Missions in Fields Afar
Reaching Out to Cancer Patients

Where Are We?
With a remarkable history of more than 48 years of mission work outside the continental United States, we, the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, are still present on missions outside the continental United States in Alaska, Bolivia, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, and Italy. It is said that “wherever one of us serves, we are all present there.” Our missions belong to all of us.

Our Sisters have been living and working among the poor in Bolivia since 1960. In the beginning years nearly a dozen Dominicans of Sinsinawa ministered in several areas in Cochabama and Santa Cruz. (Sinsinawa Dominicans ministered in the parish in Santa Cruz from 1960 to 2002.) Today Jo Anne Leo, OP, continues our mission work in Cochabama, Bolivia, and Peggy Ryan, OP, ministers in Entre Rios, Bolivia. In Trinidad and Tobago, the ministry begun by our Glenda Rodriguez, OP, continues with Sabrina Paty, OP, and Martin Joseph, OP, in Toco; and Fran Koller, OP, and Christina Araujo, OP, in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Marie Lucek, OP, serves as a pastoral associate in Juneau, AK. Mary Alice Neylon, OP, ministers in Juarez, Mexico; and Kathy Long, OP, in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Toni Harris, OP, and Mary Ewens, OP, minister in Rome, Italy.

When Did Preaching for the Missions Begin?
Our relationship with the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and our Congregation’s participation in the Missionary Cooperation Plan (MCP) began in 1975. Mary Kremer, OP, served in Bolivia (1970–74) where she learned from the Maryknoll Sisters of the financial support that they received from the MCP of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. When she returned from Bolivia to the United States, she suggested to Marie Amanda Allard, OP, then prioress general, that we might benefit from participation in this plan. With Marie Amanda’s support, Mary coordinated our participation in the plan, did some preaching herself, and recruited returned missionaries and other Sisters for mission preaching opportunities. Through the efforts of many Sisters in the Congregation and the General Finance Office as well as the Office of Development’s continuing support of mission education, this fund-raising effort has continued for 33 years. Mary’s successor was Prudence Ludwig, OP. Many other Sisters have helped with the effort. Most recently Marcella Connolly, OP, whose spirit continues to animate this enterprise, successfully kept the ministry of preaching for the foreign missions alive for the past four years and coordinated the mission fund. As we forge ahead in our lives, history sometimes repeats itself. Our faithful and creative coordinator of our mission preaching today is Mary Kremer, OP.

Preaching Today
Our foreign missions today are supported by our preaching for this cause, donations, and mission fund investments. In addition, 75 to 80 Sisters and Associates make up a band of willing preachers. Spread throughout the United States, they are positioned geographically to respond to local invitations to preach through the plan. Primarily during the summer months, they generously give an entire weekend to this effort: preparing to preach, traveling (sometimes a great distance), and participating in and preaching at all the Masses of the weekend. This is a most generous gift to our missionaries and to the Congregation. Each preaching opportunity is a chance to make those to whom we preach aware of human needs around the world.

How Do the Monies from the Collections Eventually Get to Us?
Parishes send the monies collected after our preaching to their local diocesan office of the Propagation of the Faith. After deducting an administrative fee, dioceses send the funds to our Congregation. Since 1998, the income from our preaching has averaged $58,000 annually. During these same years, our expenses for foreign missionary efforts have averaged $57,000. The congregation Mission Fund in its entirety is restricted for our missionary efforts abroad.

Who Comprise the Mission Fund Committee? What Is Their Role?
Laura Goedken, OP, Jeanne Tranel, OP, LouAnne Willette, OP, and Elizabeth Dunn, OP, comprise the congregation Mission Fund Committee. The council liaison and three members are appointed at large by the Prioress and Council. The committee’s role is to prepare and submit the annual budget to the Prioress and Council, identify criteria for use of mission funds, design the application process for ministry needs that arise on the missions outside the continental United States, review all applications, and approve requests. (In the former governance structure, members of the provincial teams served on this committee.)

What Are the Criteria for Use of the Mission Funds?
We continue to preach for the missions under the auspices of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith’s MCP. According to the society, mission funds may be used according to the discretion of the congregation receiving the funds for missions abroad. Also using our congregation vision and mission statements, the Mission Fund Committee ensures that expenditures are consonant with the spirit for which these donations were collected. When we preach, we ask for funds for our missionary efforts for our mission needs outside the continental United States. Our Mission Fund covers the following:

1. Expenses related to immediate preparation for the missions outside the continental United States (passports, travel, competency study, cultural immersion programs, and programs for returning missionaries).
2. Living expenses (not covered by compensated ministry) and ministry needs of our Sisters ministering outside of the continental United States.
3. Other missionary needs outside the continental United States identified by a Sinsinawa Dominican that include collaborative efforts with others. For example, as members of the Dominican Alliance, we support our Dominican Sisters in Zambia through the Alliance’s African connection.

Mission Fund Committee guidelines, procedures, and the application form for request of monies from the Mission Fund for foreign mission needs may be obtained from your council contact person.

We may not all have the freedom, health, and resources to travel to fields afar to make a difference in the lives of others outside the continental United States, yet we know and believe that Providence can Provide, Providence did Provide, Providence will Provide!

Thank you to Mary Kremer, OP, Scott Brondyke, and Toni Harris, OP, for information provided in this article.