What's Happening

November 12, 2024, Adrian, Michigan – Catholic Sisters leading Michigan congregations that have collectively served the people of Michigan for more than 700 years are joining with other organizations and municipalities across the state in calling on state lawmakers to pass the Drive SAFE (Safety, Access, Freedom, and Economy) legislation pending in the legislature.
 
The Drive SAFE bill package would make non-commercial Michigan driver’s licenses and state identification cards available to applicants who do not have proof of U.S. citizenship or immigration status. The bill would allow undocumented immigrants to have driver’s licenses and reinstate the right to drive in Michigan, a right that was revoked in 2008 and that currently exists in 18 other states and Washington, D.C. The Drive SAFE bill package is supported by Strangers No Longer of Southeast Michigan, an immigrant advocacy organization.
 
“As women of faith we support this legislation because it honors the inherent dignity of all persons and supports the safety and welfare of all Michigan residents. We also support it as practical Michiganders because it makes common sense and is cost-effective,” the leaders stated.
 
Providing access to driver’s licenses and state IDs for all residents of Michigan – regardless of their documentation – gives residents the ability to care for their families and get to and from work and/or school without fear of being arrested, detained, and deported. It also enables residents to participate in daily activities in their communities that require identification. 
 
“These bills would benefit all Michiganders, making our roads and communities safer and improve our economy by adding to the state’s revenue,” the Sisters said.  
 
The legislation provides that all drivers be trained, screened, and tested and required to have auto insurance. In case of emergencies, officials would be able to efficiently identify all individuals. The legislation is estimated to increase revenues in the State of Michigan by up to $13.5 million within the first three years of its passage.
 
“We strongly urge our legislators to pass Drive SAFE legislation for the common good of all residents of Michigan,” the Sisters stated.
 

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The Michigan congregations whose leaders have issued this statement include Dominican Sisters of Adrian; Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids; Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Monroe; Congregation of St. Joseph, Detroit; Sisters, Home Visitors of Mary of Detroit; Servants of Jesus, Detroit. The leaders of these congregations are members of the U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) and part of its geographic Region VII.

September 23, 2024, Adrian, Michigan – In response to unfounded statements against Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, made during and following the September 10, 2024, presidential debate, the Leadership Council of the Adrian Dominican Sisters issued the following statement on behalf of Adrian Dominican Sisters and Associates.  

Statement of Leadership Council of the Adrian Dominican Sisters 

As we enter the final weeks of a national election in a deeply divided nation, with dangerous undercurrents of violence and threats to our democracy, we are deeply troubled by hateful language in political discourse – especially when fabricated to demonize immigrants. It not only violates their inherent dignity as persons made in the image of God but also places them and countless others in peril. This mean-spirited discourse is incendiary, giving rise to bomb threats that have closed or locked down schools, hospitals and other public spaces in our neighboring state of Ohio. 

As women of faith who know and have worked with Haitians and many other migrants forced to leave beloved homes for the safety of their families, we are sickened and alarmed by the unfair, painful characterizations that endanger people already fleeing violence. In a nation gifted by the richness of our diversity, we pray for and are committed to building a beloved community.

We call on all candidates for public office, especially those seeking our nation’s highest office, to engage in civil discourse characterized by respect, decency, and basic human kindness. “In God’s hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of every human being” (Job 12:10). 

Members of the Adrian Dominican Sisters Leadership Council include Sisters Bibiana Colasito, OP, General Councilor; Margaret Coyne, OP, Chapter Prioress; Sara Fairbanks, OP, Mission Prioress; Judith Friedel, OP, Chapter Prioress; Elise D. García, OP, Prioress of the Congregation; Mary Jane Lubinski, OP, Mission Prioress; Marie Yolanda Manapsal, OP, Chapter Prioress; Frances Nadolny, OP, General Councilor; Mary Priniski, OP, Chapter Prioress; Lorraine Réaume, OP, Vicaress and General Councilor; Corinne Sanders, OP, General Councilor; and Mary Soher, OP, Mission Prioress.