September 08 Index

Community Days: ‘Listen, Do, and Pray’
During August Community Days, more than 400 Sinsinawa cartographers gathered as mapmakers at the Mound to reflect and build on the stories, to ritualize our call to mission, and to embrace the Spirit among us. We were joined by those who’ve gone before us and by the stories of our Sisters not able to be present, stories of our faithful Associates, and stories of our committed stakeholders. Read more . . .

Community Days: In Our Own Words
Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa reflect on Community Days. Read more . . .

Sr. Kathleen Hayes: Ministering through Library Books
Are you a Tigger or an Eeyore? This is a question that I ask elementary school children in my ministry as librarian at St. Paul Catholic School in St. Petersburg, FL. Read more . . .

Moments of Transformation
Our rituals of incorporation this August were truly moments of transformation. There was a dramatic and noticeable shift. We simply are no longer the Congregation we used to be. Becoming global adds richness, new life, and the energy of diversity to our already amazing history. Read more . . .

Surrender, Gratitude, and Thanks!
Sr. Jean Says Good-bye to Trinidad
Six years ago when I said my “YES” to the assignment at the House of Discernment in Trinidad, my most-often-used prayer was “acceptance.” However, that word has changed over the years. Now my most-often-used prayer word is “surrender.” Read more . . .

‘Blessed to be Part of Dominican Family’
The Dominican Volunteers USA (DVUSA) mission is a great description of how I am spending my year in the DVUSA program. I minister at Centro Guadalupano. I work mostly with immigrants who may be outside of many North Americans’ biological families but who are certainly our sisters and brothers. Read more . . .

Sisters Enjoy Annual DIA Gathering
Assembled in the Martin De Porres Center on the campus of Ohio Dominican University, Columbus, OH, 60 artists of the Dominican Institute for the Arts (DIA) enlightened, inspired, and entertained each other July 10–13 at their 12th annual conference. Read more . . .

Mazzuchelli Cause Continues
On Aug. 21, the closing session of the diocesan process regarding the Beatification of Venerable Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP, took place at Sinsinawa Mound. This ceremony marked the closing of the Madison diocesan process of inquiry into the possible miracle obtained through the intercession of Venerable Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP. Read more . . .

Parable Closes
After thoughtful discernment and extensive consultation with leadership throughout the Dominican Family, the Board of Directors of the Parable Conference for Dominican Life and Mission, Forest Park, IL, has decided to dissolve the conference. Read more . . .

New UN NGO Rep
The executive committee of the Dominican Leadership Conference (DLC) announced Margaret Mayce, OP (Amityville), will become the new non-governmental organization (NGO) representative at the United Nations (UN) in New York. Read more . . .

Sisters Staff Congregation Positions
Sisters assume positions of Prioress of the Mound and Director of Discernment and Candidacy Programs, Trinidad and Tobago. Read more . . .

Jubilee
Long before the birth of Jesus, our ancestors celebrated jubilee. For them the jubilee year was meant to be a year for rest, reflection, and redemption; a time for forgiveness and for celebration. Jubilee was a communal celebration in which all, young and old, rich and poor, people of every level of society took part. Read more . . .

Dominican High Schools Preaching Conference
Queen of Peace Receives Veritas Award
“The Dominican High Schools Preaching Conference was an amazing experience for me, and I will continue in the Dominican tradition for the rest of my life,” said one participant as he left the campus of Siena Heights University, Adrian, MI. Read more . . .

We Are Trinity High School!
We are Trinity High School . . . preparing young women for a life of significance. As Trinity begins its 91st year educating young women, Trinity remains true to the commitment set in 1917 when five Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters set out from southwestern Wisconsin to found a Catholic high school for young women. Read more . . .

Grant Provides for Sisters’ Needs
The Office of Development staff submitted a grant proposal to the Retirement Research Foundation (RRF) in April 2007 for the project titled “Providing a Healthy, Independent, and Dignified Third Age for Our Sisters.” The grant award, $40,426, was received in September 2007. Read more . . .

Justice and Peace Promoters Meet in Juarez, Mexico
From July 31 to Aug. 4, the first gathering of Dominican continental justice and peace promoters focusing on immigration was held at the Casa del Migrante in Juarez, Mexico. The meeting drew 80 participants from Canada, the United States, Santo Domingo, Rome, Mexico, Argentine, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Guatemala, Spain, and Colombia. Read more . . .

Sisters Meet Scripture Women
Last June, four women of the Hebrew Scriptures came to visit the Sisters at the Dominican Center in Spokane, WA, and share their wisdom. Queen Esther of Susa Persia, Queen Belkis of Sheba, Hulda the Prophetess, and Hagar came to life in the person of Mary Ellen O’Dea, OP. Read more . . .

What Did You Learn?
A cardinal flew above me as I walked into Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL, on April 2, 2008, for the defense of my doctor of ministry research project. I had just left Sinsinawa with a warm send-off from the Sisters. My advisory committee had over 100 pages of my work on the four pillars of Dominican life. Read more . . .

Writing to Death Row Inmate Rewarding
I had a wonderful experience recently. Many of you may remember that about 10 years ago, we were invited to write to a woman on death row. I received the name of a woman in the Metro State Prison in Atlanta, GA. Read more . . .

An Experience of Delight
Sr. Clemente Authors Book on Piers Plowman
Every so often in life we discover a hidden jewel. It is not that the jewel is actually hidden, for much of the time it is right in front of our eyes though we simply do not see it. Usually hidden jewels are small and it may be that their smallness keeps us from seeing them. Discovering jewels does not happen often, but, when it happens to me, I am filled with delight. Read more . . .

The Cradle of Humankind: A Challenge to Solidarity
Her name is Clementine. From her size, I estimated that she was about 4 or 5 years of age. On her dark brown skin, a crusty, black, scab-like condition was continuing to spread. Although the day was warm, she wore a dirty windbreaker with the hood up over her head to cover the signs of the disease on the sides of her face. Read more . . .