News | Live Stream | Video Library
Contact Us | Employment | Donate
July 13, 2021, Adrian, Michigan – The Adrian Dominican Congregation celebrated the lives and faithful dedication of 44 Jubilarians – one Sister marking 80 years; 12 marking 75 years; 14 celebrating their Double-Diamond (70-year) Jubilee; 17 celebrating their Diamond (60-year) Jubilee; and one Sister marking her Silver (25-year) Jubilee. Together, the Jubilarians represent 3,005 years of religious life, dedicated to God, the Church, and the Adrian Dominican Congregation.
The Congregation’s formal celebration – scaled down from previous years because of the COVID-19 pandemic – involved a Memorial Mass for seven deceased Diamond Jubilarians on June 25, 2021, and the formal Jubilee Mass for the living Diamond and Silver Jubilarians on June 26, 2021.
As a sign that the Motherhouse Campus is gradually reopening, seven Jubilarians who live at the Motherhouse or in surrounding Lenawee County attended the two Masses in person. They were Sisters Rosemary (Maura Catherine) Abramovich, OP, Virginia (John Thoma) Corley, OP, Tarianne (Virginia Anne) DeYonker, OP, Carmen Joseph Dominguez, OP, Mary (Mary Ardice) Keefe, OP, and Gloria (Jonathan) Korhonen, OP, all Diamond Jubilarians, and Sister Aneesah McNamee, OP, a Silver Jubilarian.
The Sisters celebrating their 80, 75, and 70 years of religious life were honored separately by their Mission Chapters. View the complete list of the 2021 Jubilarians.
In a moving ritual during the Memorial Mass, individual Jubilarians placed a flower in a vase in front of the altar as each deceased Diamond Jubilarian’s name was proclaimed: Mary Elizabeth (Marie Jonathan) Beres, OP, Carol Ann (Mary Teresina) Dulka, OP, Michele Kopp, OP, Mary Ann Luby, OP, Theresa (Victor Mary) McCall, OP, Ann (M. Catherine) Schafer, OP, and Mary Eileen (Eileen Paul) Sullivan, OP.
During the Memorial Mass, Sisters Mary Keefe, OP, and Tarianne DeYonker, OP, reflected on the opening prayer of the Congregation’s Rite of Committal: “We bring our Sister to this holy place, this sacred ground to join with those in the communion of our Adrian Dominican Saints who have gone before us. This is a place of peace and rest, of memory, inspiration, and gratitude for all of those who have gone before us and who now lie in these circles of discipleship and friendship.”
“Reflecting on the end point of our lives can give us a healthy perspective on our life choices at difficult times and remind us of our need for one another,” Sister Mary said. “We are truly companions, called to support one another in good times and in bad times. Inspired by our Sisters who have gone before us, may we also be witnesses to the spirit of Dominic and Catherine [of Siena].”
Watch the Memorial Liturgy.
The Jubilee Liturgy on June 26 exuded a spirit of joy and celebration. Father James Hug, SJ, traced Jubilee to the Hebrew Scriptures, Leviticus 25:8-22. “Loving God, you established the original Jubilee, the Sabbath of Sabbath years, to remind us that all creation comes freely from your hand as your gift of love to your people,” he said. “Today we celebrate your love to these Jubilarians, grateful that you called them to your service.”
Prioress Patricia Siemen, OP, addresses Jubilarians near and far as she reflects on the readings for the Jubilee Mass.
Prioress Patricia Siemen, OP, addressed the Jubilarians, noting the joy of Sisters, Associates, and friends in joining them virtually in the celebration of their Jubilee. “Each of you have blessed and been blessed by so many people and places with your individual and communal ‘yes’ over these many years,” she said. “You have poured out your loving presence among the youth, those who are sick, and those who are in need of an education … You have served in foreign lands, rural areas, and inner cities, preaching a word of welcome and healing to those who experience broken relationships.”
Sister Gloria represented all of the Jubilarians – those in the chapel and those watching via live stream – in renewing her vows to Sister Patricia.
Watch the Jubilee Mass. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you’ll see the video on the right.
The Jubilee celebration was coordinated by the Jubilee Committee: Sister Marie Joy Finfera, OP, Chair; Sister Virginia Corley, OP; and Co-workers Krystal Baker, Jan Bourg, Jeanette Desgrange, Ashley Duke, Susan Kremski, and Jill Maria Murdy.
July 9, 2020, Adrian, Michigan – The Adrian Dominican Congregation celebrated the years of commitment and dedication to the Congregation, the Church, and the people of God of 34 Sisters celebrating their Silver (25-year), Golden (50-year) and Diamond (60- year) Jubilees. Sisters who mark 70- and 75-year Jubilees this year will celebrate at a later date.
The Jubilee celebration – normally encompassing several days of gatherings, prayers, and input culminating in the Jubilee Liturgy on Saturday for Jubilarians and guests – was condensed into a single liturgy on June 28, 2020, in St. Catherine Chapel. The liturgy was live streamed to the Jubilarians and their families and friends, who were unable to gather at the Motherhouse this year because of COVID-19.
View the recording of the Jubilee Liturgy at the bottom of this article.
The Jubilee year “is a holy year for those of us who are celebrating 60, 50, and 25 years of ministry,” said Sister Joanne Peters, OP, a Diamond Jubilarian. “It represents a total of 1,995 years of commitment and gospel ministry.”
Sister Joanne noted the “wonders of technology” that allow the Congregation to live stream the Jubilee liturgy to Jubilarians, other Sisters, family members, and colleagues from current and past ministries throughout the United States and around the world. “To know many of you are with us in spirit brings added joy to our hearts,” Sister Joanne said.
She also noted the creative ways in which the Jubilee Committee brought the Jubilarians into the celebration. In one section of the chapel, photos of the faces of the Jubilarians were fastened to the seats, making them present to those who were physically in the chapel.
In addition, as each Jubilarian’s name was called, a flower was presented and placed in a vase standing near the altar. A votive candle was lit for each of the seven deceased Diamond Jubilarians: Sisters Loretta (Mary Ronan) Broderick, OP, Helen (Mary Perpetua) Faiver, OP, Molly (Michael Maureen) Giller, OP, Carol (Rose Carolyn) Kelly, OP, Susan (Susan Marie) Ouwerkerk, OP, Gail (Peter Elaine) Singel, OP, and Monica (Monica Charles) Stankus, OP.
Father Jim Hug, OP, the presider, welcomed the assembly attending through live stream. “I’m conscious of your faithfulness to God and God’s faithfulness to you through all these years, those you’ve touched and blessed,” he said.
Prioress Patricia Siemen, OP, in her reflection, noted the bittersweetness of the occasion, since the Jubilarians could not attend the Jubilee Mass. “Just know we miss you and, in the name of all your Sisters and our Associates from across the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, and the United States, we joyfully wish you … abundant blessings.”
Reflecting on the Gospel passage in which Jesus promised a reward to those who gave even a small cup of water to a disciple, Sister Patricia noted that, over the years, the Jubilarians have given actual and symbolic cups of water to those in need – “to those who thirst for social, racial, and economic justice; to those who thirst for spiritual and physical healing; to those who thirst for solid theological foundations and spiritual depth in life; to those who thirst for quality education and agency in their lives; to those who thirst for mercy and for Earth’s healing; and especially for all those who thirst for truth.”
Sister Patricia also expressed the hope that the 2020 Jubilarians would celebrate in person at the Motherhouse in 2021.
Sister Joanne, as the only Jubilarian present in the chapel, renewed her vows in the presence Sister Patricia. Jubilarians watching from live stream or from closed circuit television were invited to join Sister Joanne in renewing their vows.
The Jubilarians include Sisters Maria Eneida Santiago, OP, Silver, and Zenaida C. Nacpil, OP, Golden. The Diamond Jubilarians are: Sisters Maurine (John Marmion) Barzantni, OP, Patricia Noreen (Mary Johnetta) Benson, OP, Mary (Catherine Robert) Carr, OP, Anita (Jean Vincent) Chiappetta, OP, Maryetta (Joseph Jean) Churches, OP, June Mary (Robert William) Deswysen, OP, Mary Ann (Maureen Thomas) Dixon, OP, Mary Katherine (John Gabriel) Drouin, OP, Kathleen (Michael Annette) Erard, OP, Patricia (Michael Dominic) Erickson, OP, Patricia (Janice Ann) Fischer, OP, Juliann (Maura Thomas) Flynn, OP, Janet Marie Fulgenzi, OP, Mary Elizabeth (Andrew Joseph) Gaiss, OP, Grace (Susan Angela) Gianella, OP, Mary Katherine (Mark Christine) Homan, OP, Helene (Dominic Louise) Kloss, OP, Jean Marie Lehtinen, OP, Marie Carleen Maly, OP, Annice Mordenski, OP, Catherine Ormond Olds, OP, Joanne (Mary Concepta) Peters, OP, Jamie (Martin Thomas) Phelps, OP, Diane (Michael David) Pitera, OP, Joann (Rose Joseph) Plumpe, OP, Barbara Jean (Cyril Therese) Quincey, OP, Ann Rena Shinkey, OP, Mary Helen (Ethel Joseph) Smolbrook, OP, Joan Lawrence Sustersic, OP, Kathleen (William Lorraine) Voss, OP, Kathleen (Charles Miriam) Walli, OP, and Joanne (James Alice) Wimmer, OP.
Read the full list of living and deceased Jubilarians.
Members of the Jubilee Committee are: Sister Marie Joy Finfera, OP, Chair; Sisters Virginia Corley, OP, and Joan Sustersic, OP; Krystal Baker, Weber Center; Jan Bourg, Office of Information; Jeanette Desgrange, Office Support Services; Susan Kremski, Food Services; Jill Maria Murdy, Liturgical Ministries; and Ashley Saxton, Communications.
Photos of the 2020 Silver, Golden, and Diamond Jubilarians – fastened to the chairs – brought the presence of the Jubilarians to St. Catherine Chapel during the Jubilee Mass.
Worship Aid (PDF)