‘Visioning Dominican Retirement’

On September 17, 2016, fourteen Sisters and partners in mission gathered at the Weber Center at Adrian, MI, for the 26^th Visioning Dominican Retirement meeting, a time for sharing and learning about the best care for our senior Sisters in motherhouses and care centers.

We heard presentations on Person-Centered Care by Mary Hopkins, OP, Medicare Updates by Susan Brown, Transitions by Kathleen Kenny, OP, Memory Loss by Coni LaBarbera, Reflections on the Sunday Readings by Rosemary Asaro, OP and Sacred Dying by Coni LaBarbera. After each presentation, there was much discussion about the reality in each of our institutions.

We also discussed topics of interest, a sharing of ideas, experiences, and congregational practices. These included renewal programs, acceptance of lay staff, pets, follow-up treatment after mental health programs, driving policies, and hoarding.  This helped us handle some of the practices in our own situations.

The Adrian Sisters were welcoming as we shared meals, prayers, and liturgy with them.  We also toured the Neighborhoods at the Weber Retreat and Conference Center and the Dominican Life Center.

Participants of this experience were: Peg O’Flynn, OP (Adrian), Corde Lenn, OP and Kathleen Kenny, OP (Springfield), Mary Hopkins, OP, Coni Labarbera, and Kay Malone (Sinsinawa), Marietta Mitre, OP and Lynette Amoroso (Mission San Jose), Germaine Conroy, OP, Carole Hermann, OP, Maureen Carney, OP, Eloise Hertel, OP, Valerie Shaul, OP, and Susan Brown (Peace).

We all agreed that the workshop was a grow-filled experience, both from the input of the sessions and the community spirit of those working in the same ministry.

The next Visioning Dominican Retirement will take place September 25 to 28, 2017, at Sinsinawa. Suggested topics for this session will be HIPPA, the Common Good, Alzheimers and other dementias, addictions, helping those in transitions, health and wellness, Medicare, care for the caregiver and intercultural issues.