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Fanjeaux, France, August 22, 2024 – Six people affiliated with the Adrian Dominican Congregation as Sisters, Associates, and Co-workers deepened their understanding and appreciation of the Dominican Charism during a mid-summer experience at various sites in France where St. Dominic ministered and traveled.

Participating in the Deepening the Dominican Spirit experience were Sisters Lorraine Réaume, OP, Vicaress and General Councilor, and Janice Brown, OP; Associate Diane Burgermeister; Douglas Palmer, President of Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan; and Carmen McCrink and Karen Stalnaker, of Barry University in Miami, Florida. Both universities are sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters.

They were among 32 Dominicans – Sisters, nuns, Friars, Associates, and Co-workers from the United States and Africa – who participated in the pilgrimage. Together, the group visited the French cities of Carcassonne, where St. Dominic preached; Fanjeaux, the village where St. Dominic lived; Prouilhe, the site of the first monastery of nuns founded by St. Dominic; Montségur, the last stronghold of the Cathars, those who believed that the material world was evil and only the spiritual world was good; Soreze, the site of an international school founded by French Dominican Friar Jean-Baptiste Henri-Dominique Lacordaire (1802-1861); and Toulouse, the first gathering space of the Dominican Friars.

Participants were moved by the opportunity to learn about the history of the Order of Preachers – from its founding by St. Dominic to more recent years. Diane said she participated in the pilgrimage because she “wanted to share with Associates and Sisters a deeper understanding of the history of the Dominican story and the impact important Dominicans have had on the ongoing evolution of the Charism.” 

A key moment for Diane was the group’s visit to Seignadou, the “sign of God” in Fanjeaux, France. Dominic’s vision of a globe of fire resting over the church was a confirmation of his ministry. “The cross with the background of the cloudy sky and expansive green valley and farmland, along with strong gusts of wind, were moving,” she said.

Sister Janice said she was “drawn to walk in the footsteps of Dominic. In all my years as a Dominican, the chance for me to make this pilgrimage had never come up.” She was especially moved by the experience of staying in Carcassonne, allowing her to “walk in Dominic’s path every day.” 

After learning and even teaching about the Congregation’s roots for almost 30 years, Sister Lorraine said she was eager to visit those places “to actually see them with my own eyes.” She was struck by the simplicity of those areas, fitting for St. Dominic. “Dominic’s simple, humble spirit and life were palpable. He never wanted to draw attention to himself,” she said.

The history of St. Dominic and his approach to the Cathars was especially meaningful to Sister Janice. “The Cathars had an understanding that was harmful,” and many people wanted to approach them violently in response to the heresy, she said, noting an incident in which troops burned 244 Cathars at Montségur when they did not renounce their faith. “Dominic was not of that mindset,” Sister Janice said. “It is through respect, discussion, and charity that we discover Truth, and are then inspired to share that Truth.” 

Particularly poignant for Sister Lorraine was the group’s visit to Prouilhe, the home of nine Cathar women who had converted to Catholicism. She noted the “ebb and flow” of Dominican life as illustrated in this city. The home for the Cathar converts was a monastery for centuries but was razed during the French Revolution. “The nuns did return and the community grew; however, on the day we arrived there were just nine nuns,” matching the number of the original nuns, Sister Lorraine said. 

The history of the Dominican presence in France did not end there. Sister Lorraine recalled the group’s visit to Soreze and the story of Lacordaire. “He brought the Order back to life in France after the revolution, when it had been virtually dormant for over 100 years,” Sister Lorraine said. 

The pilgrimage also deepened Diane’s perspective of the Dominican story, which is “ever-evolving but fragile,” often saved by Dominican leaders in the past who kept the Order of Preachers alive. “The charism consists of individual, communal, and cultural stories woven into the larger Dominican history and changes over time,” she said. “The charism is not static and builds upon past experiences while evolving into new expressions for a new vision.”

The Adrian Dominican Sisters – along with the other congregations of U.S. Dominican Sisters that make up the Dominican Sisters Conference – are working together to create this new vision, as are women religious whose congregations make up the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Associates, Co-workers at the Adrian Dominican Sisters Motherhouse and in sponsored and legacy institutions, donors, and other partners are also working together to claim and live out the Dominican Charism.
 

Caption for feature photo at top: Participants in Deepening the Dominican Spirit are, from left, Karen Stalnaker, of Barry University; Associate Diane Burgermeister; Carmen McCrink of Barry University; Sister Lorraine Réaume, OP, Vicaress and General Councilor; Douglas Palmer, President of Siena Heights University; and Sister Janice Brown, OP.

May 23, 2024, Adrian, Michigan – Students from Barry University in Miami, Florida, and Siena Heights University in Adrian extended their education beyond the spring semester by participating in the Environmental Leadership Experience (ELE) offered by the Adrian Dominican Sisters. Both universities were founded by and are sponsored by the Congregation.

From May 13 to 18, 2024, the students toured the Motherhouse Permaculture site, planted a “pocket forest,” learned about carbon sequestration and measured trees for their sequestration potential, planted trees near the Congregation’s cemetery to help control erosion, analyzed pond water, helped to release fish into the pond, and enjoyed field trips to local areas such as a vernal pool at Heritage Park in Adrian and Hidden Lake Gardens in Brooklyn, Michigan. 

The eight Barry University students, two Siena Heights University students, and their mentors concluded the formal portion of their week on May 17 with a lively and enlightening presentation to the Adrian Dominican Sisters.

The students and their mentors were accompanied by and learned from Brad Frank, Director of the Office of Sustainability; Mike Walters, Permaculture Specialist; Sister Corinne Sanders, OP, General Councilor and former Director of the Office of Sustainability. Mentors attending were Celeste Landeros, PhD, Professor of English and Humanities, and Betsy Thomas, Assistant Vice-President of Enrollment Services, from Barry University, and Jeffrey Lake, Associate Professor of Environmental Science at Siena Heights University. 

In preparation for the week, Mike had 700 trees in cold storage, ready to be planted at the cemetery and in Permaculture as a pocket forest. “A pocket forest is an intensely planted woodland area,” in which numerous trees are planted typically in an 800- to 1,200-square-foot area, about three per square meter, Mike explained. “You plant everything really close and they race for the sun. Maintain it for three years and it’s self-sustaining.” He said pocket forests “shortcut the process” of growing a forest; pocket forests mature in only 15 to 20 years.

“The planting of the pocket forest is for 100 years in the future,” Brad explained. “It’s for the next generations.”

This year’s ELE participants also had the unique experience of introducing fish into the pond located on the Motherhouse land. The fish were scheduled to arrive at the pond during the ELE so that students could learn about how the fish provide benefits to the local ecosystem. “The fish are complementing the entire habitat,” Brad said, explaining that they “increase the biodiversity within the pond. This is habitat restoration.” 

The ELE is “set up to be an outside experience, getting your hands dirty,” Brad said in an interview prior to ELE. But he also hoped to go beyond the physical experience. “I’m going to be more cognizant this year to interweave throughout the week the practice of sustainable lifestyles … and encourage sustainable living,” Brad said. “That will be an undercurrent for me, in addition to mentioning the most vulnerable groups of people who are impacted by climate change.”

The intended lessons were not lost on the students. Caleb, a freshman studying computer science and music at Barry University and a member of Barry’s environmental Green Team, said he was interested in coming to Michigan to participate in the ELE. “Regardless of our profession, it’s very important to learn about environmental sustainability because we all live on the same Earth,” he said. “We’re going to be living on it and we want to make sure it’s a safe and clean environment.”

Breauna, a senior at Barry University studying business management, said she’s been practicing sustainability on her own. “We all play our part and we all have to do more to end climate change,” she said. 

The students also appreciated the opportunity to visit Michigan and to get to know some of the Adrian Dominican Sisters on campus. Faiyaz, a freshman chemistry major, was impressed by the “warm welcome I received” from the Sisters. “I also love the most how everyone in this community cares so much about nature, and I share that same passion.”

Read more about ELE from the students who wrote a blog and created a video of their experience.