Photo of the Week

Caravan for Peace Mexican Dominicans travel from California to D.C. Fr. Brendan Curran, OP, pastor of St. Pius V parish in Chicago, welcomes the caravan to the parish street festival where hundreds welcomed the travelers. The Caravan for Peace, began in California Aug. 12 and ended in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 12. Participants in the caravan are family members of victims of violence in Mexico. The caravan was hosted by U.S. Dominicans at several locations throughout the U.S. Read more

Sparkill Dominicans
Sister Christine makes first profession of vows

Sister Christine De Anna made her First Profession of Vows as a Dominican Sisters of Sparkill on Saturday, Sept. 8 in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary. A native of Windsor, Ontario, Sister Christine was a home health care nurse prior to entering the congregation in 2010. Sister Christine explains that she was initially attracted to the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill “…through their warm hospitality, and committed life of prayer and ministry.” Read more

Collaborative Dominican Novitiate
Program welcomes new novices, celebrates 25 years

The Collaborative Dominican Novitiate (CDN) is a joint effort by congregations of Dominican sisters to provide their members in initial formation with an experience of the larger Dominican Family. The CDN experience lasts for a span of 10 months, beginning in August until the end of June. This August, four novices began their canonical year at CDN: Adela-Iuliana Langa, Alexa Chipman, Jennifer (Jenn) Schaaf, and Reneé Jacqueline Hala Asmar. Read CDN newsletter The CDN will also celebrate its 25th anniversary on Friday, Oct. 5 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Westin Chicago North Shore Ravinia Ballroom. RSVP to conshope@gmail.com.

UN Briefing
Ameliorating food insecurity by attenuating climate change

According to the report “The State of Food Insecurity in the World,” a collaboration published by the World Food Program and the Food and Agriculture Organization, the number of undernourished human beings on this planet continues to escalate. Today, the figure approaches 1 billion individuals. This unacceptably high degree of food insecurity serves as the culmination of a multitude of factors, ranging from conflict to poor infrastructure and governance to the negative ramifications of climate change. Read article by Kati Garrison, Dominican Volunteer

Friars in the News
Online preaching project makes headlines in St. Louis

The students at St. Dominic’s Priory in St. Louis are beginning a new academic year, and also a new year with their online preaching project, PreachingFriars.org. Last year, they had a successful series called “Vox Clamantis: Dominican Voices on Social Justice in the Contemporary World,” along with a number of other new series and vespers preaching videos. The project was featured in a recent article in the St. Louis Review. Read article

Mount Saint Mary College
Sept. 27 lecture: The Church of the Second Vatican Council

Mount Saint Mary College’s Catholic and Dominican Institute will host a free public talk, “The Church of the Second Vatican Council: A Work Complete, Yet Always in Progress,” on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. Theologian Fr. Robert Christian, OP, will present the talk, which marks the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. Read more

Aquinas Institute of Theology
Search for new president underway

Aquinas Institute of Theology (AI) in Saint Louis, a Catholic graduate school animated by 800 years of Dominican tradition, invites nominations and applications for its next president. Impelled by the Catholic faith, AI educates men and women to preach, to teach, to minister, and to lead. The new president will join a fully engaged faculty, staff and Board of Trustees in strengthening, assessing, and further developing the school’s academic programs and services. Read more

Vote for the Common Good
Northeast Dominican sisters host Sister Simone Campbell

The Northeast Dominican Sisters in Committed Collaboration (OPSCC) will host Sister Simone Campbell, SSS from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23 at Caldwell College and also from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Blauvelt Dominicans motherhouse. Sister Simone, director of NETWORK (a national Catholic social justice lobby), will lead an exploration into the topic “Vote for the Common Good.” The events and parking are free, but seating is limited. Early registration is encouraged. Download registration form (PDF), e-mail Sister Mary Ellen O’Grady, or call Sister Peggy Ryan at 973-403-3331 ext. 46.

Dominican Sisters Conference
Convocation registration

Register now for the first annual Dominican Sisters Conference (DSC) Convocation Oct. 4–7 at the Westin Hotel in Wheeling, Illinois! More than 600 sisters and associates will attend. Speakers Timothy Radcliffe, OP and Judi Neal will address the theme “Edge Walkers: Unfolding the Fertile Unknown.” The convocation will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, and will close Sunday, Oct. 7 at noon. To download registration materials (PDF 1.6 MB), click on the graphic or click here.

Previous updates:

The next Dominican Life | USA update will be published on Wednesday, September 26. Deadline for submission of articles/photos is Friday, September 21.