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The OP after our names stands for “Order of Preachers,” the formal name of the religious order founded in 1216 by St. Dominic. As Dominicans, we preach with our lives—in both word and deed—guided by a search for truth (veritas) and a commitment to contemplate and share the fruits of our contemplation (contemplate et aliis tradere).
Our Dominican lives are shaped by the interconnecting movements of study, prayer, communal life, and ministry.
Dominic so firmly believed in the importance of study to the preaching mission that he provided a rule of “dispensation” from other responsibilities in the event they interfered with study. We are women committed to study. Through prayer and contemplation we interiorize our learnings and enter into communion with the Source of all truth. Our communal life orients us to the common good of the whole Earth community. And in ministry, our preaching takes effect.
As women of the Gospel, our preaching is also expressed in word. Read reflections on the Word of God posted by Adrian Dominican Sisters and Associates on the Praedicare Blog below.
If you search the Internet for Marian feast days, you will find a calendar celebrating Mary every day of the year. How can a woman whose words were so sparsely captured in the New Testament be so spectacularly honored? I suggest three endearing qualities: faithful humility, simple obedience, and complete trust. Mary was a young girl of 13 when the Angel Gabriel appeared to her. With faithful humility, simple obedience and complete trust in the divine, she gave her fiat to be the Mother of our Lord. She was a faithful Jewish girl who had learned her faith well, she was obedient to the inclinations of the spiritual, and obedient to her God. From her haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth to the birth of her Son, to the flight into Egypt and to the walk down Calvary, she remained what she always was: faithfully humble, simply obedient, and completely trusting in God’s divine plan. We would be well served to model ourselves after her.
The Vatican has approved 16 Marian apparitions as authentic; thousands more are under consideration. Mary’s urgent message is nearly always the same: pray (the rosary), fast, and do penance, as she can no longer hold back the arm of her Son.
A renewed return to the rosary or even the Hail Mary will remind us that it is Mary, our Mother and God’s Mother, who is praying for us. I can’t imagine a better prayer warrior “now and at the hour of our death."
Peggy Rowe-Linn WPB, Associate
Please enjoy this video from Sister Rebecca Hodge, OP, who recently interviewed Sister Sara Fairbanks, OP, about St. Dominic and why he is important to her personally and to the Dominican Order.
Link: https://youtu.be/ZX-A1mmDDag
Hello, I am Sister Rebecca Hodge, OP, and I am delighted to be coordinating the Praedicare blog. I am inviting Sisters and Associates to write a short reflection or record a video reflection, and possibly do a podcast on topics related to the liturgical year, Dominican charism, or current concerns. I hope that the items chosen will enliven, challenge, and possibly transform one’s understanding of faith and action.
For more information, contact me at rebecca_hodge@me.com.
Please enjoy the following reflection from Sister Patricia McDonald, OP.
The Intersection of Scripture and Study
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, of God. 2 Timothy 3:16
Scripture gives rise to new thinking. As 2 Timothy 3:16-17 implies … we read, study, ponder, reflect and pray about the deeper meaning of words, thoughts, message, gestures, implications, and corresponding actions.
We are challenged to make the Scriptural messages come alive! We reflect on our faith and think about what this means personally, professionally, societally, and realistically.
A definition of faith that I reflect upon:
FAITH: Finding Alternative Insight Through Hope (SIFT, McDonald, www.trafford.com, 2004)
In this definition I focus on hope. How do we help others to see, believe, and participate in human togetherness when hopelessness is prevalent in their reality?
What must we do to equalize opportunities for all persons? Scriptures command that we construct acts, actions, rules, regulations, and laws for the betterment of all humanity. By engaging in the art form of study we go to the basics of life for all persons and impart knowledge so as to assist in the creation of equal opportunity for all.
Scripture is designed, taught, and spread to internalize the messages so all have opportunity for growth and development. Through educating others by thought, word, deed, and action we come to new awakenings to make the sacred words come alive. Scripture is designed to be transformative in life, living, and outcome.
STOP, LOOK, LISTEN! “Love God, love your neighbor.”
It doesn’t get any clearer than that. TAG, you’re it!
Contemplate and give to others the fruits of your contemplation!
Sister Patricia McDonald, OP
(Jeremiah 31:1-7; Responsorial: Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12AB, 13; Matthew 15:21-28) Today’s readings are fitting as we celebrate the Feast of our Joyful Friar, St. Dominic because they capture both his spirit and his mission. The first reading calls us to rejoice with festive tambourines and dancing as we celebrate God’s promise of restoration of the people of Israel and, by extension, of the people of Earth today. We can find much darkness and many reasons for concern, but we are called to trust in the God who keeps promises and who will – with our help – restore the fortunes of the people. Dominic dealt with a difficult ministry and powerful heresies, but he remained joyful as he proclaimed the truth of God’s love. We, too, must deal with the challenges of our times and, with the joy of Dominic, dispel the heresies, proclaiming God’s love. The Gospel reminds us that we are also called to preach through our actions, by bringing healing to the people we encounter. Jesus seems reluctant to cast the demon from the Canaanite woman’s daughter, but the mother gently but cleverly helped him to see that she, too, was worthy of at least the scraps of healing. As Dominicans, we are called to extend healing and compassion to people on the margins – whether they’re immigrants seeking safety in the United States or local people who suffer from poverty or rejection. Let us, like Jesus and like Dominic, sow compassion and service to all who are in need. Sister Barbara Kelley, OP Adrian, Michigan
P.S. Stay tuned! We will be releasing reflections on St. Dominic throughout the month of August.
As my final installment of the Praedicare, I share this offering from Sister Suzanne Schreiber, OP one of our Sister artists who is the Coordinator of the recently reopened INAI: A Space Apart, a place adjacent to Weber Center for quiet and meditation, which includes an art gallery. It has been my pleasure to serve as the Preaching Promoter for the last two-and-a-half years and I look forward to seeing where our preaching will take us in the future.
Sincerely, Sister Mary Jones, OP
Not all preaching has words. At the INAI art gallery in Adrian, artists preach with paintings, photographs, prints, digital art, ceramics, sculpture, weavings, and fabric art. Sisters, Associates, and artists from southeast Michigan and beyond are invited to show their work; exhibits change every four months.
In her quilting and weaving Sister Nancyann Turner, OP, brings together many pieces and many threads. “I have enjoyed creating in various media,” Nancyann said, “but working with fiber and cloth seems to be my home. Experience with both processes speak to my soul of integration and creation, unity out of diversity.”
Gerene Starratt, an Adrian Dominican Associate, exhibited her mini-quilt made of patch pieces. “The diversity of fabric,” she says, “which shows through the cathedral window pattern, embodies the Dominican Enactment, ‘… rooted in the joy of the Gospel, we will embrace and nurture our rich diversity…’ ”
For Sister Janice Holkup, OP, “being an artist is a way of seeing and being in the world. It’s about perception, a way of knowing, and then giving expression to what is perceived.” Art, she says, “often makes visible the invisible realities of our lives. In and through images we can know and grasp the meaning of experiences that might otherwise be missed.” Sister Janice works in mixed media and photography.
As part of the Dominican contemplative tradition, INAI offers a silence and quiet feel within the various spaces: the reading room, meditation space, and art gallery. Visitors come from near and far seeking a time of stillness, away from the busyness and noise of everyday life.
INAI: A Space Apart is part of Weber Retreat and Conference Center.
The Vision of INAI
Dedication
This space is dedicated to the creative spirit of Sisters Barbara Chenicek, OP, and Rita Schiltz, OP, who, for 43 years, on this site created “sacred space,” designing chapels and churches that invited contemplation, reflection, and response to the presence of the Spirit in today’s world.
History of INAI
For more than 40 years INAI has stood as a center for exploration, for contemplation, for the experience of the sacred. In 1973, INAI opened eyes to the power of sacred space, the clarity of light, and the unanticipated beauty of nature.
In the words of its founders, Sisters Barbara and Rita:
INAI attempts to illuminate, to bring light, to be a quiet but real testimony to the presence of realities beyond our sight, to be a place where our restlessness can, for a moment, come to rest.
INAI attempts to heal and restore our capacity for immediate personal experience and reawaken the reflective possibilities inherent within us: for hope, for meaning, for God.
In 2018, INAI continues with renewed vitality, embodying the original mission of offering a sacred space for reflection, meditation, and art.
Sister Suzanne Schreiber, OP INAI Coordinator
Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin, OP, sits second from left.
One of the greatest gifts our Sisters who have “retired” from active ministry is the vital work of what we call the ministry of “Prayer and Presence.” Sisters devote time to pray for the needs of the world and specific requests that come from the Office of Development, friends, family, former colleagues, and even complete strangers. Many times, Sisters are asked to share their wisdom from many years of service and leadership with those who are entering into leadership, learning their faith, or who may be struggling. Sometimes people just want to be in the presence of our Sisters.
One of our Sisters, Jeanne O’Laughlin, OP, is one of many Sisters who minister in prayer and presence. She has been an Adrian Dominican Sister for 73 years, with more than 20 years as President of Barry University in Florida, and many years of serving in Congregation leadership. Sister Jeanne is often asked to share her wisdom on mission, leadership, faith, and life. People at Siena Heights University enjoy taking advantage of Sister Jeanne’s many visits to Michigan. Referred to as “Fireside chats with Sister Jeanne,” she takes time to visit with different departments at Siena Heights University, helping them recognize how each person is called to live the university’s mission in their own unique way.
The transition to a ministry of prayer and presence is sometimes a challenge for our very active Sisters; however, the gift of this ministry is beyond measure, and for those of us on the receiving end, we can only say, “thank you.”
By Sister Jane Zimmerman, OP
“Affairs are now soul size,” said the poet Christopher Fry. These words ring true in our own time, and they moved the Dominican Midwest Chapter into action. Four years ago we committed ourselves to advocate actively for humane immigration reform; to collaborate with others in this endeavor; and to accompany the immigrant, documented or undocumented, toward a more secure life.
Sister Donna Kustusch, OP, researched and created the proposal for this initiative. She was calling us to be what she called a “Witness Community.” She wrote this as part of a rationale for her proposal:
We know that Dominic’s intuitive creativity was an experiment. He wanted to insert himself, as a member of a community, into the life of the Albigensians so that the community could “preach” by presence, word, and action the Spirit of a loving God. He actually did not know where this intuition would lead. He was answering a creative call of the Spirit.
Witness Community is an experiment born from our Gospel call to walk as Jesus did. It is a call to live the beatitudes, to see and live the struggles of the poor. It challenges us to live a reflective life together, reflecting on our presence to others and our struggles as strangers in a strange place. It is an attempt to live anew Dominic’s experiment here in the Chicago area, a place rich with our history.
It is largely because of Sister Donna’s commitment and passion for this project that the Immigration Initiative has taken on a life of its own. She was taken from us four months later in July 2013, but is still so much a part of it all!
The 68 Sisters and 37 Associates in our Chapter are each, in some way, involved in the Immigration Initiative: through taking direct action with other organizations; praying and fasting for immigration reform; contacting government representatives; or donating items on the wish lists of hospitality houses.
In collaboration with the Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants (ICDI), several of our Sisters have been praying the rosary early each Friday morning at the Broadview, Illinois, Deportation Center for the detainees being deported and for their families. “Detainees are brought from seven different counties,” Sister Jean Keeley, OP, said. “They are shackled at their hands, feet, and waist as they are herded onto the buses that take them to the airport. The windows on the buses are covered so that they cannot see out.” Volunteers are also present to families who must say good-bye to loved ones.
People who are released from detention and are in transition can stay in one of the two hospitality houses: the Marie Joseph House of Hospitality for women, and the Saint Mary of Częstochowa Hospitality House for men. “I am a presence there,” said Sister Dot Dempsey, OP, a weekend volunteer. “Mostly I stay in the office for phone calls, or I might go to the kitchen/dining room to make myself a cup of tea and talk to whomever is around.”
Our Sisters are also court-watchers. They are joined by university students and people of faith who write their observations while immigration court is in session. These reports and observations are sent to the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) to let the court system know that people are watching and are concerned about their immigrant brothers and sisters.
Many of our Sisters and Associates volunteer and tutor at Aquinas Literacy Center in the McKinley Park neighborhood, Chicago. Created 20 years ago by Sisters Claudia Hinds, OP, and Rosemary Brennan, OP, this nonprofit, community-based center offers free individualized English language instruction, group conversation classes, and group computer classes. The Center is sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters.
We also collaborate with the Sisters and Brothers of Immigrants, an organization of more than 150 Sisters and Brothers from 137 religious communities. Members are committed to prayer, pastoral care in detention centers, legislative action, and support of separated families. “I attend the monthly meetings of the Sisters and Brothers of Immigrants,” said Sister JoAnn Fleischaker, OP. “I am learning much about immigration issues here on a local and state level.”
We in the Dominican Midwest Chapter feel that our involvement in this Immigration Initiative is a powerful way of preaching. If St. Dominic and St. Catherine of Siena were alive in our time, they would be in the thick of it right alongside us!
Homeless and Wandering By Sister Christa Marsik, OP
O God, our loving God, where are you? We have been driven from our homes, driven from our lands. And where shall we go? Who will welcome us? Who will love us?
Aleppo no longer wants us. And she buses us to the other side of her city. We suffer, waiting, waiting while the powerful fight for our homes, and while no one else wants us.
Mosul lies in rubble. Can we claim her rocks and stones as ours? The once beautiful ancient churches where we prayed begging your loving care. We suffer, waiting, waiting as ISIS battles other believers laying waste to our lives and our homeland.
How long, O God, how long?
Standing Rock, yes, you do stand as a symbol, a symbol of the lands that were once ours, the lands out of which we were driven, driven into boundary reserves so that the powerful could claim these lands as their own. We suffer, waiting, waiting for those in charge to know their greed and grant us our natural rights.
Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, beautiful jewels of the South. We no longer feel safe in you, our lands. Our lives are in jeopardy, stolen from us by the greedy. Our families are separated, kidnapped, killed. Where can we go? Who will welcome us? We suffer, waiting, waiting while the wealthy take our lives, our money and leave us poor without sustenance. Oh God, where are you?
“No wonder the prophet weeps yet— We begin again but not innocent…
And we feebly watch for you and wait. Teach us how to weep while we wait, and how to hope while we weep, and how to care while we hope.”
~ From “Teach Us How To Weep” in Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth: Prayers of Walter Brueggemann
Water’s Lament By Sister Pat Benson, OP
Oh God, Creator of the Universe, You who energized the flowing forth of all that we know, Giver of the waters of life, hear the silent cry of your water through this voice.
Thank you for the process of evolution that emerged water on Earth. Thank you for the emergence of life in the waters and its crawling onto land. Thank you for emerging human consciousness and creativity. Thank you for millennia of mutually enhancing relationship with the rest of creation, our sister and brother creatures.
Now, we, your people, use our intelligence creatively but often blindly. We cause all bodies of water to cry out in anguish. We deprive people and animals of clean life-giving water. Because of our disconnected lifestyle we are complicit in this agony.
Aquifers, underground seas of pure water, once deep and full, now suffering from human plunder, become shallow. Their empty voices cry out due to our technological expertise.
Rivers and the tumbling streams that feed them, flowing clean and sparkling clear for eons, carving incredibly deep gorges or meandering in meadows, bring hydration to all creatures living near. Rivers now drained for human use along the way, raise their dry voice before they reach the sea.
Lakes, expanses of water shimmering in the sun, Frozen in the cold, sooth the spirit in a gaze. Watching civilization grow cities on their shores, and providing millions with water, lakes now raise their crusty voices polluted with chemicals, drugs, and waste debris.
Lakes, our agricultural endeavors drinking their water for growth, pay the price of our unthinking practices as excess fertilizer and pathogens flow back. Their bountiful capacity overdrawn for our wants, lakes speak with cracked voices from their dry beds, a fraction of their former selves.
Glaciers, shimmering sheer cliffs of blue-white ice, frozen for centuries, (with ice caps, 98% of Earth’s fresh water) now victims of anthropogenic global warming, calve or melt. Their voices roar as they crack and fall, or slip silently into oblivion.
Seas, salty water encircling the globe, house abundant ecosystems of life. Seas suffer as human beings deplete them of their bounty, Employ practices that harm their inhabitants, And pollute their waters with waste. Their rolling cry brushes all shores.
Creator God, help us! Help your human children emerge into new awareness of our responsibility for our “home”. Foster in us the “reverence for all” that Jesus modeled. Help us to raise our voices to protect our waters, and all who depend on them, especially those who are poor, for their own sake and for future generations.
God, Self-giving Love, Holy Mystery, You are the Source of all that is. Your creative Spirit is ever-present with us, desiring to lead and guide us. Help us open our hearts and minds to your invitations always trusting that You will show us the way.
Lamentation By Sister Susie Kresse, OP
O my soul, I cry unto God, Absent from my being. Grieve for the violence And suffering of the world Affecting so many marginalized And hurting people.
O absent God, Show your mercy and compassion. Provide shelter for the homeless, Food for the hungry, Health for the sick, Peace for the dying. Show us ways to provide for those in need.
Help our government: Congress and Supreme Court. Help President Trump be open to your grace; Give him humility and appreciation for the gifts of others.
Preserve us from fear and anxiety…. Let us see your face.
word.op.org - International Dominican Preaching Page
Preach With Your Life - Video series by Adrian Dominican Sisters