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November 10, 2022, Henderson, Nevada – Three women were welcomed as new Adrian Dominican Associates on November 5, 2022, during a formal Ritual of Acceptance held in the chapel of the Rosa de Lima Campus, St. Rose Dominican Hospitals in Henderson, Nevada. The in-person event was shared on Zoom to Sisters and Associates from around the United States.
Associates make a non-vowed commitment to the Adrian Dominican Congregation, living out their unique vocation as Dominican women and men. While maintaining their own lifestyle and remaining financially independent, Associates participate in various spiritual, social, and ministerial experiences with the Sisters, with one another, and with Associates of other congregations of Dominican Sisters.
Mary Lach, former Director of Associate Life and now consultant for the Congregation’s Office of Dominican Charism, presided over the ritual. The new Associates were mentored by Sisters Victoria Dalesandro, OP, Kathleen McGrail, OP, Judith Nelson, OP, and Jean Williams, OP.
The three new Adrian Dominican Associates are as follows:
Linda Lysakowski, a native of Pennsylvania, is a consultant who has written 40 books on fundraising and spirituality. A mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother, she soon will be celebrating her 80th birthday.
She is currently working toward a master’s degree in spirituality from the Franciscan School of Theology in San Diego, California. Linda recently joined the Social Justice Circle through the Office of Dominican Charism. She is also involved in her parish as a book club leader, catechist, and Eucharistic minister.
“Since my early days, I’ve always felt that my faith can only be possible through harmony between my mind and heart,” Linda said. “The Adrian Dominican Sisters and Associates have strengthened my faith.”
Arlene Obremski, a native of Brooklyn, New York, moved to California, where she raised two daughters. With a doctorate in education, she served in special education.
“Each of us has a unique call, something we can do for God,” Arlene said. “All that is required is for us to say yes, to give our fiat like Mary did centuries ago.”
Arlene’s call includes offering a support group for widows and widowers as they experience life without their spouses and serving as a Eucharistic minister at her parish and soon at the St. Rose Dominican Hospitals campuses. She has also participated in formation sessions for prospective Associates and in virtual retreats offered by the Congregation.
Carol Rajchel, a native of Indiana, moved to Nevada in 2000 with her husband, daughter, and son. She has held a variety of positions at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals, and currently serves as Director of Nursing Operations, overseeing many aspects of patient care. She is active in her parish and in a neighboring parish.
As a transplant to Nevada, Carol feels a connection to and is inspired by the seven Adrian Dominican Sisters who first came to Henderson in 1947 to open St. Rose Dominican Hospitals. “They continue the legacy with their will, determination, and faith,” she said.
For her part, Carol is committed to “make the world a better place to live in, whether with word or service. I am here to say yes to being an Adrian Dominican Associate and to continue the legacy to serve.”
After the Associates were introduced and proclaimed their desire to be known and recognized as Adrian Dominican Associates, Mary Lach led them through the remainder of the ritual: the lighting of candles to symbolize the light of Christ; the signing of the documents of association, formally marking their association with the Adrian Dominican Congregation; and the presentation of the Associates’ logos.
Mary also preached on the Scripture passage read in the opening prayer, from St. Paul’s second letter to Timothy. “Paul tells Timothy and us to fan into flames that gifts that were given to us,” she said. But in a time of information overload such as ours, she asked, how can we discern where God is leading us and where we can find the truth? “Through the many opportunities provided through the Office of Dominican Charism, you will find many ways to seek truth, make peace, reverence life,” she reassured the new Associates.
For information on how to become an Associate or to live out the Dominican Charism in a number of other ways, contact Nancy Mason Bordley, Director of the Office of Dominican Charism, at 517-266-3534 or nmbordley@adriandominicans.org. For information on how to become an Adrian Dominican Sister, contact Sister Mary Jones, OP, at 517-266-3532 or vocations@adriandominicans.org.
November 1, 2022, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt – “It’s really now or never. …There’s no turning back.”
Those words by Sister Durstyne Farnan, OP, Dominican Representative to the United Nations, illustrate the urgency she takes with her as she attends the Conference of the Parties (COP27) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), held November 6-18, 2022, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Sister Durstyne will serve as a delegate, representing Dominicans and all women religious at COP27.
COP27 was not originally scheduled for 2022, Sister Durstyne said, but the commitments made by the UN member states at COP26 last year were not strong enough – or not acted upon strongly enough – to make a difference in climate change mitigation efforts. Her hope for COP27 is for the member states to make firm commitments to reduce emissions of fossil fuels to keep the rise in temperature at or below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Participants of COP27 are divided into two basic groups: the Blue Zone, reserved for UN member states who will decide on limiting fossil fuel emissions in their nations, and the Green Zone, made up of various groups of civil society – including faith-based groups. While negotiations and the work of COP27 will take place in the Blue Zone, the Green Zone will be the site of side events such as workshops and opportunities for those in civil society to make their voices heard.
“The emphasis in COP26 was loss and damage, and member states didn’t want to hear about it,” Sister Durstyne said. But, she added, “climate change is already severely impacting Earth and all of her resources.” She pointed to hotter summers and to food scarcity – two of the many environmental problems brought about by climate change. “All we can do now is try to limit [the effects of climate change],” she said.
Sister Durstyne described the current world situation as “a very scary moment.” However, she said, she finds hope in the fact that COP27 is taking place. “People are going to come together and significant decisions are going to be made,” she said. “If they don’t, we won’t have a future without catastrophic things happening to people and nations globally.” She finds hope especially from the voices of those most affected – the people of southern nations in Africa and South America, already being afflicted because of climate change.
Another source of hope for Sister Durstyne is the involvement of people of faith who are trying to bring their voices into the discussions of COP27. “I really hope I can bring the faith dimension to this gathering.”
People of faith will have a particularly visible presence to COP27 on November 13, during a pilgrimage to Mount Sinai, where God revealed the 10 Commandments to Moses. “We will be pilgrims going to Mount Sinai to pray… about how we might mitigate climate change,” Sister Durstyne said. She noted that a similar symbol – the burning bush by which God first communicated with Moses – was used in the September 1 to October 4, 2022, Season of Creation. “We were addressing the topic of Mother Earth heating up,” she explained.
In particular, Sister Durstyne said, COP27 means much for the Dominican family throughout the world. “Justice is constitutive for Dominicans,” she said. “It’s part of preaching.” This preaching about climate change can be experienced through Shoeless in Sinai: A Digital Pilgrimage that includes several online events and the invitation to a daily prayer sequence from November 6-18. The COP27 calendar includes daily reflections that are to be used in the prayer sequence, along with links to videos highlighting ecological work done by many Dominican congregations.
Adrian Dominican Sisters who contributed reflections were Sisters Emmy Chelagat Choge, OP, Jenny Fajardo, OP, Durstyne Farnan, OP, and Corinne Sanders, OP. The calendar also includes videos by Jared Aslakson, Permaculture Specialist for the Adrian Dominican Sisters, on rain gardens and Sister Patricia Benson, OP, on water.
Those who cannot attend COP27 or the pilgrimage to Sinai can keep up with the gathering through other resources as well: through the Justice Coalition of Religious Guide to COP27.
Justice Coalition of Religious Guide to COP27: https://jcor2030.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/JCoR-Guide-to-COP27.pdf
Shoeless in Sinai: A Digital Pilgrimage to COP27: https://jcor2030.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Shoeless-on-Sinai_Virtual-Events-Daily-Prayer-for-a-Digital-Pilgrimage-to-COP27-1.pdf
Calendar with Prayer Resources and Video Links: https://jcor2030.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/COP-27-Calendar-1.pdf