What's Happening

November 12, 2024, Adrian, Michigan – Catholic Sisters leading Michigan congregations that have collectively served the people of Michigan for more than 700 years are joining with other organizations and municipalities across the state in calling on state lawmakers to pass the Drive SAFE (Safety, Access, Freedom, and Economy) legislation pending in the legislature.
 
The Drive SAFE bill package would make non-commercial Michigan driver’s licenses and state identification cards available to applicants who do not have proof of U.S. citizenship or immigration status. The bill would allow undocumented immigrants to have driver’s licenses and reinstate the right to drive in Michigan, a right that was revoked in 2008 and that currently exists in 18 other states and Washington, D.C. The Drive SAFE bill package is supported by Strangers No Longer of Southeast Michigan, an immigrant advocacy organization.
 
“As women of faith we support this legislation because it honors the inherent dignity of all persons and supports the safety and welfare of all Michigan residents. We also support it as practical Michiganders because it makes common sense and is cost-effective,” the leaders stated.
 
Providing access to driver’s licenses and state IDs for all residents of Michigan – regardless of their documentation – gives residents the ability to care for their families and get to and from work and/or school without fear of being arrested, detained, and deported. It also enables residents to participate in daily activities in their communities that require identification. 
 
“These bills would benefit all Michiganders, making our roads and communities safer and improve our economy by adding to the state’s revenue,” the Sisters said.  
 
The legislation provides that all drivers be trained, screened, and tested and required to have auto insurance. In case of emergencies, officials would be able to efficiently identify all individuals. The legislation is estimated to increase revenues in the State of Michigan by up to $13.5 million within the first three years of its passage.
 
“We strongly urge our legislators to pass Drive SAFE legislation for the common good of all residents of Michigan,” the Sisters stated.
 

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The Michigan congregations whose leaders have issued this statement include Dominican Sisters of Adrian; Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids; Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Monroe; Congregation of St. Joseph, Detroit; Sisters, Home Visitors of Mary of Detroit; Servants of Jesus, Detroit. The leaders of these congregations are members of the U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) and part of its geographic Region VII.

November 1, 2024, Adrian, Michigan – On behalf of Adrian Dominican Sisters and Associates, the Leadership Council of the Congregation issued the following statement, calling on Americans to treat one another with respect and dignity on National Election Day, November 5, 2024, as they cast their ballots. 

Statement of Leadership Council of Adrian Dominican Sisters on National Election Day 2024

In four days, American citizens of legal age will go to the polls to cast votes that will determine who will occupy the White House, seats in the U.S. Congress, and leadership roles in states, counties and municipalities. The presidential and congressional contenders paint a starkly different vision and pathway for the future of our nation, and polls indicate Americans are evenly divided in our preferences. Many votes already have been cast through early voting and absentee ballots. 

As Catholic Sisters who treasure the Gospel values of our faith tradition and the democratic traditions of our nation, we call on our fellow Americans to treat one another with dignity and respect when we head to the polls. Let us honor each other as we exercise the most fundamental right in a democratic society – to vote for the leaders of our choice. Let us especially honor and respect fellow citizens of both political parties who work diligently at the polls to help ensure the integrity and fairness of our elections, which are at the heart of our democracy. They deserve our deep gratitude for this essential safeguarding work, not denigration with false accusations or threats of harm.

We Adrian Dominican Sisters follow the Way of a first-century Jew who called us to love God and one another – not just those who are like us but also those who differ in faith, race, gender, ethnicity, viewpoint. We strive to do so in the spirit of St. Dominic, a 13th-century Spaniard who called us to seek truth and speak it as preachers of the Gospel. We consequently speak out for justice, equity, and inclusion, respecting the dignity of all God’s richly diverse people; for protecting our sacred Earth home, honoring all life; and for peace in our nation and the world. 

We pray that our faith, as Americans, in the goodness of our neighbors – families across the country who share their precious lives with one another – will triumph over partisan differences as we exercise the awesome freedom and responsibility of living in a democracy. 

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Members of the Adrian Dominican Sisters Leadership Council include Sisters Bibiana Colasito, OP, General Councilor; Margaret Coyne, OP, Chapter Prioress; Sara Fairbanks, OP, Mission Prioress; Judith Friedel, OP, Chapter Prioress; Elise D. García, OP, Prioress of the Congregation; Mary Jane Lubinski, OP, Mission Prioress; Marie Yolanda Manapsal, OP, Chapter Prioress; Frances Nadolny, OP, General Councilor; Mary Priniski, OP, Chapter Prioress; Lorraine Réaume, OP, Vicaress and General Councilor; Corinne Sanders, OP, General Councilor; and Mary Soher, OP, Mission Prioress.