essential part of the seminary community in the small Hungarian village of Nyiregyhaza. To this day, Sister Elizabeth (100 years old) and Sister Juliana (103 years old) continue to hear from their former students and they fondly remember their Hungarian “family” in conversations and prayer.
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Similarly, Emeliana Judis, OP, travelled to Lithuania and connected with relatives with whom communication had been lost during the Communist regime. Sister Emeliana taught English and religious education in her language of family origin while in Lithuania. Our Sisters currently in Peru and Honduras primarily serve in health care and pastoral ministries. They approach every dimension of their ministries with the attitude of preparing local people to take their place when it is time for the Sisters to return home. Along the way, they do a significant amount of teaching and formation. The Sisters draw the best out of each person and assist them to develop their skills with the goal of sustaining and enhancing the mission.
… our Congregation has experienced many opportunities to combine this missionary spirit with the philosophy of “educere” as we nurture possibilities in those we encounter throughout the world. DSGR Archives
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DSGR Archives
Following Our Dreams Sometimes our journey to other countries is the result of a lifelong passion. Such is the case with Ann Walters, OP, who visited and taught Dominican Novices and Sisters in Nigeria for varying periods of time between 1984 and 2012. “It was a dream of mine since my first year of teaching, when I was teaching a lesson about Africa, to go there one day,” says Sister Ann. “It was 27 years later, but that dream finally came true, and more than once.” Sister Ann is a welcome face and resource for the Dominican Sisters of Saint Catherine. They have honored her contribution by naming a school building after her. Her workshops for the Congregation include conflict management, justice and
spiritual peace-making, spiritual direction, and formation for novices and postulants. Her most recent trip in 2012 was to lead a six-week workshop on the stages of life for the Convent’s elder Sisters, between 42-62 years old, to help them prepare for ministry in their senior years. Our collective outreach to people living in other countries, and those from other countries who choose to travel here, has enhanced our tapestry of life and experiences as a Congregation. Along the path of our many journeys we hope that our philosophy of “educere” has served our students well. It is our dream that they will continue to bring forth the lessons they learned to share with others in their lives. ~ Lucianne Siers, OP
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Annual Report What Your Gifts Support Your gifts support the lives of our Sisters, who in turn serve thousands of individuals every year through our varied ministries. Wherever we are called, your gifts make our mission possible. Wherever we serve, your support encourages us. Sisters in St. Ignatius, MT provide religious education for children at the Flathead Indian Reservation.
2014 annual report
Our Sister in ID provides leadership and companionship as Director of Catechesis for the Diocese of Boise.
Our Sister in Chicago serves through scriptural scholarship and leadership as the VicePresident and Academic Dean at Catholic Theological Union.
Our Sister in WI serves as Director of Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center in Arbor Vitae. Our Sister in IN provides leadership as a Residence Hall Rector at the University of Notre Dame.
Sisters in Baltimore, MD have active peace and justice ministries and offer outreach to people living in poverty.
Our Sister in the Denver area nurtures spiritual formation as a parish Director of Religious Education. Eleven Sisters in and near Albuquerque, NM serve in a variety of ministries that focus on education, formation, and care of children and adults.
Sisters in St. Louis, MO provide spiritual companionship and leadership as a hospital chaplain and as a codirector of the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate.
Our Sister in San Pedro Sula, Honduras serves in theological formation and outreach at an HIV program and through prison ministry.
16 mission
ministry • Spring 2015
Our Sister in West Monroe, LA nurtures faith development as a parish Catechetical Leader.
Sisters in Chimbote, Peru serve mothers and families in one of South America’s poorest communities through a maternity hospital, prenatal education, well-baby clinics, and outreach.
Our Sister in Ohio brings her Dominican perspective to her teaching as the Bevis-Haynam Professor of Community Development at Case Western Reserve.
For the Fiscal Year Ending August 31, 2014
View the full annual report online at grdomincans.org/annual-report-2014
189 Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters live and serve in Michigan. 34 of us hold our prayer ministry as our sole ministry. In addition to prayer ministry, 155 of us serve as: • scholars, teachers, tutors • congregational leaders and support • spiritual companions • liturgical leaders • caregivers for people who are ill or frail We live and serve • Bay City • Commerce Twp. • Custer • Dearborn
in: • Delton • DeWitt • Detroit • Essexville
• hospital chaplains • social service/justice workers • stewards of Earth and its inhabitants • artists, musicians, poets, writers
• Grand Rapids • Grayling • Inkster • Kalamazoo
• Kaleva • Kentwood • Lansing • Mackinaw City
• Muskegon • Okemos • Prudenville • Rockford
• Saginaw
Uses & Sources of Funds Among others, sources of funds come from Sisters serving in compensated ministry, and draws on a Trust established to support the needs of retired Sisters. A portion of gifts received in fiscal year ending August 31, 2014 was from pledges realized from the Marywood Legacy Campaign, which offset expenses from previous years, and account for the excess in sources over uses of funds. Sixteen percent of our funds come from you, our friends and companions in our mission and ministry. We thank you! Uses of Funds: $10,950,000
30%
Essential Living and Healthcare Expenses for 222 Sisters
34%
Campus Ministries
17%
Operations & Administration
19%
Capital Dollars Spent
Sources of Funds: $11,647,000 18% Sisters’ Earnings from the Trust 37% Draws + Investment Income Security + Benefits 16% Social for Eligible Sisters
8%
Campus ministries and leased space
Bequests, 21% Gifts, and Transfers
We pray for wisdom to be generous, just, and courageous in all matters, including finances, property, and personnel, recognizing that all our resources are for the sake of mission. – from the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids 2006 Shared Wisdom Statement
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New Book Tells Story of Grand Rapids Dominicans Post-Vatican II The forthcoming book, Tapestry in Time, tells the story of our Congregation during the years immediately after Vatican Council II. The book is written from the viewpoint of those who lived it day-by-day and year-by-year through all its joys and sorrows, our very own Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters. The effects of Vatican Council II rightly can be described as a seismic shift in many aspects of the Catholic Church. This was true for all Catholics throughout the world, but in particular it was true for the Catholic Sisters in this country who took the documents of the Council to heart, diligently studied them, and changed almost every aspect of their lives — except their determination to continue their vowed life with a single-minded pursuit to do the will of God. The way was neither smooth nor easy. In the second volume of the history of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, the story of this period is told through the words and writings of the Sisters themselves. Using the four essential elements of Dominican Life, prayer, study, common life, and service, the Sisters recall with honesty, candor, and humor the struggle and the joy of the five tumultuous decades between 1966 and 2012. Although the cultures of their youth, their families, and church had not encouraged them to “rock the boat,” these women — some well into midlife — found the courage to adopt new ways of prayer and community life, renovate spaces for worship, embrace inclusive language, and continue serious academic and theological study in colleges and universities both here and abroad. What effect did these changes have on the ways they lived?
The book reveals the challenges and joys of ministry both close to home and far away. As the Sisters listened with open hearts to the cries of those in greatest need, they found the courage and resources to go where the needs were great in this country as well as throughout the world. Hurricanes, earthquakes, epidemics, cold and heat, drought and floods, terrorists, and prison were all part of the amazing and unfolding reality of daily life for those who answered the call to travel far from home. No less courage was required of those who stayed closer to home, cultivated new skills, and initiated new ministries in places where acceptance and respect were no longer assured.
Tapestry in Time: The Story of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, Michigan contains both fascinating and poignant stories plus over one hundred photographs. Published by Wm. B. Eerdmans. Reserve your copy now by calling the Bookstore at Dominican Center 616.514.3312. ~ Mary Navarre, OP
A tapestry in time was being stitched as the years of renewal were being lived by the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids. Now is the time to celebrate the hanging of the tapestry for all to see! It is a remarkable story, well told and truly a history of the future. As you read this book, their courage comes alive in the story of their transformation and you will come to see why their identity is both mission and mysticism. ~ Ann Willits, OP
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ministry • Spring 2015
•
Care of Earth
•
Economic Justice
•
Human Trafficking
•
Migration/Immigration
•
Peace and Security for All Life
•
Ending Homelessness
Campus Ministries Liturgy - Dominican Chapel/Marywood - Chapel of the Word (MHC) - St. Catherine of Siena Chapel (Aquinata) •
Health Care & Spiritual Companioning - Aquinata Assisted Living - Marywood Health Center •
•
WORD~ESL (English as a Second Language)
•
Partners in Parenting
•
Dominican Center at Marywood
Overseas Ministries •
Maternidad de Maria, Chimbote, Peru
•
Centro de Obras Sociales, Chimbote, Peru
•
San Pedro Sula, Honduras
Mission & Ministry Editorial Team • Maureen Geary, OP ~ Prioress • Danny Lynn ~ Art Director • Maureen Fitzgerald Penn ~ Editor • Lucianne Siers, OP ~ Advisor • Stacy Spitler ~ Managing 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.
Working among and for the Dominican Sisters is inspiring. Interspersed among the projects and meetings, one hears extraordinary stories — stories of journeys past and present, of fascinating missions, and innovative ministries. The intrigue of the Sisters’ stories is in hearing the details. In fact, it’s hard to talk about the Sisters in generalities because it is their particularities that make them so special.
Mission & Ministry can hone in on some of these details. But there are so many more stories to be told. Riveting, funny, profound, and sometimes incredible, the Sisters’ stories exude a Dominican spirit — bold, compassionate, tenacious, wise, faith-filled, and joyous. If you listen, it’s no wonder that this group of women religious were able to establish such a vast number of schools and missions that took root and flourished. Their faith and tradition inspired all those whose lives they have touched or continue to engage. The Sisters are the first to admit that no new school or mission is built alone. Led by God’s call, and with community support, they journeyed to new places, faced challenges, prayed and contemplated, and celebrated joys. Whether it was a much-needed train ticket provided to a Sister leaving for mission, boxes of canned goods donated to the convent in a lean year, a check tucked quietly inside an envelope or a note of gratitude and assurance of prayers, the Sisters have received every gift as a blessing that they in turn may pass on. The Sisters are deeply grateful for everyone who has helped them in their lives of service. From this issue’s annual report, I hope you’ll get a glimpse of the important influence your gifts have on the Sisters’ lives. Your support makes possible their varied ministries today. We are grateful for you and for your support of the Sisters through your financial resources and your prayers. We are grateful for your companionship as the Sisters continue in their journeys, their missions, and their ministries. With you, their Dominican story continues. With Blessings,
Susan Halteman Director of Development
on the horizon
As Dominicans, We Advocate for Justice
Patrick Nothaft
D ear F riends of the D ominican S isters :
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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage
PA I D Grand Rapids, MI Permit No. 451 2025 Fulton St. East Grand Rapids, MI 49503-3895
T 616-459-2910 F 616-454-6105 grdominicans.org
About Us The Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids are a community of vowed women religious who follow the Roman Catholic traditions of St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena. Since 1877, we have taught children and ministered to the orphaned, partnered with nonprofit agencies, and served in school, hospital, hospice, and social service ministries. We have created works of art, helped lead liturgical reform, and fostered life in parishes and communities. Today, based on the Marywood Campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan, we engage in a wide variety of ministries throughout the United States and missions in Peru and Honduras.
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
Isn’t it Wild? The looks on her students’ faces may indicate
uncertainty, but biology teacher Sr. Frances Ann Tatreau made sure to encourage in her students an appreciation for all creatures great and small. A visionary and adventurous teacher, Sr. Frances Ann understood the need to care for our Earth and all its inhabitants.
She Changed the Way You Saw the World...
She may have been your kindergarten teacher or your sophomore biology teacher. You remember her as the Dominican Sister who changed your way of seeing the world. When you make a gift in tribute to a Sister, know that you are supporting the lives of many Sisters who carry on the faith-filled mission of preaching and teaching the truth and love of God.
MAKE A TRIBUTE GIFT TODAY. grdominicans.org/support