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June 13, 2024, Adrian, Michigan – What can mystics of the past teach us about how to live in our troubled world today? Retreatants can gain an understanding of their message through A Retreat on the Mystics: Julian of Norwich and Thomas Merton. The retreat begins at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, July 28, 2024, and finishes at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 31, 2024.

Joan M. Nuth, Associate Professor Emerita of Theology at John Carroll University in Cleveland, focuses on Julian of Norwich, a 14th-century English mystic whose eloquent theological writings served as an antidote to the fears and despair raised by the Black Death in her time.

Thomas Merton (1915-1968), an American Trappist monk, deepened his understanding of Christian mysteries such as the Trinity, the Incarnation, and the Paschal mystery through his encounters with the mystical traditions of the Buddhists and the Sufis. Joseph Quinn (Joe) Raab, a Professor of Religious Studies and Theology at Siena Heights University, shares his studies on Thomas Merton.

The retreat costs $180 for commuters, $280 per person for double occupancy, and $380 for single occupancy. Registration is required. Visit www.webercenter.org and click on “programs,” call 517-266-4000, or email webercenter@adriandominicans.org. Limited scholarships are available.

Weber Center is on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters Motherhouse, Adrian, Michigan. Traveling east on Siena Heights Drive, pass the Adrian Rea Literacy Center and turn left just before the solar panel-covered carport. Follow the signs to Weber Center. For information, call the Weber Center at 517-266-4000.
 

By Sister Marilín Llanes, OP
Director, Portfolio Advisory Board Office

Photo Courtesy of Inclusiv

June 12, 2024, New York, New York – A high-spirited celebration took place this May in New York City, hosted by Inclusiv on its 50th anniversary. Inclusiv has been a community partner since 1982 of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Portfolio Advisory Board (PAB), which provided capital that launched its first impact investment.  

Inclusiv invests funds into community development credit unions to support lending, wealth building, and financial inclusion initiatives in low-income and underserved communities throughout the United States and beyond.
 
The Inclusiv gathering of more than 800 partners and colleagues commemorated an amazing milestone, reimagining opportunities and pathways toward a more equitable and inclusive present and future for generations. 

Many voices that have been formative to the movement were present, including the Adrian Dominican Sisters, represented at the event by Sister Durstyne Farnan, OP. Leaders from a vast cross-section of community investors shared their insights and commitments to social justice and created investments throughout the three-day event. 

Additional comments and highlights of the partnership between Inclusiv and the PAB were featured in Inclusiv’s 2023 Annual Report, reproduced below with permission.

First In: Our Long Partnership with the Adrian Dominican Sisters

In 1982, federal support for Community Development Credit Unions (CDCUs) was waning. Inclusiv, then known as the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions, began searching for outside investors. The Adrian Dominican Sisters became our first – providing a $30,000 loan that laid the foundation for a new capitalization program and cemented our role as a Community Development Financial Intermediary.

Some 42 years later, the partnership with the Adrian Sisters continues. Sister Marilín Llanes, Director of the Sisters’ Portfolio Advisory Office, shared that our continued relationship is about more than just familiarity – it’s about values.

“Our relationship with Inclusiv has always been about aligning ourselves with a partner that shares the same values that we do,” she said. “It’s about our commitment to respond to the social injustice of our time. It’s about women, people of color, Indigenous people, the LGBTQ+ community, and anyone who has experienced marginalization. WE want to be there and to help them prosper.”

In recent years, the Adrian Dominican Sisters have deepened their commitment to not only social but also environmental stewardship. They recognize that ecological sustainability is inextricably linked to social justice and have begun to prioritize investments that reflect this understanding. This evolution of their investment strategy resonates with Inclusiv’s expanding focus on environmental sustainability and climate justice.
 
After 42 years, Sister Marilín sees a long road ahead for this relationship.

“I see Inclusiv as a long-term partner of ours in the mission to bring about what the Scripture calls ‘beloved community,’” she shared. “Our relationship has been so supportive and I look forward to the next thing I’ll learn through the incredible community that Inclusiv has built.”
 

Reprinted with permission from the Inclusiv 2023 Annual Report