Monthly Archives: November 2025

November 7, 2025

Adrian Dominicans Welcome Two New Associates

Adrian Dominican Associates and Sisters welcomed two new Associates, Susan Lanstra and Timothy Goyette, on October 26, 2025. The formal Ritual for the Reception of New Adrian Dominican Associates was held in Holy Rosary Chapel on the Motherhouse Campus in Adrian.

Associates are women and men, at least 18 years of age, who feel called to live out the Dominican Charism (spirit) and who make a non-vowed commitment to associate themselves with the Adrian Dominican Congregation. While maintaining their independent lifestyle, they are invited to share in the mission, ministries, and spiritual and social activities of Sisters and Associates.

Associate Nancy Mason Bordley, Director of the Office of Dominican Charism, welcomed Adrian Dominican Associates and Sisters, family members of the new Associates, and friends.

Both Susan and Timothy came to know the Adrian Dominican Congregation through their involvement with the St. Luke N.E.W. Life Center in Flint, Michigan, and through working with Associate Steve Wolbert and Sister Carol Weber, OP, Executive Director of the Center and Co-founder with Sister Judy Blake, CSJ. The Center’s programs include a food pantry, employment preparation, a literacy center, an eye clinic, and other separate programs for women and men.

Sister Carol, their mentor, introduced each Associate candidate in turn. Noting that Timothy works in his family’s business in the Flint area, Goyette Mechanical, she added that he “is also a significant part of our employment preparation program,” working with the men. “Tim is really involved in changing lives and helping people gain what they need in order to live, giving meaning to them.”

Sister Carol noted that Timothy had also been “searching for meaning for quite some time.” When he attended the Associate commitment program last year for Associate Steve Wolbert, he felt the call to be an Associate as well, she said.

In formally requesting reception as an Associate, Timothy expressed gratitude for his family and friends – 18 of whom attended the Ritual – as well as members of the Dominican family. “My decision to become part of the Dominican family has been like a seed, planted and nurtured through service and prayer, and most particularly by being part of the community of people working at and being cared for at the St. Luke N.E.W. Life Center in Flint,” he said. Becoming an Associate “is the beginning of a new faith journey, and I’m so thankful for this opportunity.”

Sister Carol introduced Susan as an employee of Hurley Hospital in Flint, “where she helps the disadvantaged and the uninsured to obtain the help they need. Susan is very compassionate. She sees a need and immediately tries to find a way to help.” She added that Susan is also working on her Master’s in Social Work (MSW) degree, which would “bring a lot of hope and strength to our people in Flint.” Susan was also inspired to become an Associate by Steve’s commitment as an Associate, Sister Carol added.

“People ask me why … I want to become a social worker,” Susan said. “And I get the same reaction when I tell them that I’m becoming an Associate.” She spoke of the similarities between social workers and the Dominican family. “Social workers have a code of ethics and core values,” such as service, social justice, dignity, integrity, human relationships, and competence. Susan found the same core values in the Mission and Vision of the Adrian Dominican Sisters.

Timothy and Susan proclaimed together the Commitment Statement of Associates: “United in purpose through the Office of Dominican Charism, we Dominican Associates commit ourselves to sharing life in a communion of Gospel-driven women and men who are spiritual seekers, alive with the fire of being Dominican in service to the world … We strive to widen and deepen the impact of the Dominican Charism, which urges us forward in our desire to transform our world in partnership with the emerging reign of God.” The Associates in attendance in turn proclaimed this statement.

The new Associates and their mentors concluded the ceremony by signing papers declaring their commitment as Adrian Dominican Associates. They each received the Associate pin and a candle, symbolic of their new commitment.

For information on becoming an Adrian Dominican Associate or a partner in mission in any way, contact Associate Nancy Mason Bordley at 517-266-3534 or visit www.adriandominicans.org/MeetDominicans/Associates.

November 7, 2025

Sister Spotlight – Sister Lois Paha, OP

Sister Lois Paha, OP, received the 2025 Alleluia Award during the annual conference of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (FDLC), held September 30, 2025, through October 2, 2025, in Baltimore, Maryland. She was recognized for serving the Federation with distinction, and for “sharing her skills, wisdom, and resources in order to promote sound liturgical practice and to advance the liturgical renewal” of the Second Vatican Council.

Unable to attend the conference, Sister Lois accepted the award with video-recorded remarks, while two deacons from the Diocese of Tucson accepted the award on her behalf.

Sister Lois served for 16 years as the Director of Liturgy for the Diocese of Austin, Texas, then moved in 2005 to the Diocese of Tucson, Arizona, as the Director of Formation. She added the Worship Office to the ministries of the diocese where she still ministers.

As a liturgical minister, Sister Lois was active in the FDLC, attending her first meeting in 1989. As a representative of Region VIII, she served on the FDLC Board of Directors, at one point serving as its Vice-Chair. She has also been President of the Board of the Southwest Liturgical Conference (SWLC).

Sister Lois holds master’s degrees in teaching religion from St. Michael’s College in Winooski, Vermont, 1980, and in theology with an emphasis on liturgical studies from the University of Notre Dame, 1989. She also earned a Doctor of Ministry from the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas, in 2012.

In her acceptance speech, she quoted from an early mentor, Adrian Dominican Sister Joyce LaVoy, OP: “Be sure that whatever you sing or say, will help the people pray.” She focused on that mantra as the ultimate goal of her liturgical ministry.

Sister Lois shared in her talk her early love for liturgy: from her excitement over receiving a prayer book while she prepared for First Communion to her Christmas gift request in seventh grade for the Marian Missal, which displayed the text of the Mass in Latin and English. “God put the prayerbooks in my hand and said go for it,” she said in explanation of her work in liturgical formation.

“For me the greatest blessing is to see the faces and hear the voices of the people with whom I am privileged to minister, to pass on the tools, the encouragement, and the mantra ‘to help the people pray,’” Sister Lois said in the conclusion of her acceptance talk.

When Sister Lois first served on the FDLC in the late 1990s and early 2000s in Austin, one of the main projects was the implementation of the Vatican II revisions of the liturgical documents. Her role on the Board of Directors was to “bring the reform of the liturgy to the dioceses and regions we represented.”

In her direct work with parish committees and parishioners, Sister Lois emphasizes that “the prayer of the Church belongs to us, that it doesn’t just belong to the priest or the deacon or the reader.” Before Vatican II, she said, the laity were “silent spectators in the pews, and we watched the Mass. But with the reforms, the full, active, and conscious participation [of the laity] was the call. The reforms of the liturgy were intended to allow everyone to be included.”

Sister Lois emphasized the importance of the laity’s full participation in Mass. The reforms of Vatican II “call us to listen, to respond, to sing if we can, to be attentive to the prayers that are spoken, to take seriously the homily,” she said. “What we do on Sunday has to prepare us for what we do during the week. The Sunday Liturgy is the strength we have and the guide we have for the whole week.”

In answer to Catholics who say they are not “fed” by the Mass, Sister Lois encouraged them to reach out to those in charge of the liturgy and offer advice on what would nurture them. At the same time, she said, “Sometimes we have to be careful about our expectations and allow God to really surprise us, even in the quiet. If we listen to the words and listen to the silence, what is the message that God is trying to offer to us? … We have to make an effort to be open to the mystery of how God will enter our lives.”

November 7, 2025

DVM Meets with Vatican Dicastery

On Thursday, October 16, 2025, six members of Dominican Veritas Ministries (DVM) met with leaders of the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, a division of the Roman curia. The Dicastery’s purpose is “to promote, encourage, and regulate the practice of the evangelical counsels, how they are lived out in the approved forms of consecrated life and all matters concerning the life and activity of Societies of Apostolic Life throughout the Latin Church” (vatican.va). In December 2022, the Dicastery approved the Sisters’ application to create Dominican Veritas Ministries and the transfer of an initial 9 schools sponsored by the Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Houston, and Sinsinawa. In July 2024, the Dicastery approved an application by the Dominican Sisters of Peace to transfer four of their sponsored schools to DVM.

The October 16 gathering was DVM’s first meeting with the Dicastery. Representing DVM were Srs. Mary Margaret Pachucki, OP (President), Colleen Settles, OP (Vice-President), M. Paul McCaughey, OP (Secretary), Donna Pollard, OP, and Kathleen Tait, OP, and Kristin Barstow Melley, PhD (Executive Director).

The meeting opened with a prayer prepared by Sr. M. Paul McCaughey. Sr. Mary Margaret led DVM’s presentation, highlighting the factors that have contributed to DVM’s successful start. The meeting’s discussion centered on the work and progress of DVM’s first year and half as the canonical sponsor of 13 educational ministries, outlined in DVM’s Foundational Report. The Dicastery representatives stated that this was the first meeting they have had with a new educational pontifical public juridic person (PJP). They expressed great satisfaction with DVM’s development and innovative approaches to formation and collaboration across and among the various ministries. Together, participants discussed the challenges facing Catholic schools in the United States and the need for continuous formation experiences for all members of a school community. Going forward, the Dicastery encouraged DVM to continue to promote Dominican, Catholic formation opportunities and invited DVM to urge its schools to reflect on and deepen their ways to support the poor and marginalized. The meeting concluded with a brief walk to a balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square and Cathedral, captured above.

November 7, 2025

DSC Update: Carrying the Spirit of Encuentro Forward

The afterglow of the DSC Encuentro continues to shine brightly! It was an impactful and spirit-filled gathering—an experience that stirred hearts, sparked hope, and deepened our sense of connection as Dominican family. Together, we prayed, reflected, and discerned where the Spirit is calling us in this moment of transformation. The energy, wisdom, and joy that filled the Encuentro continue to guide and inspire our next steps as a Conference.

The Encuentro brought together 16 DSC congregations among the 257 in-person attendees—including 69 leaders, 158 sisters, and 29 associates/Dominican Family members and guests. More than 325 devices were logged in for the livestream sessions, allowing many others to join virtually and share in the spirit of the event from across the country.

Participants left the Encuentro filled with a sense of excitement, motivation, and renewed commitment to the future of the Dominican Sisters Conference. The days were filled with heartfelt conversation, inspiring preaching, and moments of real encounter.

Two powerful keynote addresses grounded the gathering. S. Christina Atienza, OP (Dominican Sisters of San Rafael), invited us to imagine religious life as a living, transforming body in her talk, “Preaching Truth and Hope in a Time of Transformation.” She reflected, “What an image for where we are! The familiar skin of religious life is being shed. A new form is already emerging, but it is soft, fragile, and not yet recognizable—an interim.”

S. Margaret Mayce, OP, Coordinator of the Dominican Sisters International Confederation (DSIC), also offered a stirring keynote reflection, reminding us that Encuentro—which means “to encounter”—is at the very heart of our Dominican life. Quoting Pope Francis, she reflected, “You are here for Encuentro, which Pope Francis calls a time to encounter one another, to tear down walls and build bridges.”

During the gathering, participants engaged in breakout sessions that gave rise to working groups focused on key areas of mission and collaboration. Each group centered their dialogue around a guiding question, captured on large posters throughout the room. The energy of those conversations was palpable, and they have already begun to bear fruit. Two of the groups—the Justice Working Group and one of the Governance Working Groups—are now moving forward with planning and coordination.

After the Encuentro, the Executive Committee and the Visioning Planning Committee (VPC) came together on October 24 for a joint debriefing to reflect on the experience and identify the emerging directions that surfaced. On November 6, the Executive Committee met again to consider one of the most important questions raised during the gathering: “What are we asking of the DSC?”

Our deep gratitude goes to the Visioning Planning Committee for their outstanding leadership, thoughtful planning, and ongoing commitment to accompany the DSC through this process of discernment. The task of the VPC formally concluded after the joint debriefing on October 26. The members of the VPC will remain engaged as the work of the Encuentro continues to unfold in the months ahead.

To continue gathering wisdom and reflection, a post-Encuentro survey was shared with participants on October 31. The feedback collected will help guide the Executive Committee as it shapes the next phase of this shared journey.

The DSC Encuentro was truly a moment of grace and renewal—a time of laughter, prayer, and profound encounter. Its impact continues to ripple through our Dominican family, calling us to move forward together in a spirit of faith, collaboration, and hope.