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March 12, 2020, Henderson, Nevada – Five women – all Co-workers at Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican Hospitals – were welcomed as Adrian Dominican Associates during the Ritual of Acceptance March 7, 2020, in the chapel of the Rose de Lima Campus of the hospital system. Several Sisters and Associates gathered in the chapel, along with friends and family members, to welcome the new Associates.
Mary Lach, Director of Associate Life, presided over the Ritual of Acceptance and offered a reflection on the Dominican charism. She noted that the new Associates are “charism carriers,” and that the ritual is a confirmation of who they already are. “You don’t become an Associate just by signing a document and receiving a pin,” she said. “This ceremony celebrates that you have the Dominican charism already – your ministries, your sharing, reflect this.”
These Associates have studied for the past year, under the guidance of Sisters Kathleen McGrail, OP, Carol Elya, OP, and Mary Jean Williams, OP. During the ritual, they shared their reasons for becoming Associates. All five spoke of the Dominican charism, which they see reflected in the lives of the Adrian Dominican Sisters.
Donna Barnes-Riggins, a registered nurse, ministers at the St. Rose de Lima Campus as a house supervisor, helping patients and staff to get what they need while the patient is hospitalized. Donna hopes to strengthen the Dominican charism she learned by observing our Sisters and through study and contemplation.
Teressa Conley served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Rose De Lima Campus and, until 2016, also served Chief Operations Officer for the Siena Campus. She began her 30 years of experience in health care as a nurse. Most recently she was Vice President of Operations Transformation for CommonSpirit Health, which was established with the recent merger of Dignity Health and Catholic Health Initiatives. Currently semi-retired, she continues to work as a consultant. Teressa is drawn to the Dominican charism, including the Dominicans’ “contemplative spirit and their courage to engage in the contemporary and challenging issues of our times.”
Holly Lyman, as Director of Community Health at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals, works with people at all stages of life, from neonatal to the elderly. A native of Utah, she has been working with the Adrian Dominican Sisters for 18 years. Married and the mother of two, Holly was mentored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters through the Ministry Formation program. She earned a certificate of theology from Aquinas Institute of Theology, a Dominican graduate program, which helped her to understand the Dominican charism.
Natasha Mulrooney, who grew up on a farm in Iowa, is the philanthropy manager at Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican Hospitals. She holds a master’s degree in counseling. A newlywed, Natasha has an adopted daughter named Cierra. She came to know the Adrian Dominican Sisters through her work at the hospital and hopes to continue to grow spiritually.
Aimee Moran Yannis, Director of Imaging and Respiratory at Rose De Lima Campus, has been working for the Adrian Dominican Sisters for several years. She wishes to grow in her spiritual life and to be a source of light, truth, and joy to others. The mother of five and grandmother of three, Aimee is active in her parish in youth ministry and as a Eucharistic minister.
Associates are women and men – married or single – at least 18 years of age and committed to sharing the Mission and Vision of the Adrian Dominican Sisters. While maintaining their independent lifestyles, Associates share in the Sisters’ mission and vision and participate in Congregational, spiritual, and social events with the Sisters.
For more information on becoming an Associate, contact Mary Lach, Director of Associate Life, at 517-266-3531 or [email protected]. If you are a single Catholic woman interested in vowed religious life – or know of a young Catholic woman who is – contact Sister Tarianne DeYonker, OP, at 517-266-3532 or [email protected] or Sister Mariane Fahlman, OP, a 517-266-3537 or [email protected].