Sister Patricia Harvat, OP, offers a reflection (in English and Spanish) on Our Lady of Guadalupe in the latest Praedicare video by Sister Rebecca Hodge, OP.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Weh_F33bnq8

Sister Elise García, OP, offers an Advent reflection in the latest Praedicare video by Sister Rebecca Hodge, OP.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN0IEZ7lAq0

Please enjoy this video from Sister Rebecca Hodge, OP, who recently interviewed Sister Mary Jones, OP, about the Dominican Pillar of Study.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O48cYnVa9N0

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 [email protected]. 

Please enjoy the following reflection from Sister Patricia McDonald, OP.

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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

Detail of a door at Maison St. Dominic, Fanjeaux, France, by Suzie Wong. Used with permission.

(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

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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

• To offer the public a way to share in the charism and spirituality of the Adrian Dominican Sisters.
• To provide quiet spaces for reflection, reading, and prayer.
• To feature a space for silence and meditation.
• To offer a gallery space for artists to exhibit work.
• To foster relationships with artists, with Adrian and the surrounding communities, and with the Siena Heights University community through invitation, celebration and collaboration.
• To respond, through art and contemplation, to the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ mission of being co-creators of justice and peace, and their commitment to live in right relationship with Earth community.

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.”

Gathering for prayer at the Broadview Deportation Center in Broadview, Illinois are, left to right, Sisters Jean Keeley, OP, JoAnn Fleischaker, OP, Noreen George, OP, and Dot Dempsey, OP. Photo courtesy of Sister Jean Keeley.

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!

LEFT: Former Aquinas Literacy Center Executive Director and present day tutor Sister Joan Mary, OP, and her student take a short break. RIGHT: Volunteer tutors Sisters Mary Margaret Mannard, OP, Norine Burns, OP, Patricia McKee, OP, and Dot Dempsey, OP, with Bishop Joseph Perry at the twentieth-anniversary celebration of Aquinas Literacy Center, October 2016. Photos courtesy of Aquinas Literacy Center