May 7, 2024

Events & Retreats – 5.08.24

The Footsteps of St. Paul: Greece & Turkey

Save the date for the fall 2024 trip in the Footsteps of St. Paul to Greece and Turkey!

This program will explore historical sites in Greece and Turkey made sacred not only by the presence of the Apostle Paul but also by the Evangelists John, Matthew, Luke, and other early Christian leaders. No other area in the world can match the natural beauty, spectacular archaeological, and significant historical sites connected with the first traces of the early Church as it moved out beyond the boundaries of Israel into the wider Gentile world. Here lie the historical foundations not only of the New Testament itself, but also the development of the earliest Apostolic Church as it began to take root in the Greco-Roman world.

Greece & Turkey 2024 Letter of Invitation
Greece & Turkey 2024 Itinerary

Greece & Turkey 2024 Reservation Form

The cost of the 12-night 13-day land portion is $6,200 per person with $1,700 for a single supplement. Transatlantic airfare to Thessaloniki, Greece and returning from Istanbul, Turkey is additional. Please read the Greece and Turkey 2024 Letter of Invitation for more details.

Note on physical limitations:

We move as a group and keep a steady walking pace. Travelers need to be able to climb hills, walk four miles over the course of a day and walk for one mile at a stretch without stopping. If you require accommodations in order keep up with the group, there will be additional fees for assisted transportation, when available.

More info here.

Creative Writing Workshop Draws on Enticing Inspiration of Summer

Is your creative writing energy perking up with the coming of the warm summer months? Come join other writers – beginning and experienced – to work with the seeds of creative writing ideas and to nurture your imagination.

This creative writing workshop, is offered in person from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday, June 1, 2024, at Weber Retreat and Conference Center. During this encouraging workshop, you will receive feedback on the strengths of your writing and the opportunity to offer feedback to other participants.

The workshop is facilitated by Sister Tarianne DeYonker, OP, MSW, an Adrian Dominican Sister, and an Amherst Writers and Artists certified workshop leader.

The cost is $35. Registration is required and is available at www.webercenter.org; click on “programs.” You can also email webercenter@adriandominicans.org or call 517-266-4000. Limited scholarships are available.

Weber Center is on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters Motherhouse, Adrian, Michigan. Traveling east on Siena Heights Drive, pass the Adrian Rea Literacy Center and turn left just before the solar panel-covered parking lot. Follow the signs to Weber Center. For information, call Weber Center at 517-266-4000.

Contemplative Reflection Focuses on Works of Teilhard de Chardin

Sisters Kathleen Deignan, CND, PhD, and Libby Osgood, CND, PhD, PEng, offer a contemplative reflection on the prayers, poems, and hymns of Jesuit priest and scientist Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ, and how the presenters wove these works into a Book of Hours for daily prayer. Teilhard de Chardin: Book of Hours is offered via livestream from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.

Through this reflective evening, Sisters Kathleen and Libby invite participants to cultivate the “cosmic sense” of faith awakened through the works of Teilhard de Chardin.

Sister Kathleen, Professor Emerita of Religious and Theological Studies at Iona University in New Rochelle, New York, is a composer of sacred song and director of the Deignan Institute for Earth and Spirit. Sister Libby, Associate Professor of Sustainable Design Engineering at the University of Prince Edward Island, once worked on two NASA satellites as an aerospace engineer.

The cost of the event is $45. Registration is required and may be made online at www.webercenter.org (click on “Programs”), by phone, 517-266-4000, and by email webercenter@adriandominicans.org. Limited scholarships are available.

Awakening Spirituality ~ Exploring Our Sacred Stories through Making Mandalas (In-Person)

Friday, May 31, 6:00 – 8:30 pm & Saturday, Jun 1, 9:00 am – 4:30pm

GRAND RAPIDS, MI –Come, retreat as a sacred community using our diverse life stories and the arts to discover the depth and breadth of Divine presence in our lives. Experience a contemplative and creative “meaning-making” space exploring the intertextual weave of word, world and wonder through personal story prompts and guided multimedia Mandala-making. Over centuries, people across a variety of traditions have created or colored Mandalas (circles) for spiritual deepening, increased wholeness and healing, or artistic expression. Mandalas invite contemplation using lines, shapes, patterns, and color. Together, we will create simple intuitive Mandalas to explore and deepen our experience of Sacred Presence in a story from our lives. You will be given tools before and during the retreat to bring out your creative spirit and for choosing a sacred life story to explore. No experience in the arts or Mandalas is necessary. For more information call 616-514-3325 or visit dominicancenter.com. Dominican Center Marywood, a ministry of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, is located in West Michigan off Fulton Street East, on the campus of Aquinas College.

Details & Registration: https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/awakening-spirituality-mandalas/

Transformation in Presence ~ Integrating Awareness of God (In-Person)

Friday, Jun 7, 6:30 – 9:00 pm & Saturday, Jun 8, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

GRAND RAPIDS, MI –When our human experience is challenging, the pain can seem overwhelming and lonely. In this retreat, we will be practicing ways of and learning how to become more aware of the Holy Spirit. Immerse yourself in the moments — learning how to remain present to self and God, and how to return to God amidst our sufferings. Out of this awareness of everlasting Love can flow calmness, clarity, compassion, and creativity. With co-facilitators Amanda Waldron and Kristen Bylsma, experiences will include creative contemplative activities, embodied practices, and time in nature. For more information call 616-514-3325 or visit dominicancenter.com. Dominican Center Marywood, a ministry of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, is located in West Michigan off Fulton Street East, on the campus of Aquinas College.

Details & Registration: https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/transformation-in-presence-integrating-awareness-of-god/

Journey into Silence Retreat ~ Summer Peace (In-Person)

Sunday, Jun 9, 5:30 pm – Friday, Jun 14, 2:30 pm

CONWAY, MI –Silence the world around you. Silence the world within you. Silence the thoughts that shout out to you. In the stillness hear God’s voice. In the quiet, sense the Divine’s presence and the spiritual love that is waiting to embrace you. Gently enter into silence during this retreat experience. A spiritual director will be here to companion with you on this silent retreat. The Journey into Silence retreat is held at the Augustine Center Retreat House in Conway, MI. The center is a retreat house welcoming individuals and groups for ongoing formation, education, and spirituality. For more information call 616-514-3325 or visit dominicancenter.com. Dominican Center Marywood, a ministry of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, is located in West Michigan off Fulton Street East, on the campus of Aquinas College.

Details & Registration: https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/journey-into-silence-retreat-summer-peace/

SoulCollage® What is Growing in your Soul Garden? (In-Person)

Saturday, Jun 15 • 10:00 am – 12:30 pm

GRAND RAPIDS, MI –Every seed is an invitation to grow something new. As we think together about what we wish to grow, we will ask ourselves these questions: What seeds are ready to be planted in our soul? How can we hold steady in transition as the unknown is beckoning? What does it look like to trust the potential of transformation? How can we do this without caving into fear? SoulCollage® is a process where we take our longings and our fears and make a visual card to represent those aspects of our soul that need tending. Using found images, we create snapshots of where we are at the moment, and what we might be leaning towards. The cards are fascinating vehicles to uncover hidden parts of yourself—as well as creating cards for the support you find around you in your life. Whether you create one card or a whole deck, the process is sure to bring insight and encouragement to your life. For more information call 616-514-3325 or visit dominicancenter.com. Dominican Center Marywood, a ministry of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, is located in West Michigan off Fulton Street East, on the campus of Aquinas College.

Details & Registration: https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/soulcollage-what-is-growing-in-your-soul-garden/

Foundations in Spirituality (In-Person)

Saturdays: Sep 21, Oct 19, Nov 16, Dec 21, 2024; Jan 18, Feb 22, Mar 22, Apr 26, May 17, 2025 • 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
GRAND RAPIDS, MI –Foundations in Spirituality is a serious reflective study that opens our minds and hearts to the teachings and life examples of the great Christian spiritual teachers that continue to deepen our present spiritual journey. It’s the beginning, the first step of the formation offerings at Dominican Center Marywood at Aquinas College. Explore the rich preaching of St. Dominic; the unbreakable faith of St. Teresa of Avila; the deep spirituality of St. John of the Cross; the life-giving wisdom of the Beguines; the daily prayerful life of St. Ignatius; and the lives of many more who continue to enrich our own faith and spirituality. The course introduces the practice of contemplative prayer as grounding practice for living a richer spiritual life. Immerse yourself in Foundations in Spirituality and begin deepening your relationship with God through study, prayer, and community. For more information call 616-514-3325 or visit dominicancenter.com. Dominican Center Marywood, a ministry of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, is located in West Michigan off Fulton Street East, on the campus of Aquinas College.

Details & Registration: https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/foundations-in-spirituality/

Called to be a Spiritual Director ~ Year 1 Practicum

Sep 13 & 14, Oct 11 & 12, Nov 8 & 9, Dec 13 & 14, 2024; Jan 10 & 11, Feb 14 & 15, Mar 14 & 15, Apr 4 & 5, May 9 & 10, 2025
GRAND RAPIDS, MI –A Spiritual Director holds sacred the stories heard in a one-on-one relationship or in a trusted group. The Spiritual Director Practicum is filled with contemplative spiritual practices, prayer study, and shared reflection; strengthens our ability to stay present; attunes our listening to sense how the Holy Spirit is present in our lives and in the lives of others; looks to Spiritual Giants to mentor participants during the formation process; and reminds that the ultimate healer holds up director and directee in all ways. Using an Ignatian spiritual framework, you are encouraged to find meaning in every moment. You are given space to deepen your relationship with God – the God who loves us into life. Through the process, move closer to uncovering your authentic self that guides the discernment of your calling. For more information call 616-514-3325 or visit dominicancenter.com. Dominican Center Marywood, a ministry of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, is located in West Michigan off Fulton Street East, on the campus of Aquinas College.

Details & Registration: https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/spiritual-director-practicum-year-1/

Centering Prayer (Online)

Tuesdays • Noon

Centering Prayer is a modernized prayer method based on the intuitive prayer rooted in Lectio Divina. It is a method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience the Divine’s immanent presence with us. Centering Prayer is grounded in relationship with God, through Christ, and is a practice to nurture that relationship. This method of prayer complements and supports other modes of prayer — verbal, mental, or affective prayer — and facilitates resting in the Divine Presence. Centering Prayer offers a way to grow in intimacy with God, moving beyond conversation to communion. For more information call 616-514-3325 or visit dominicancenter.com. Dominican Center Marywood, a ministry of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, is located in West Michigan off Fulton Street East, on the campus of Aquinas College.

Details & Registration: http://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/centering-prayer/

May 7, 2024

DSC Executive Committee sets plans in motion for October Leaders Meeting and Larger Gathering in 2025

The Dominican Sisters Conference (DSC) Executive Committee met in-person in Miami, FL recently. Sr. Xiomara Méndez Hernández, OP (Adrian) the Executive Director welcomed the committee to the DSC offices on the campus of Barry University. They also enjoyed the generous hospitality and delicious dinners of her Adrian community. Here are some important highlights of the 3-day meeting,

It’s all about future vitality

In addition to receiving regular reports and some communal study, the committee gave a great deal of focus to how DSC congregations are addressing their present realities and asking very significant questions about their future as congregations. Like most communities of women religious in the United States, Dominicans are facing the same challenges of diminished capacity, older and fewer members, the prospect of not having enough capable and available leadership for the future, or an adequate number of sisters to hold a General Chapter. Most importantly, the Executive Committee is committed to putting the vitality of Dominican life and mission at the center of their attention.

Almost all DSC congregations are already involved in some form of movement toward new governance structures. Two groups make up 74% of the DSC: in the East, the Dominican Sisters in Committed Collaboration (OPSCC), and the Dominican Governance Collaborative (DGC) encompassing congregations in the Midwest and West.

“I came away from our committee meeting, excited about the possibilities we have now to move in the direction of a new common purpose”, said DSC President, Sr. Anne Lythgoe, OP (Peace). “We all agreed this is the moment to capture our energies and pool them into some new convergence, some new way in which the DSC congregations can be something new together. Our hope for October is that it be a stepping stone towards a larger gathering in 2025 where sisters across the US can encounter one another and contribute their fire to the future and move in a new way together.”

The committee discussed some recent work by the Future Leadership Team (FLT) Future Pathways working group, who is developing possible future models for governance structures. Those models were shared with the Future Cohort and the DSC leaders in April and May.

Launching a plan for 2025

To actualize the Executive Committee’s goals for new vitality and new ways of being together, they met with a newly named Visioning/Planning Committee (VPC). This committee will take the lead on how the DSC leaders meeting in October and how the 2025 gathering will be a transformative moment in our history.

“This is a very important and exciting time in the history of Religious Life. For us Dominicans, we are being presented with a great opportunity to look deeply into our present to be able to dream and work together toward a collective vibrant future,” said Sr. Xiomara. “The Spirit is calling and moving us to bring our hopes and prophetic voices together to embrace our realities and to envision how can we continue to preach truth with renewed passion.” The VPC is designing a process that will invite the emerging movements among the DSC congregations to discern together: What is the new and deeper union that God is creating and calling us to that will result in a flourishing Dominican Life and Mission?

The members of the Visioning Committee include Srs. Colleen Mary Mallon, OP (Mission San Jose), Corinne Sanders, OP (Adrian), Linda Gibler, OP (Houston), Pat Twohill, OP (Peace), Peggy McVetty, OP (Amityville), Rebecca Ann Gemma, OP (Springfield) along with Cheryl Liske, OP (Adrian/DSC Executive Committee Liaison), Terry Rickard, OP (Blauvelt/DSC Executive Committee Liaison), and Xiomara Méndez Hernández (Adrian/DSC Executive Director). Our facilitator is Sue Weber.

Engagement of everyone

In the coming months, each congregation will be offered a video presentation and process on some “baseline” information about the emerging movements within the DSC.

Stay tuned…

Present at the meeting were Executive Committee members: Srs. Anne Lythgoe, OP (Peace/President of the EC), Cheryl Liske, OP (Adrian), Kathleen Tuite, OP (Caldwell/Secretary), Pat Stringer, OP (Caldwell/Treasurer), Terry Rickard, OP (Blauvelt/ Vice- President of the EC), Veronica Esparza Ramirez, OP (Mission San Jose), as well as Dusty Farnan, OP (Adrian/DLC NGO Representative), Lisa Kane, OP (Racine/ Associate Director for Futuring) and Xiomara Méndez-Hernández, OP (Adrian/DSC Executive Director).

Monthly Archives: May 2024