Photos of the Week

Sparkill Dominicans Leadership team visits Dominican sisters in Pakistan In October and November 2014, the leadership team of the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill, New York, visited the Dominican sisters in Pakistan, in Multan, Loreto and Bahawalpur, where Dominian Convent School is located. In 2008, the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill celebrated 50 years of presence in Pakistan. View more photos Above: Sister Mary Murray, OP, president of the Sparkill Dominicans, greets two new postulants in Pakistan: Sister Anna Bashir (left) and Sister Mehereen Abas.

Maryknoll Sisters Congregation installs new leadership team Sisters Janice McLaughlin and Antoinette Gutzler, the outgoing and incoming presidents of Maryknoll Sisters, each reflected on the past and future of their congregation at a Mass held Jan. 4 at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, during which Sister Antoinette, along with Sisters Numeriana Mojado, incoming vice president, Anastasia Lott and Teruko Ito were installed as the new congregational leadership team for Maryknoll Sisters. Read more | View video Above from left: Sisters Teruko Ito, MM; Antoinette Gutzler, MM, president; Numeriana Mojado, MM, vice president; and Anastasia Lott, MM.

Sinsinawa Dominicans ‘Let’s do something’: Sister Monica responds to need “No, this project is not my main ministry. No, I didn’t initiate the idea. And no, this is not a second job, to answer a few questions I’ve been asked. This is an urgent, short-term project; a humanitarian response to the outbreak of lethal Ebola.” Sinsinawa Dominican Sister Monica Oboagwina, OP, a native of Nigeria, works for the Amen Foundation in Washington, D.C. Last fall, she volunteered her time to help obtain donations of medical supplies, clothes, food and toys for families in West Africa affected by the Ebola virus. Read more Above: Sister Monica (right) with volunteers loading the 40-foot container in Washington, D.C.

We have family in Iraq
Delegation of U.S. sisters arrives in northern Iraq

“After four months of exile, there are no signs of hope that the situation here in Iraq will be resolved peacefully,” writes Dominican Sister Maria Hanna from her place of refuge in Kurdistan. “Unable to think or make decisions, everything is vague and we feel as if we have been living a nightmare.” —Sister Maria Hanna (from Our Sunday Visitor)

Three Dominican sisters, Marcelline Koch, OP (Springfield), Durstyne Farnan, OP (Adrian), and Arlene Flaherty, OP (Blauvelt) travelled to northern Iraq on Jan. 5, to visit the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena in Erbil, Kurdistan. The Global Sisters Report is following their story, and published an article, “We have family in Iraq: A journey in solidarity and love,” on Jan. 4 prior to their trip.

Photos and updates from the trip are being shared on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/IHaveFamilyInIraq2015

Adrian Dominicans
Iraqi sister earns medical degree at Barry University

Sister Nadiya Shamees’ recent attainment of her master’s in clinical medical science from Barry University will directly benefit her community—the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine—when she serves as a physician’s assistant at her community’s hospital in Iraq. In the presence of about 20 joyful Adrian Dominican Sisters and her 58 cohorts, Sister Nadiya graduated from Barry’s physician’s assistant program during special ceremonies on Dec. 13, 2014. Read story, view photos

UN Briefing
Trafficking in persons: ‘No longer slaves, I call you friends’

Nelson Mandela once said, “To deny any person their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.” We are once again faced with this challenge, as Jan. 11 marks the National Human Trafficking Awareness Day in the United States and as Pope Francis similarly named Feb. 8 as the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking. In his recent message for the New Year, Pope Francis wrote against slavery and reminds the world that millions of people are still deprived of their freedoms and rights as they are forced to live in modern day slavery. Read article by Dominican Volunteer Kelly Litt

Mission San Jose Dominicans
‘The Joy of the Gospel,’ Mindfulness Meditation events

The Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, Fremont, California, are offering the following events beginning this month. Experience the Joy of the Gospel—Join us to pray, read and discuss Pope Francis’ teaching. A series of five presentations Jan. 14, Feb. 4, Mar. 11, Apr. 15, May 6 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. facilitated by Sisters Ingrid Clemmensen, OP and Marcia Krause, OP. Download flyer Mindfulness Meditation: For Healing and Wholeness—10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 21, April 22, July 15, Oct. 21. Explore ways to train your mind and heart to connect with your true inner self. Each session includes a spiritual focus and practice. Led by Sister Joan Prohaska, OP; Lynette Gullings, RN, and Sister Ingrid Clemmensen, OP. Download flyer

Maryknoll Sisters
Sister Arlene honored for work with deaf in Macau, China

Maryknoll Sister Arlene Trant was honored for her many years of service to the hearing impaired in Macau, China, by the Macao Special Administrative Region at a special ceremony held Dec. 15, 2014 at the Macau Cultural Center. "When I arrived in Macau in 1982, there were very few services for the Deaf,” Sister Arlene recalled recently in an interview with Ponto Final, a daily newspaper of Macau. She was responsible for starting the first sign language classes in Macau. Read more

Sparkill Dominicans
St. John Chrysostom School marks 100 years

On Dec. 12, 2014, Dominican Sisters of Sparkill welcomed guests from St. John Chrysostom parish, Bronx, New York, to Dominican Convent for a celebration in honor of the 100th anniversary of St. John’s School. The Dominican Sisters of Sparkill have staffed this school from the start, ministering as teachers and principals there for its entire century of service. The principal of St. John Chrysostom has always been a Dominican Sister from Sparkill. Read story, view photos

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