Photos of the Week

Mission San Jose Dominicans Sisters participate in A Nun’s Life podcast The Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, Fremont, California, participated in A Nun’s Life Ministry‘s Motherhouse Road Trip podcast on June 20. The on-air participants from the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose were Sisters Rebecca Shinas, OP and Lilly Fitzpatrick, OP. The podcast, which featured a live audience, chat room, and question-and-answer session, is scheduled to be posted on anunslife.org soon. Listen to podcast Above: Dominican Sisters Rebecca Shinas, OP and Lilly Fitzpatrick, OP (Mission San Jose) with Sisters Maxine Kollasch, IHM (left) and Julie Vieira, IHM (right) of A Nun’s Life Ministry.

Racine Dominicans Congregational leadership team installed A new leadership team for the Racine Dominicans took office July 1. The three sisters will lead the community of 137 sisters and 68 associates for the next four years. Sister Maryann McMahon, former executive director of the HOPES Center of Racine, is president, and Sisters Agnes Johnson and Kathy Slesar will serve another four-year term as vice presidents. Sister Sharon Simon, outgoing president, has served 12 years in leadership. The new team was installed June 21. Read more

Justice Promoters
Letter of support to Christians in Iraq

On June 28, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the North American Dominican Justice Promoters (NADJP) issued correspondence addressed to faith leaders in Iraq, expressing their concern for Christians living in Iraq as violence and instability continue. North American Dominican Co-Promoters of Justice Sister Marcelline Koch, OP (Springfield) and Father Charles Dahm, OP, associate pastor of St. Pius V Parish in Chicago, Illinois, vowed advocacy for Christians in Iraq and extended a message of solidarity and continued prayer. Read full text of news release | Read letter The Maryknoll Sisters have also posted a letter from Sister Maria Hanna, OP, prioress general of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena in Iraq, on their web site.

Jubilees in July
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. The list is being updated regularly, so please check back. Read more

UN Briefing
Access to clean, potable water is a human right

“The City of Detroit is facing a major water crisis as a result of decades of policies that have put corporate business and profit ahead of the public good and human rights… The case of water cut-offs in the City of Detroit speaks to the deep racial divides and intractable economic and social inequality in access to services within the United States.” —excerpt from a submission made on June 18 to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation. The water situation in Detroit highlights the challenges that millions of people throughout the world contend with each and every day. Read article by Sister Margaret Mayce, OP

Caldwell Dominicans
Summer film festival focuses on the environment

The Earth Studies Committee of the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell, New Jersey, is sponsoring a Dominican Summer Film Festival in July. Three films featuring leaders of the environmental movement in America will be offered. Dates and titles are: Wednesday, July 2 (“Thomas Berry”); Tuesday, July 8 (“John Muir”); and Wednesday, July 23 (“James Balog: Chasing Ice”). Films and discussion will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the motherhouse of the Caldwell Dominican Sisters, One Ryerson Avenue, Caldwell, New Jersey. For more information, contact Sister Alice Uhl at 201-207-9267.

Maryknoll Sisters
China missioner receives lifetime achievement award

Sister Janet Carroll, a missioner serving the people of China since 1956, received the American Missiology Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award on June 21. Sister Janet, a New York City native, served as the United Nations advisor to the Holy See Mission for the Association of Southeast Asian States (ASEAN) and China from 1979 to 1987, and is the author of numerous articles on missiology and U.S./China relations. Read more

Faith and Film
How to Train Your Dragon 2

Four years ago, we were introduced to young dragon-tamer Hiccup and his companion Toothless. The first Dragon was an enormously entertaining animated film, full of fantastic soaring rides in the sky, swooning and dipping in 3-D. Dragon 1 also told a beautiful story about learning to deal with one’s fears and reach out to that which is different. Dragon 2 takes up the action five years later. Read review by Tom Condon, OP

Previous updates:

The next Dominican Life | USA update will be published on Wednesday, July 16. Deadline for submission of articles/photos is Friday, July 11.