Listening for the Voice of the Spirit
The Sinsinawa Dominican Prioress and Council. Front row, from left: Srs. Mary Ellen Green, Mary Howard Johnstone, Elizabeth Dunn (Mary Denysa), and Susanne Brodeur. Back row: Srs. Jo Ann Timmerman, Erica Jordan (Caterina), Patricia Mulcahey (Marcolin), and Teresa Auad (Juana Maria).
Rooted in our past and listening for the voice of the Spirit in the present, we welcome the thresholds evident in our Church, in our nation, and in our lives as American religious and Sinsinawa Dominicans.
New Threshold—Our Church
Pope Benedict XVI in his first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est (2006), and his most recent encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (2009), speaks an old but also new message. He reminds us that when we abide in love, we abide in God. He calls for a people-centered ethics as foundational to a successful economy. He speaks of the relationship of charity and justice, noting that charity goes beyond justice but can never lack justice. Bishop J. Terry Steib, SVD, of Memphis, in a pastoral letter to his people, “Living Our Catholicism . . . That Our Joy Might Be Complete,” similarly reminds all of us that showing our love for God and for one another is how we spread the kingdom and how we are Church.
These messages from our Church leaders have renewed and strengthened us in our commitment as vowed religious. Our mission, participating with others in the building of a holy and just society, is people-centered, and we share it in a very direct way with our Associates and employees. All of us stand on a new threshold of deeper understanding that radical shifts in our economy reverberate through our global world. The person-centered ministries in which we engage and our commitment to advocacy for justice evidence the more intentional living of our faith. For examples, see other parts of this annual report.
New Threshold—Our Nation
This past Jan. 20 in his inaugural address, President Barack Obama spoke not of love but of the equality of all: We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.
We as a Congregation have rejoiced in the election of our first African American president. This new threshold calls all of us to continue our efforts to abolish racism, to deepen our understanding and respect for all people of other faiths and cultures. With the members of our own Anti-Racism Transformational Team, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Catholic Bishops Pastoral Letter on Racism, “Brothers and Sisters to Us”; the 25th anniversary of the Pastoral Letter on Evangelization from Black Bishops of the United States, “What We Have Seen and Heard”; and the 100th anniversary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). This past year has been a huge stepping-stone to the respect for all peoples which our country espouses in language but has too often failed in deeds. Our prayer for President Obama and for all of us as citizens is that we find ways to embrace and work for the equality of all people, in our country and in our world.
New Threshold— American Religious On Jan. 30, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious received a letter from Cardinal Franc Rode, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life, announcing an Apostolic Visitation of Institutes of Women Religious in the United States. Phase I of the Visitation included visits of individual leaders of religious congregations with Mother Mary Clare Millea, ASCJ. Comments of those who visited with Mother Mary Clare were unanimous in their appreciation of her receptive and responsive demeanor. Mother Mary Clare commented after meeting with 127 religious superiors,
I believe that some of the finest Catholic women religious in the United States have shared their stories, hopes, dreams and concerns about the sisters they love and the congregations to which they have generously given their lives. And, The superiors I have met have displayed a deep desire to articulate their congregation’s commitment to serving the needs of the Church today in accordance with their founding charism (www.apostolicvisitation.org).
Phase II began in August 2009. Each congregation will receive a questionnaire regarding various aspects of its life and ministry. After careful study of results of the questionnaire, Phase III will include on-site visits to designated congregations. Upon completion of this phase, Mother Mary Clare will make a confidential report to Rome. Our prayer and hope for the Visitation, truly a new threshold for us, is that all involved will hear the promptings of the Holy Spirit at this time in our history.
New Thresholds— Sinsinawa Dominicans
Touched by all that is written here, we thank God for the sorrows and joys of this past year. While we grieve the loss of 22 of our Sisters, we also rejoice in their new life. At the same time, we are nourished by the commitment of our new members, eight Sisters in stages of initial membership. Special highlights of the year included the following:
- Our First Experience of the Appreciative Inquiry Process. Through our conversations at the August 2008 Community Days, we identified those topics we see as integral to our future as Dominicans. We set the stage for deeper conversations about contemplation and community life in August 2009. Our conversations among ourselves and others, rooted in prayer and contemplation, will lead us into the future.
- Completion of the Madison Diocesan Tribunal Process for the Beatification of Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP. Our thanks to Sister Mary Paynter, OP (Maria de Ricci), Vice-Postulator for the Cause, who listens for any inkling of news from Rome. We also thank the Knights of Columbus for their tremendous work in renovating Father Samuel’s St. Augustine Church in New Diggings, WI.
- Collaboration with Other Religious. We value continuing dialogue with other Dominican Sisters and with the religious congregations in the Dubuque area. Seven congregations of the Dominican Alliance merged into a new congregation, Dominican Sisters of Peace. Tri-state religious are exploring cooperative ways to address the needs of immigrants and the need for immigration law reform.
- Welcomes and Partings. We appointed a new Prioress of our Siena Community, Sister Martha Mary Rohde, OP (Alfonsa); a new Peace and Justice Promoter, Sister Joy Peterson, PBVM; a new Advocate for Our Life and Mission, Sister Jeri Cashman, OP (Mary de Paul); and in a new position for coordination of efforts on behalf of our Associates, Jill Poehlman. We are very grateful to those who have served and are changing their ministries, Sisters Helen Hurley, OP (Marcellus); Bernita Hessling, OP (Mary Giovanni); and Patricia Rogers, OP.
- A Significant Downturn in Our Investment Income. We, as everyone else, suffered significant losses in our retirement funds, and we found ways to cut our expenses. We are particularly grateful to our Sisters and to our lay employees who cut expenses by 7 percent. And we are particularly grateful to our donors who, despite the downturn, helped us reach our annual development goal. We are also grateful for the continuing reduction of expenses we realize through right-sized building space at our Motherhouse.
The theme of this annual report, “Welcoming Thresholds: Behold New Things Have Come,” speaks a truth common to all in today’s world. Our challenge is as it has always been—listening and being attentive to the Spirit. Our prayer remains one of faith in our God: Providence can provide. Providence did provide. Providence will provide. We ask you to join with us in prayer, knowing that God will hear our prayer. Sister Patricia Mulcahey, OP Prioress of the Congregation