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May 17, 2022, Adrian, Michigan – The following is a statement issued by the General Council of the Adrian Dominican Sisters in response to the tragic mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, on May 14, 2022. 

Our hearts ache for our brothers and sisters in Buffalo, New York, in their immense and inconsolable loss of beautiful beloved family members, friends, and neighbors to the murderous rampage of a violently disturbed, hate-filled teenager. This heinous act of domestic terrorism is a threat to all of us. It calls on us to do all we can to expunge the underlying sin of racism and white supremacy that perdures in our nation and finds expression in such horrifically lethal extremism. It is a soul sickness that runs contrary to our loving God whose image and likeness is revealed in each and every one of us living together on this our common Earth home.
   
Our faith tradition calls us to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). In that spirit, we invite you to join us in praying for the repose of the 10 souls whose lives were so cruelly shattered in seconds, for the comfort of all who are bearing that grievous loss, and for the national resolve to challenge the vitriolic discourse of hatred that emboldens deadly violence and blinds us from the truth of God’s deep and abiding love for each and every one of us, all made in God’s glorious image. 

Members of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ General Council are Sisters Patricia Siemen, OP, Prioress; Mary Margaret Pachucki, OP, Vicaress and General Councilor; Frances Nadolny, OP, Administrator and General Councilor; and Patricia Harvat, OP, and Elise D. García, OP, General Councilors.
 

May 16, 2022, Adrian, Michigan – Women religious (Catholic Sisters) have tended to be at the forefront of recognizing and appreciating differences among people in the world: they have striven to become anti-racist, to welcome the immigrant and the exiled, and to care for all creatures who share our common home, Earth.

Sister Laurie Brink, OP, PhD

Sister Laurie Brink, OP, a Dominican Sister of Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, takes Sisters to the next level in her presentation, The Differences Among Us: Seeking Unity in Diversity, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at Weber Retreat and Conference Center. She reflects on the need for women religious to recognize and respect the generational, ecclesial, racial, and cultural differences among members of their own congregations.

Sister Laurie, a Professor of New Testament Studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, is the author of several books and an Associate Editor of The Bible Today. 

The Differences Among Us is offered both in-person at Weber Retreat and Conference Center and via live stream. In-person guests will be screened for COVID-19 and required to wear masks. There is no cost, but donations are appreciated. Registration is required and is available at www.webercenter.org; click on “programs.” Registrations may also be made by calling 517-266-4000 or emailing webercenter@adriandominicans.org. 

Weber Center is located on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse, Adrian, 1257 E. Siena Heights Drive, Adrian. For information, call the Weber Center at 517-266-4000.