Photos of the Week

Monastery Visit Dominican sisters visit nuns in Summit, New Jersey Dominican Sisters International has invited the apostolic congregations of Dominican sisters to visit the Dominican nuns in their monasteries. On June 14, four Dominican sisters from Amityville, Blauvelt, Caldwell, and Sinsinawa visited the nuns at the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary in Summit, New Jersey. The nuns welcomed the sisters with refreshments and conversation, and the sisters joined the nuns for compline (evening prayer) in the monastery chapel. From left: Sisters Laura Arvin (Amityville), Terry Rickard (Blauvelt), Joseph Maria (Summit Monastery), Pat Daly (Caldwell). Photo by Mary Ellen O’Grady, OP (Sinsinawa)

Amityville Dominicans Congregation celebrates transfer of leadership June 23 Six new members of the leadership council of the Dominican Sisters of Amityville, New York, began their six-year terms with a Mass on Sunday, June 23. Visit the congregation’s web site to read a welcome from the new prioress, and links to photos and video from the ritual. Above from left: Sisters Teresita Rivera, OP (Provincial of Puerto Rico, four-year term); Sister Marguerite Warren, OP; Margaret Ann McVetty, OP; Patricia Anne Hanvey, OP; Mary Patricia Neylon, OP (prioress); Antoinette De Aveiro, OP; and Patricia Marie Koehler, OP. Photo by Barbara Schwarz, OP

Springfield Dominicans Corporate stance honors interconnectedness of all life On June 15, during their General Assembly, the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois, unanimously approved a corporate stance on a Consistent Ethic of Life. This stance is an embodied decision to protect the common good. “We are called to look at all issues through the lens of how our actions might sustain and support LIFE in all its interconnectedness so that the community of life might flourish,” the sisters agreed. “This corporate stance commits us—and publicly witnesses to our commitment—to look at issues, make decisions and act out of the Gospel value that ‘all may have life and have it more abundantly’.” Read more

Jubilees in June
Sisters celebrate anniversaries of religious life

Dominican sisters across the United States are celebrating anniversaries of profession as vowed women religious this month. Many of the congregations feature stories and photos about their Jubilarians online. We’ve compiled a list of congregations celebrating Jubilees, and links to more information. Read more

UN Briefing
RIO + 20 one year later… Where are we?

One year ago at RIO + 20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, UN Member States decided to launch a process to develop a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which would build upon the Millennium Development Goals and converge with the post-2015 development agenda. Rio + 20 did not elaborate specific goals, but stated that these goals should be limited in number, easy to communicate, and that they should address in an integrated fashion the three essential dimensions of sustainable development—social, environmental and economic. Read article by Sister Margaret Mayce, OP

What is Earth asking of us?
Understanding the impact of climate change

In spite of the many valiant efforts by environmental organizations, grassroots groups, and committed individuals, Earth’s temperature continues to rise. On May 9, 2013, CO2 levels reached their first-ever daily average of 400 parts per million. E5 tornadoes spin with more frequency and increased size in the U.S. Midwest. Meteorologists predict an especially violent hurricane season this year. Last year’s moderate and extreme droughts that covered most of the U.S. are replaced this year with torrential rainfalls and floods. Read article by Sharon Zayac, OP

Racine Dominicans
Eco-Justice Center featured in radio story

A recent story on WUWM 89.7 Milwaukee, “Dominican Nuns Works to Improve Sustainable Living,” featured an interview with Sister Janet Weyker, OP (Racine), director of the congregation’s Eco-Justice Center. Read more

Dominican Sisters of Hope
School names Wing of Hope for Sister Frances Irene

On June 9, the Bishop Dunn Memorial School community on the campus of Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, New York, dedicated the newest wing of the school to Sister Frances Irene Fair, OP (Hope). Sister Frances directed the school’s special education program, and, in recent years, served as the director of development. Many of the BDM graduates, their children and their parents were on hand for the dedication. Read more

Western Province
Dominicans to administer Menlo Park parish

In a June 20 story in Catholic San Francisco, the Archdiocese of San Francisco announced an agreement with the Dominican friars of the Western Province (Holy Name) to administer St. Raymond Parish in Menlo Park. Father Christopher Fadok, OP, was appointed pastor effective July 1. Read more

Houston Dominicans
Sisters support Nuns on the Bus for immigration reform

In the trek across Texas, Houston was the first stop for the Nuns on the Bus tour for Immigration Reform. The bus arrived on the motherhouse grounds of the Dominican Sisters of Houston on June 7, where Sisters Lavergne Schwender, Eleanor Cresap and Ceil Roeger were waiting to greet them. Read article by Ceil Roeger, OP

Faith and Film
This is the End

In the last few years, young adults have flocked to what have been called “gross-out” comedies. I was drawn to “This Is the End” because of its good reviews, but mostly because I was interested in its subject matter. As the title implies, the movie is about the apocalypse. Were there religious overtones in a gross out movie? I wanted to find out. Read review by Tom Condon, OP

Previous updates:

The next Dominican Life | USA update will be published on Wednesday, July 10. Deadline for submission of articles/photos is Friday, July 5.