What's Happening

June 8, 2016, Niles, Illinois – Sister Sally Ormsby, OP, was recognized for her service and the contributions she has made to Notre Dame College Prep, an all-boys high school founded by the Holy Cross Brothers, where she has served as a religion teacher for nine years. 

Sister Sally received the Rev. James d’Autremont, CSC, Award during the school’s graduation ceremonies. Named after the first principal of Notre Dame, the award is given annually to a faculty or staff member who “best exemplifies Father D’Autremont’s qualities of wisdom, strength, gentleness, and selfless service, a model for the Dons [students] of Notre Dame.” 

“All of this was a big, big surprise to me,” Sister Sally said in an interview. “I had no idea.” Upon receiving the award, she said, she expressed her deep gratitude to the faculty and staff, who had nominated her among other peers and ultimately chosen her for the award.  

Sister Sally also received acclaim from another source – the members of the Class of 2016. “The seniors write about who their favorite teacher is and who they learn the most from,” she explained. “I was privileged to be named their favorite teacher.”

Sister Sally has been teaching morality and Catholic Social Teaching to the juniors. “The first thing I try to teach them is that morality is a life skill, and that everybody should try to give help to other people in any way they can,” she said. “We all have that responsibility as adults.”

A 2016 Golden Jubilarian – celebrating 50 years as an Adrian Dominican Sister – Sister Sally also received recognition from her community. Attending Notre Dame’s graduation ceremony to celebrate with her were Sister Kathleen Klingen, OP, her Chapter Prioress, and Sisters Kathleen Waters, Mary Rita McSweeney, and Cyrilla Zarek. 

Before beginning her ministry at Notre Dame, Sister Sally served for 19 years at Regina Dominican High School, an all-girls college preparatory school sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Congregation and located in Wilmette, Illinois, north of Chicago. For the first 12 years, she served as Assistant Dean of Students and for the remaining seven was the Dean of Students.

Feature photo: Sister Sally Ormsby, OP, accepts the Rev. James d'Autremond, CSC Award during graduation ceremonies at Notre Dame College Prep. Photo courtesy of Notre Dame College Prep. 

June 6, 2016, Adrian, Michigan – Does the thought of a newly created dish, a Spicy Chicken Breast with Pumpkin Seeds and Vegetable Medley, make you want to head immediately for your kitchen or a restaurant to sample this dish? 

Well, it will take Chef Maureen (Moe) Brooker and her supervisor, Susan Kremski, even further – to Washington, DC. They will be attending Foodservice Forum at an annual conference sponsored by Premier Purchasing and scheduled for June 21-24, 2016. Even more important, they will attend the Culinary Creation Dinner, during which the entrees of the top four finalists will be prepared and served by hotel chefs and judged by other food service participants of the conference – such as chefs, dietitians, and food service directors. The winner receives the Culinary Cup.

“This is a real honor,” Susan said. “We’re really proud of her.”

Susan explained that the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse campus purchases much of their goods through Premier Purchasing, which serves businesses in a number of fields. Premier’s food service clients include universities, elementary and high schools, health care systems, and prisons.  

This is the second year that Chef Moe has entered the Culinary Creation Contest. Laster year, the contest focused on desserts, and her entry came in eighth place.

To enter this year’s competition, chefs had to follow very specific requirements, Maureen said. “One portion, including one side, should have no more than 500 calories, 17 grams of fat, and 1,600 grams of sodium,” as well as be original and creative. She calculated that one portion of her dish carries 354 calories, 14 grams of fat, and 580 grams of sodium.

Maureen said that her creation is similar to what she serves her family sometimes. “I just tweaked it to fit into the parameters.” Some of the ingredients – Brussel sprouts and pumpkin seeds – are popular these days, and even trendy. Most important, Maureen said, her daughter likes this dish. “It can’t be that bad if a 14-year-old eats it!”

Maureen came to the Adrian Dominican Motherhouse Campus with a great deal of experience. After graduating from Culinary school in 1991, Maureen said, she worked for seven years at Oakwood Common, a senior community in Dearborn, Michigan. She worked her way up from pastry chef to executive chef. Her career has also included serving as chef at Host Marriott and, for 11 years, as a chef at St. George Village Retirement Community, sponsored by the Archdiocese of Atlanta. “I’ve had my own restaurant,” she said. “I’ve had my own catering business. I’ve worked for bars and grills. I’ve had a litany of different places I’ve worked, and I enjoy it.”    

Feature photo: Susan Kremski (left), Director of the Food Services Department, and Chef Maureen Brooker in the Motherhouse kitchen.