Photos of the Week

Houston Dominicans Sisters, students celebrate Dominican All Saints Dominican All Saints’ Day (Nov. 7) was celebrated at St. Pius X High School by the student body and Dominican Sisters. Donna Pollard, OP (head of school) and the St. Pius community invited the sisters for their Dominican celebration of the Saints of the Order. The 12 sisters who attended were welcomed by members of the St. Pius preaching team. Following Mass, the sisters enjoyed lunch with the campus ministry staff and members of the preaching team. Each sister was presented with a white rose attached to a postcard of a Dominican saint with a handwritten note from a student preacher.

National Justice Convocation Justice promoters for women religious gather The week of Nov. 13, social justice promoters from congregations of women religious gathered at River’s Edge Retreat Center in Cleveland, Ohio for “Entering the Transforming Future: Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Ministry in the Coming Age of Religious Life.” Justice promoters for Dominican sisters were among 150 participants representing more than 100 congregations from 26 states and one Canadian province. The justice promoters met to strengthen their work on critical global and national issues. They shared innovative strategies and best practices to respond more effectively to issues that affect the lives of people and the planet. Read more Above from left: Joy Peterson, PBVM (justice promoter for the Sinsinawa Dominicans); Margaret Mayce, OP (Amityville; Dominican Leadership Conference UN/NGO representative); Marcelline Koch, OP (Springfield; DSI Co-Promoter of Justice for North America); Judy Morris, OP (Peace).

Dominican Sisters’ Conference Staff meets in Chicago The weather tried, but did not succeed, in derailing the Nov. 19–20 meeting of the Dominican Sisters’ Conference staff at St. Luke’s Convent in River Forest, Illinois. Sister Aneesah joined us via videoconference. Above from left: Susan Oxley, DomLife editor; Sister Aneesah McNamee, OP (Adrian, communications), Sister Margaret Mayce, OP (Amityville, UN/NGO representative); and Sister Pat Farrell, OP (San Rafael), DSC executive director.

UN Briefing
Networking within and among the Dominican Family

Making connections: In her work at the United Nations in New York as the UN/NGO representative for the Dominican Leadership Conference, Sister Margaret Mayce has the opportunity to meet and get to know members of the Dominican Family from around the world. Read article by Sister Margaret Mayce, OP

Blauvelt Dominicans
Sister writes about immigration immersion experience

In mid-October, Sister Arlene Flaherty, OP (Blauvelt) participated in an immigration border immersion and exploration into the complex issues on the Mexican border. She was one of eight international SSND SHALOM representatives (from Canada, Rome and the United States) sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) community in Douglas, Arizona. On Nov. 17, she gave a presentation about her experience at the Blauvelt motherhouse. Read story, view photos

High Schools Preaching Conference
Three receive Sister Pat Brady Award

Father Jim Barnett, OP (St. Albert the Great), Sister Linda Mary DeLonais, OP (Springfield), and Patrick Spedale, director of campus ministry with the Dominican Sisters of Houston, were given the Sister Pat Brady Award at the 2014 Dominican High Schools Preaching Conference in June. The high schools preaching conference was started by Sister Pat Brady in 1999. The award, given in her honor, recognizes a member or members of the conference for extraordinary service and contributions in furthering the traditions and charism of the Dominican Order at conference. Read more

Dominican Institute for the Arts
Sister’s arts ministry featured in NYU exhibit Dec. 2–19

Sister Sheila Flynn, OP (Oakford), founded Kopanang Community Trust in 2001 to help women in South Africa affected by HIV/AIDS learn to embroider, stitch and bead, developing skills that empower them by giving them a source of income through the sale of handmade items. The Mariposa Museum and World Culture Center is hosting an exhibit of 31 tapestries created by the women of Kopanang. “The Universe Canticle,” Dec. 2–19 at the Center for Spiritual Life at New York University. The Mariposa Museum is also accepting online, tax-deductible donations to the Kopanang Community Trust Project. Sister Sheila is a member of the Dominican Institute for the Arts (DIA). Her ministry with the women of Kopanang was featured in the June 9 Global Sisters Report (“A life raft of hope in an ocean of need.”)

Faith and Film
St. Vincent

Vincent (Bill Murray) is a retired Vietnam veteran who is about as misanthropic as they come. The film’s plot seems familiar: grumpy old man mentors boy who both grow in the process. But writer/director Theodore Melfi does not turn Vincent into a loveable geezer. Pope Francis proclaims “Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it destroyed by vices, drugs, or anything else—God is in this person’s life. You can, you must, try to seek God in every human life.” Despite all of Vincent’s flaws, Oliver is able to find God in him. Read review by Tom Condon, OP

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