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August 26, 2025, Adrian, Michigan – Dominican artists – sisters, friars, laity, and associates from diverse congregations and provinces – came together in late July for the annual Gathering of the Dominican Institute for Arts (DIA) at Weber Retreat and Conference Center in Adrian.

Under the theme, “Preaching for Times Such as These: Preach the Word of God through Your Art,” the Dominican artists gathered to listen to inspiring input, participate in art workshops, share their art and experiences, pray together, form community, and celebrate together.

DIA members include “painters, musicians, dancers, sculptors, film makers, potters, poets, actors, composers, writers, designers of sacred space, dramatists, and any other art form you can imagine,” as well as those who appreciate and support the arts, according to the DIA website.

Awards were presented on the first evening with Adrian Dominican Sister Rosemary Asaro, OP, receiving the 2025 Spirit Award. The award is given to a DIA member who has “enriched the organization by going the extra mile, who does the chore unbeknownst to many, who does the little, insignificant jobs that seem unimportant,” said Sister Elizabeth Slenker, OP, a Sparkill Dominican Sister and then President of the DIA. 

Sister Rosemary became involved in the DIA through photographer Adrian Dominican Sister Joella Miller, OP. She first attended a DIA gathering four years ago and served on the planning committee for the 2024 gathering in Adrian. An art supporter as well as a musician through her cantoring, Sister Rosemary said she was surprised to receive the award, which recognized her willing presence and ability respond when needed. “I’m grateful that I still have the time and energy to be able to be of service to others,” Sister Rosemary said. “I’ve learned that often it’s the small things that count more than the big things.”

During the opening session, Pat Daly, an Associate of the Dominican Sisters of Peace, received the Fra Angelico Award. Named for the great 15th-century Dominican Renaissance artist, the award is the highest bestowed on a DIA member. 

“This award is presented every year to an artist who has exemplified Fra Angelico’s dedication to preaching through the arts,” Sister Elizabeth said. “The artist exemplifies the ideals of the DIA.” She noted that Pat “always said yes to working hard and enabling the DIA to grow and flourish.” She added that Pat is a “phenomenal preacher, authentic, very inclusive, faithful to the Dominican pillars [of prayer, study, community, and ministry or preaching], and has worked to create art.” Pat is a Past President of the DIA and preaches through poetry and nature photography.

Pat learned that she had received the Fra Angelico Award while attending the gathering virtually and expressed her surprise and gratitude for the award.

The first full day of the gathering began with prayer and a keynote address by Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Joeann Daley, OP, whose artistic work includes etchings, monoprints, lithographs, mixed media, and photo collages. She focused her talk on thresholds and milestones, noting that her first thresholds were her youth, growing up on a far and “being close to earth,” her call to Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, and from there to her ministry in Anaconda, Montana. 

Sister Joeann recalled transforming Anaconda – a town where the principal work was smelting copper – into a place where art was created and treasured. During a nine-month strike in Anaconda, Sister Joeann organized an art center and encouraged the residents to become involved in art. 

Sister Joeann also organized a traveling exhibit of the art created by the people of Anaconda. This caught the attention of the State Art Council, which hired her to travel around Montana – driving 100,000 miles in six years – to discover or foster art in the small towns.  

“It was an exciting time, because there was so much in some of the farthest, out-of-the-way places,” Sister Joeann recalled. “I feel very privileged to go to towns that most people go through on their way to somewhere else. I’ve seen dreams actualized.”  

She encouraged the artists to use their artistic vision to make a difference. “The nature of the artist is to see things in a different way,” she said. “We have a role in the broader community because our eyes are important and we can see possibilities.”

In the afternoon, the Dominican artists took the opportunity to explore new forms of art. Workshops at Weber Center focused on sacred movement and receiving poetry, while the nearby Adrian Center for the Arts hosted workshops by DIA members on glass fusion, clay creation, and metal smithing. 

On the final day, DIA members elected a new Board for the coming year: Associate John Mascazine (Peace), President; Sister Nancy Murray, OP (Adrian), Vice President; Sister Elizabeth Slenker, OP (Sparkill), Treasurer and Membership; Sister Rosemary Asaro, OP (Adrian), Secretary; and Sister Xiomara Méndez-Hernández, OP (Adrian), Father Rudolf Lowenstein, OP (Province of England), and Associate Mark Hanes (Peace), members at large.

The event concluded with liturgy and an evening of celebration and karaoke. 

Membership to the DIA is open to Dominican sisters, friars, laity, and associates who are committed to preaching through the arts in any art form, or to those who are supportive of the arts. More information is available on the DIA’s membership page.
 

Caption for above feature photo: Participants in the 2025 Dominican Institute for the Arts Gathering.

August 5, 2025, Adrian, Michigan – A pilgrimage to places in France where St. Dominic lived and ministered was an inspirational and, for some, life-changing experience for two Adrian Dominican Sisters and three Co-workers. 

Attending the Deepening the Dominican Experience pilgrimage were Co-workers Jennifer Hunter, Chief Operating Officer; Lisa Schell, Archivist; Sara Stoddard, Chief Financial Officer; and Sisters Mariane Fahlman, OP, and Carol Jean Kesterke, OP.

The pilgrimage took more than 30 Dominican Sisters, Associates, and Co-workers from various U.S.-based congregations of Dominican Sisters to places of interest in France. These included Carcassonne, the walled medieval city where St. Dominic preached; Fanjeaux, a village where he lived; Prouilhe, the site of the first monastery of nuns founded by St. Dominic; and Toulouse, where the first Dominican Friars gathered. 

The experience was meant to help the pilgrims to “enter more fully into Dominican history” and reflect on the Dominican spirit, individually and with one another. It involved tours of the various areas, presentations, discussions, formal sharing, and informal sharing at meals and other times.

Team members leading the pilgrimage were Sister Mary Ellen O’Grady, OP, a Sinsinawa Dominican Sister; Sister Jeanne Goyette, OP, a Caldwell Dominican Sister; Father Rick Peddicord, OP, Director of Catholic and Dominican Mission at Fenwick High School, Oak Park, Illinois; and Suzanne Wong, a friend of the Caldwell Dominican Sisters who has been a team member for the tour about 15 times.  

Lisa was impressed by the knowledge and presentations of the team members. “The information that they were giving us was delivered with such heart and such expertise. We definitely benefited from all those years of experience,” she said.

Jennifer appreciated meeting others during meals and the pace of the program. “We did a lot of walking, and had a lot of conversation,” she said. “It forced [us] to decompress, not being in the hustle and bustle” of a daily work life. 

Sister Mariane said she found the entirety of the program intriguing and knowing that I’m walking, I’m staying where Dominic founded the first female monastery.” 

Lisa agreed and was impressed by the opportunity to “be on sacred ground and learn about St. Dominic and walk on the same paths he walked, go to the same places where he ministered.”

Sister Carol Jean was especially taken by sitting in the same chapels as Dominic and Thomas Aquinas were in ministry. She said she was moved by the opportunity to “be in places where so many greats of the Dominican Order were, and to see how close Dominic was to the Sisters.” 

Lisa said she had been “steeped in history” since she began her work with the Adrian Dominican Sisters in 2018, “but there’s something different when you’re in the place.” The experience brought her to the “depths of commitment to the Dominican way, the values, the charism.”  

The experience “gave good context to what we’re doing” in the day-to-day ministry at the Adrian Dominican Sisters Motherhouse, Sara said. “I know who we are and what we do, but [the experience] made it more real. That’s where all this comes from and why we’re doing what we’re doing today.”

As pilgrims, Sister Carol Jean noted the group listened to and immersed themselves in what’s before them. For example, the experience brought home to her the itinerancy of the Dominican Order and the desire of Dominicans from the first days to be with the people they were serving. St. Dominic brought the Friars out of the monasteries for that very reason, she said. In later years, after Vatican II, she said, “we stepped out of the habit to identify more with the people.” 

The group also learned about the present as much as the past as they got to know Dominicans from other congregations and experienced the French culture and people. Jennifer was surprised by how many people in France could speak English. “It put it into perspective how we Americans don’t make efforts to learn cultures,” she said. “I was nervous about the language barrier, but I never felt it.”

Sister Carol Jean, who had attended the Deepening the Dominican Spirit pilgrimage 21 years ago with only Dominican Sisters, was surprised at the number of lay Associates and Co-workers who attended this year. She was impressed with “how we’ve expanded the mission to partner with Co-workers and Associates and how engaged and eager they were.”

Both Sisters Carol Jean and Mariane were also impressed by the Co-workers who accompanied them this year. “I was deeply touched by the three women, their commitment to the mission and love for the Congregation,” Sister Mariane said.  

“Co-workers for us aren’t just people who come in and do a job and leave,” Sister Carol Jean said. “They’re really brought into our Dominican vision, our Dominican values, our Dominican mission.”

The participants also reflected on how the experience in France has affected their daily lives. 

“I feel that I have been transformed,” Lisa said. “Every time I go someplace new and I don’t understand the language, it calls on [me] to be more flexible.” She said she has also learned about the meaning of the Dominican charism, or spirit. “I felt like I was on the receiving end of the charism.”

Sara added: “You feel transformed and impressed, and you have a greater appreciation of Dominican heritage and history.” The experience also transformed her idea of her work with the Adrian Dominican Sisters. “It’s definitely a ministry and not a job,” she said. “This drove it home for me.”

Jennifer said the whole experience was energizing. “It makes me appreciate the fact that I’m here and I’m on this journey with all of you.”

 

Caption for above feature photo: Adrian Dominican Sisters and Co-workers who attended the Deepening Dominican Spirit experience were, from left, Sara Stoddard, Jennifer Hunter, Sister Carol Jean Kesterke, OP, Sister Mariane Fahlman, OP, and Lisa Schell.