What's Happening

October 18, 2024, Las Vegas, Nevada – Sister Kathleen “Katie” McGrail, OP, was recognized by Nevada Business Magazine last month as one of 10 Healthcare Heroes in Southern Nevada for 2024. Sister Katie, who has ministered for 14 years at Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican Hospitals was recognized in the volunteer category. 

Nearly 400 people attended the awards presentation, which also included dinner and a live auction. 

“It has been a joy for me to work alongside the staff,” Sister Katie said when she received the award. “I do what I do because I am inspired by my co-workers, by their dedication and commitment. They bring heart, compassion, and care to their service.”

Sister Katie first came to St. Rose Dominican Hospitals to serve as Vice President of Mission at the Siena Campus. She oversaw several hospital expansions and, for years, chaired the Dignity Health Community Grant Awards program. Until 2019, when sponsorship was transferred to CommonSpirit Health, St. Rose Dominican Hospitals was sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters. 

Sister Katie said her time at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals was her first experience of ministering in the healthcare field, but she has always drawn on her experience as an educator even in this new field. As Vice President of Mission, she brought the spirit of the Adrian Dominican Sisters to Board members and staff. She continues to share the Dominican heritage with the hospital community.    

Now Sister Katie ministers as a health educator, co-facilitating classes for seniors. These include a fall prevention class and cognitive stimulation therapy for those who are in the early stages of dementia. The classes are part of the hospital’s Community Health Department. “They’re programs trying to keep our people out of our hospitals” and healthy and independent, she said. 

She and Sister Mary Jean Williams, OP, also teach skills to caregivers, “mainly to give them skills to take care of themselves” as they’re caring for their loved ones, Sister Katie explained. “I’m so inspired when I leave the caregivers course, just hearing of the love they have for the people they care for. That always touches my heart.”

In addition, Sister Katie helps to train Senior Peer Counselors through an intense program of 17 three-hour sessions. The 22 peer counselors meet monthly to share their experiences of working with other seniors, who may suffer from problems such as loneliness, separation from their family, and transition to retirement, Sister Katie said. “They share what’s going on with their clients and they get feedback,” she explained. 

“I never thought I’d be in healthcare, but when you’re in an actual hospital setting, you realize the vulnerability of the people,” Sister Katie said. “It’s a time when they touch in with their values and their lives and what’s important to them.” 

Sister Katie said she is inspired by the staff. “It’s a real call – not just a job or a profession,” she said, recalling the selfless dedication of the staff, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. “They have great concern, and yet they’re dealing with the challenges of healthcare and being able to survive this time of so much competition. It’s a faith-based mission, and we’re giving from ourselves, from the heart, going to the heart of the mission.” 

 

Caption for above feature photo: Attending the award ceremony for Sister Kathleen “Katie” McGrail, OP, are seated, from left, Sister Jean Williams, OP; Phil Bonino, Chief Nurse Executive, Rose de Lima Hospital; Tom Burns, President, San Martin Hospital and Rosa de Lima Hospital; and Chad Warren, President, St. Rose Dominican Health Foundation. Standing, from left, are Sister Elisabeth Nguyen, OP; Associate Holly Lyman, Community Health Director, Dignity Health Nevada; Sister Katie McGrail, OP; Coy Raiford, Interim Mission Leader, Dignity Health Nevada; and Gordon Absher, External Communications Manager, Dignity Health Central Region.
Photo Courtesy of St. Rose Dominican Hospitals

By Sister Nancyann Turner, OP, and Rosa Parks Staff

October 18, 2024, Detroit – The Rosa Parks Children and Youth Program at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen celebrated its 25th anniversary with a reunion in late September. Sister Nancyann Turner, OP, creator of the program, was the guest of honor.

The Rosa Parks Children and Youth Program aims to stretch the minds of young people in Detroit, stimulating their creativity to help them find alternatives to violence. Activities include after-school tutoring, art therapy, a lending library, seasonal family activities, youth leadership development, and three-week summer peace camps.
 
Former employees, volunteers, families, and participants attended the celebration. Many former participants, now in their 20s and 30s, brought their own children.

In her opening remarks, Sister Nancyann thanked the many people gathered for all that they had taught her about life and the many ways the children and families blessed her. Guests were invited to reflect on their experiences in the program and shared the highlights of their time with the Rosa Parks Children and Youth Program. They spoke of their appreciation for how the program made them feel safe or how they enjoyed the art projects. “The garden program was my favorite,” one participant said. “People are surprised when I can point out a certain plant or talk about the Earth.”

The alumni also shared many stories about how the program made them better people. “I learned about myself and God and values during our yearly retreats, field trips, and Leadership Camp,” one participant said. “The Girls Support Group made a big impact on me during my teens,” another recalled.

Many families commented that the core foundation of the program was peace and respect. They all remembered being blessed with a greeting of peace from Sister Nancyann each evening as they left for home. 

Numerous former and current participants remembered that with the support of the staff and the community with other participants, the program really “felt like a family.” As one mother remarked, “It wasn’t just a program but a beloved community; these were sacred rooms and endeavors.”

Over the years, several Adrian Dominican Sisters volunteered their services in the tutoring and art therapy programs. Others helped with special events like Easter egg decorating and Peace Camp projects. Mission Groups – made up of Adrian Dominican Sisters and lay Associates – often contributed school supplies and Christmas gifts for the mothers.

Sister Nancyann still volunteers one day a week, doing therapy with the children. It is the hope of many that the program will continue for at least another 25 years.

 

Caption for above feature photo: Sister Nancyann Turner, OP, works on fall crafts with a young participant in the Rosa Parks Children and Youth Program at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit.
Adrian Dominican Sisters file photo