Sister Achievements

Laurie Brink, OP, was featured in a May 18 U.S. Catholic online article titled “How cosmology can enrich religious life.” The article also appeared in print in the June issue of the magazine. She said of her recently written book, The Heavens Are Telling the Glory of God, “This wasn’t the book I wanted to write. It was the book I was compelled to write. . . . We all have a vocation, and we’re all invited and encouraged to live it out the best we can. That was one of the messages of Laudato Si’: The pope presents this gift and tells us, ‘The world is in crisis, and, whoever you are, you can do something about it.’ . . . We are not meant to be alone in our search for God. We’re supposed to be doing it together.”
Laurie was also awarded first place in the Faith and Science category by the Catholic Media Association for her book. The CMA noted, “This remarkable book not only discusses clearly and cogently the role of the ‘new cosmology’ in our understanding of the big questions of our faith; it uniquely explains how this new cosmology is being perceived by different age and educational cohorts within the Church.”

Christina Heltsley, OP, was the recipient of a 2023 Jefferson Award. In an April news story titled “Bay Area nun Sister Christina Heltsley transforms underserved Peninsula neighborhood,” she’s credited with transforming a gang-infested area into a place where families can thrive. Her vision was simple: “If we could stabilize one family at a time, we could stabilize the entire neighborhood.” The Jefferson Award is given by the national nonprofit Multiplying Good. They partner with news outlets across the nation to elevate, honor, and celebrate local unsung heroes.

Christin Tomy, OP, was a presenter at the Schreiter Institute Symposium on Trauma, Culture, and Spirituality in May. “A Praxis of Reconciliation: Trauma, Culture, and Spirituality” explored opportunities and challenges for interculturally recognizing, narrating, and healing various manifestations of trauma in praxes of reconciliation and restorative justice. Christin presented on a panel discussion titled “Practices and Frameworks for Interpreting Trauma.”

Barbara Becker, OP, was featured in the April 20 edition of the Florida Catholic in an article titled “KinDoo to continue as founding religious retire.” KinDoo Family Center is a community educational center in Indiantown that began eight years ago by women religious looking to help empower individuals and families. Barbara oversees the childcare center there.