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By Nancy Mason Bordley Director, Office of Dominican Charism
March 19, 2026, Adrian, Michigan – The Holy Spirit is stirring again in the Dominican Family.
The Dominican Life Collaborative is an organization rooted deeply in the charism of St. Dominic and freshly responsive to the needs of our time. This new expression of Dominican life, this authentic Dominican vocation, invites women and men to live the Gospel through prayer, study, community, and preaching, woven intentionally into the realities of everyday life.
This new form arises from the same Dominican fire that has burned for more than 800 years:
Members of this new form are not stepping away from the world but stepping more deeply into it – as contemplatives in action; witnesses of hope; and companions to the poor, the searching, and the forgotten. Their preaching flows not only from words, but from lives shaped by the Gospel and attentive to the cries of our world.
On November 18, 2025, a livestream for Sisters and Associates outlined a pathway for moving into the future, since Associate Life, as we have known it, will be coming to an end. We are now delighted to announce the emergence of the Dominican Life Collaborative, a new form of Dominican Life that will offer current Associates and new seekers an opportunity to discern their call to continue living the charism in a new vocation.
We invite you to pray with us, to listen for God’s call, and to walk with us as this new expression of Dominican life takes shape. Whether you are discerning, curious, or simply grateful for the ongoing creativity of the Spirit within the Dominican Family, we welcome your presence and your prayers. Contact the Leadership Team (listed below) through me with any questions or suggestions.
St. Dominic, pray for us! May this new form of life bear fruit for the Church and for the world.
Leadership Team Jane Bertsch Jo Curran Judi Engel Dee Joyner Laura Law James Mallare Rosemary Martin Celeste Mueller Kathy Woods
March 4, 2026, Miami, Florida – Two Adrian Dominican Sisters – themselves immigrants from Latin America and naturalized U.S. citizens – were among a group of Catholics and other people of goodwill participating in late January 2026 in a Mass, procession, and prayer service in Miami in solidarity with their immigrant sisters and brothers. Participants attended Mass at Gesú Church and processed to the Immigration Court to attend the prayer service. The service included testimony from people affected by the recent efforts to deport immigrants.
The event was sponsored by Barry University, founded by the Adrian Dominican Sisters; Gesú Church; the Instituto Jesuita Pedro Arrupe, and Catholic Legal Services of the Archdiocese of Miami.
“I think that because I’m a Latina who came to this country [from the Dominican Republic] 18 years ago, what happens with immigration is close to my heart,” said Sister Xiomara Méndez-Hernández, OP. “I’ve had to be intentional about being a presence where I can.”
Sister Marilín Llanes, OP, came to the United States from Cuba with her parents at the age of 6. “I came at a time in the early ’70s when this country welcomed immigrants, especially from Cuba,” she said. “I am very sad and appalled at the lack of respect and welcome to immigrants today.”
Sister Marilín noted that in the past year in Miami – a city where more than 60% to 70% of the population is Latino – the amount of public outrage against the treatment of immigrants has been sparse. But the January event drew a crowd of about 200 citizens and residents united in their concern for the immigrants.
Sisters Xiomara and Marilín were not sure what to expect during the event. “We were prepared for the best and for the worst,” Sister Xiomara said. “We had Plan A, B, and C. We sat in a strategic place where we could see the exit.” They also stayed together throughout the event for their safety and brought their passports to verify their U.S. citizenship. Sister Xiomara said she was nervous in attending the event, which took place shortly after the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. But, she added, “we didn’t want fear to stop us from being a presence.”
They were pleased by the sense of unity among the participants. “There wasn’t any altercation, any agitation,” Sister Marilín said. “It was very peaceful.” The police escorted them during the procession and protected them as they headed back to their car, she added. “We felt like we had bodyguards.”
Sister Xiomara said the presence and the attitude of the police transformed the event for her. “I was telling the police, thank you, and they were so appreciative,” she recalled. “They said, ‘We’re honored to serve you.’ That changed the tune. The way we reverenced them – everybody was so respectful and so grateful to the police.”
Sisters Marilín and Xiomara said they are always watching out for opportunities to stand with the immigrants and to be a presence to them and hope to attend a monthly ecumenical prayer service in nearby Broward County. “It’s being a presence but also reaching out to our legislators, voicing ourselves through that venue.”
At the same time, they also strive to reach out to people who have opposing political views. Sister Marilín recalled a recent incident in which a member of a conservative youth group asked her how the Adrian Dominican Sisters stand on immigration. “I realized I had to put aside my difference with her, and we kept the conversation to the point that she felt that her parish wasn’t praying for the immigrants,” she said. “She might agree with some of the policies that I don’t agree with, but we find a place to keep the conversation [going].”
Noting that Florida is a Republican state, Sister Xiomara said, “Some of my good friends, loving people, they voted for [President Donald] Trump, and I have been tempted not to engage with them. But we honor each other, and because we love each other, we can engage in conversation.”
Sister Marilín added: “If Dominic were around, he would really support the dialogue.”
Feature Photo at Top: Members of the Barry University community participate in the Mass, procession, and prayer service for immigrants in January. Among them, standing in the center front, are Sister Marilín Llanes, OP, left, wearing a black T-shirt; Father Jorge Presmanes, OP, in the white habit; and Sister Xiomara Méndez-Hernández, OP.