What's Happening

October 20, 2023, Detroit – In the coming weeks, many of us will see signs that the Christmas Season is approaching, from items for sale to secular Christmas music on the radio and decorations in homes and the public square. 

Sister Janet Schaeffler, OP, in her latest Advent booklet, invites Christians to approach the weeks before Christmas as a “time for holy listening” as we await the coming of Jesus in our lives and our world. “Advent is our introverted season,” she wrote in the book’s introduction. “The world around us does a lot of chatting, chattering, and contesting. Advent gives us a space for holy listening.”

In A Time for Holy Listening, Sister Janet lists the Scripture readings for each day, along with a reflection, a suggested daily practice, and a short Advent prayer – all tied to the day’s readings. 

A retreat leader and a consultant for catechists and adult faith formation leaders, Sister Janet once ministered as Director of Adult Faith Formation for the Archdiocese of Detroit. She received the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) Distinguished Service Award.

A Time for Holy Listening is available from the Weber Center Shop at Weber Retreat and Conference Center on the Adrian Dominican Motherhouse Campus. The shop is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Saturday. The shop is closed for lunch from noon to 12:45 p.m. Copies can be ordered from the Weber Shop through email, [email protected], or by calling 517-266-4035. 

The Advent booklet is also available in English and Spanish from Twenty-Third Publications.  
 

October 20, 2023, Adrian, Michigan – Halfway around the world from the war and turmoil in Israel and Gaza, Adrian Dominican Sisters and representatives of Siena Heights University gathered on October 17, 2023, for a Rosary prayer service for the suffering people of the Holy Land.

The General Council of the Adrian Dominican Sisters issued a statement that morning, supporting the call for prayer from the churches in Jerusalem and Pope Francis and inviting the public to this time of prayer.

“Any time there is the kind of war and division and conflict that exists in the world right now in such stark terms in the Middle East, it calls on all of us people of faith to prayer,” Sister Elise D. García, OP, Prioress of the Adrian Dominican Congregation, said during an interview with WTOL-TV News, based in Toledo, Ohio. 

“We all live busy lives, and our students, our faculty, our administration – we’ve got many things going on,” said Douglas Palmer, PhD, President of Siena Heights University. “But I think every time we call a pause and reflect in prayer, I think that has power.”  

Watch the coverage by WTOL.