Ideas for Dominican gift giving

Happy Holidays

The Dominican Family includes many talented visual, literary and culinary artisans. Why not consider giving a gift from the heart and hands of a Dominican this year? This is a great way to support Dominican ministries while you cross items off your holiday shopping list. Below are some links to get you started.

More ideas are welcome! We will keep this list posted through the end of December, so if you have any links you would like to suggest, please send them to editor@domlife.org. Thank you!

Centro Santa Catalina

Centro Santa Catalina was founded by two Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan—Sister Donna Kustusch and Sister Eleanor Stech. In the summer of 2011, the Dominican Sisters of Peace (Columbus, Ohio) adopted the center as a new initiative of the congregation. The current director is Sister Rene Weeks, OP.

Items handmade by women in the Centro Santa Catalina sewing cooperative available for purchase include colorful shawls, blankets, tablecloths, Christmas ornaments and baby clothing.

www.centrosantacatalina.org/products

Dominican Nuns of Summit, New Jersey
Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary Gift Shoppe
nunsopsummit.org/shop

Sister Mary Grace Thul, OP
Contemporary religious and liturgical art
sistermarygrace.artspan.com/

Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters
Book and Gift Gallery
www.sinsinawa.org/books_gifts/

CON/VIDA

CON/VIDA (“with life”) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting understanding of the diverse cultures, traditions and history of the Americas expressed through popular art. Sister Barbara Cervenka, OP, Co-Director.
www.convida.org

Sister Barbara Schwarz, OP (Amityville)
Ministry of Preaching Through the Arts
www.artafire.homestead.com

Books

Orbis Books
www.maryknollsocietymall.org

On the Threshold of the Future
By Claudette LaVerdiere, MM
Explores the life and spirituality of the founder of the Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic’s founder, Mother Mary Joseph. Available from Orbis Books

Hearts on Fire: The Story of the Maryknoll Sisters by Penny Lernoux
Updated for the congregation’s centennial in 2012. Available from Orbis Books

Call Me Pop
Memoir by Sister Mary Boyce, MM
Available on Amazon.com

The View from the Ruin: Images for a Dialogue of Faith
Poems by Sister Elizabeth Michael Boyle, OP. Winner of the 2010 Fra Angelico Award. Available from the author at a “Dominican discount price” of $10; also available on Amazon.com

Music

Two CDs from Adrian Dominican Sister and musician Magdalena Ezoe, OP:

  • “12-7-5” — 12 Piano music/7 Gregorian Chants/5 second movements from Concertos for Piano, recorded by Magdalena Ezoe, OP, piano and vocal, $20 each (shipping included).
  • “All Chopin” — recorded live by Magdalena Ezoe, OP, at Siena Heights University on the 150 Anniversary of his death (October 17, 1999) $24 each (shipping included); very limited availability.

To order, contact: Sister Magdalena Ezoe, OP, 1269 Siena Heights Drive, Adrian MI 49221, 517-266-4164 or 517-264-7898.

Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt
Charisma Gift Shop
www.opblauvelt.org/giftshop.html

Sister Joyce Roach, OP (Tacoma)
Photographer
1111 Rose Lane
Tacoma, WA 98406-1809
253-756-9435
jroachop@nventure.com

Dominican Crosses
Dominican Sisters Conference. Design by Anne Lythgoe, OP. Cost is $27 plus shipping. Contact Mary Sue Kennedy, OP, at sisters@domlife.org

Subscriptions

Gift subscriptions to the print edition of Dominicana are available for $15 each from the Dominican Province of St. Joseph. Dominicana is a publication of the Dominican Students of the St. Joseph Province, who live and study at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC. The blog is updated every weekday, and the journal appears twice a year. For more information, click here.

Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Christmas Gifts (shared by the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell, New Jersey)

  • Buy Fair Trade products (visit www.serrv.org)
  • Buy a living gift: a holly tree, rosemary tree, or plant a tree to honor someone
  • Support Heiffer Interational or Habitat for Humanity
  • Donate a monetary gift in honor of someone to Food for the Poor, Lamp for Haiti, to feed a family, educate a child or provide medical care
  • Offer to car pool, babysit, or grocery shop for someone
  • Buy a gift certificate to a local store, restaurant or movie theater
  • Give a gift certificate for a service, such as a car wash, oil change, visit to a beauty parlor, massage or yoga session
  • Offer to cook dinner or dessert for someone
  • Reuse gift bags or wrap your gifts in reuseable cloth bags