What's Happening

April 24, 2026, Adrian, Michigan – The new iteration and venue of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ long-time INAI art gallery opened in Madden Hall with an artists’ reception and the opportunity for featured artists and others to view Engaged: The Art of Women, the new gallery’s first exhibit. The reception was held on the afternoon of Sunday, April 12, 2026.

The INAI at Madden Gallery occupies an area of Madden hall near the entrance to Holy Rosary Chapel and the Congregation’s historical area and is accessible through Weber Retreat and Conference Center. The original INAI Gallery was adjacent to Weber Retreat and Conference Center.

The new space “was an excellent choice” for the site of the new INAI, explained Sister Suzanne Schreiber, OP, long-time coordinator of INAI. “I could envision it as a nice place for art.”

Other aspects of the former INAI have also been recreated in Madden Hall. A meditation area is part of the gallery and what had once been a formal dining room has become a quiet room, with a library of books on art and spirituality, comfortable chairs and sofas, and a table to offer Weber Center guests, Sisters, Associates, and Co-workers a quiet place to read and reflect. “We want to create a space where people can come and be quiet, be inspired, appreciate art, and give some thought to what [the artists] are saying,” Sister Sue said.

The first exhibit at INAI at Madden was created by a committee. The late Sister Barbara Cervenka, OP, a member of the Congregation’s Women’s Enactment Circle, “proposed that there would be some aspect of that Enactment that would not just deal with the problems women struggle with but also with art and women’s expression through art,” Sister Sue explained. She involved Sisters and Associates who were artists, as well as women from the Adrian Center for the Arts, to develop the first exhibit. 

“I felt that, after its closing, INAI needed to be resurrected in some way,” said Connie Meyer, who served on Sister Barbara’s committee that planned and organized the INAI at Madden Gallery. “Having this space in this beautiful building used for women artists is a beautiful expression of the Adrian Dominicans’ mission.”

Connie expressed her hope that INAI at Madden would be “a special place for the community and the extended community, for those who come to Weber Center for retreats and for the community of Adrian.”

Julie Klein, an artist who specializes in watercolor, found the new gallery to be amazing. “It’s a beautiful room for art and a beautiful building. [Madden Hall] itself is a piece of art.” She described the former INAI gallery as a “beautiful, peaceful place,” which she periodically visited.

Jim and Amy Anderson, resident ceramicists with the Adrian Center for the Arts – a partner of INAI – were also pleased with the new INAI gallery. Amy, a member of the committee that planned the new gallery, especially likes the space and lighting of the new gallery.

“I’m glad Sister Sue is continuing her involvement with the gallery and shows, and I think she picked a really good topic” for the first exhibit, Jim said. “There are a lot of really thoughtful reflections on the pieces that she chose to put in the show.”

Many of the artists featured in the first exhibit expressed gratitude that their artwork was included. “There’s a saying among artists that ‘Anonymous’ was a woman,” said Judith Engel, an Associate. “In earlier times, women were considered inferior [in art]. Our sense with this is, ‘Women are not anonymous.’ The whole focus [of the exhibit] is on the voices of women and the thinking and the feeling and the imagery … of what it means to be a woman in the arts. I’m very delighted and happy and pleased to be part of that.”

Sister Janet Wright, OP, an artist who focuses on watercolor, said she is delighted with the new space. “When we heard that INAI was going to close, we knew we had to rebuild it…. Once we got over the shock of INAI closing, we thought, ‘Where could we go?’ This is just perfect. It’s a natural.” 

 

Caption for above feature photo: Guests of the INAI at Madden Gallery Artists’ Reception converse and examine the artwork of the opening exhibit.

By Sister Nancyann Turner, OP

August 27, 2025, Detroit – Current and former students and volunteers, families, friars, and staff members gathered on August 16, 2025, for a spirited celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Rosa Parks Children and Youth Program of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit. They also honored Sister Nancyann Turner, OP, who created the program and directed it for more than 20 years. 

Michelle Anderson, Director of the Rosa Parks Children and Youth Program, and Brother Gary Wegner, OSF Cap., who directs all aspects of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, welcomed the participants and offered remarks.

The Rosa Parks Children and Youth Program, open from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, offers young people creative alternatives to violence through after-school tutoring, art therapy for children ages 6 to 15, a large lending library, seasonal family activities such as baking Christmas cookies, a youth leadership program for teenagers, and a three-week summer peace camp.

Sister Nancyann reviewed the history and the various groups responsible for building and sustaining the multifaceted program for Detroit’s east side children and teens. She mentioned how much she had been changed and nurtured during her 23 years with the program.

“My prayer, my spirituality, and my sense of mission have been so inspired, stretched, nurtured, and blessed by my relationships with the many families, staff, and volunteers with whom I journeyed,” Sister Nancyann said. “I learned to lament. I learned to bless. I learned to accompany. I learned to give thanks for joy. My family became your family, your family became mine, and your presence in my life is still very sacred.”

Sister Nancyann concluded her remarks with a plea to keep children and youth as a top priority. “What our children think, what they create, what they feel, and what they love will create the future for generations to come,” she said. “Our children need villages; our children need to flourish, not just exist or survive.” She reminded those assembled, “Forever, you are part of this beloved community.”

The evening continued with dinner. The children of the Rosa Parks Peace Garden concluded the evening with a blessing and the presentation of a huge bouquet to Sister Nancyann.

Sister Suzanne Schreiber, OP, a long-time volunteer with the children’s program, accompanied Sister Nancyann at the event. Other Adrian Dominican Sisters who volunteered for tutoring or art at the Rosa Parks program included Sisters Katherine Frazier, OP, Mary Lou Putrow, OP, and Kathleen Voss, OP, and the late Sisters Pauline Oplinger, OP, Marie Solanus Reilly, OP, and Kathleen “Kay” Watt, OP. Numerous Mission Groups of Sisters and Associates made contributions and offered support throughout the years. 

Sister Suzanne said that the celebration was “a real testimony to community building” and to Sister Nancyann’s efforts through the years to save lives. “I was so happy to be there and to witness the love and care that Beloved Community has for [her]” and to see the familiar faces of volunteers, former students, and mothers, she said. 
 

Caption for above feature photo: Friends and participants of the Rosa Parks Children and Youth Program gather for its 25th anniversary celebration. 
Photo by Tim Hinkle, Capuchin Development Office, used with permission