Events & Retreats – 03.02.2022

Commission on the Status of Women

The Dominican Leadership Conference is hosting a webinar on March 14, on the CSW platform. Join us as four women from around the world share their work on Climate Change. Click here to register.

Community Goods Drive
March 7 – 18

In celebration of Catholic Sisters Week, the Sisters of Saint Dominic will host a Community Goods Drive to benefit Siena House, a women’s shelter in the Bronx and ministry site of the sisters.

Read more here.

Live Discussion with Dominican College Service and Leadership Scholarship Students
Tuesday, March 8

In celebration of Catholic Sisters Week, the Sisters of Saint Dominic will host a virtual discussion with Dominican College students discussing their experience working at the Motherhouse and getting to know the sisters. A live broadcast of this discussion will take place on Facebook Live, Twitter, and YouTube Live.

Read more here.

A Candid Conversation on Religious Life Today
Wednesday, March 9

Hear from Sr. Jo-Anne Faillace and Valerie Lordi (Sparkill) on Facebook Live and YouTube Live as they discuss religious life and their ministries.

Read more here.

Ask a Sister Live
Wednesday, March 9

Hear from Sr. BarbaraAnn Sgro and other from various Dominican Congregations on Facebook Live and YouTube Live as they discuss religious life.

Read more here.

Virtual Celtic Tea
Monday, March 14

Enjoy Annual Celtic Tea with the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Blauvelt. This event will include virtual prayer, preaching, festive musicla entertainment and the announcement of raffle winners.

Read more here.

Painting Class

Tuesday, March 29

A painting class will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, at Sinsinawa Mound Center. Please check our website for current COVID protocols. Dubuque artist Sarah Barnes will guide participants in painting a bunny on wood. People of all skill levels are welcome to attend, and painters can add their own personal touches. Materials will be provided. The registration deadline is March 25, and the fee is $35. For more information, contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter.

“Neutral Ground” and Indigenous Dispossession in the Upper Mississippi 

Tuesday, March 22

Mary Elise Antonie, local author and historian, will virtually present “Neutral Ground” and Indigenous Dispossession in the Upper Mississippi from 7 to 8 p.m. CDT Tuesday, March 22. The first treaty held between the United States and the Native Nations of the upper Mississippi was the Great Council of Prairie du Chien in the summer of 1825. The United States said the purpose of the council was to have the Native Nations delineate the land each nation considered to be theirs. As part of the treaty, the United States established the “Neutral Ground” to create a space between the Dakota and Sauk-Mesquaki nations. Antonie will discuss the “Neutral Ground” and how it became the impetus to remove the Ho-Chunk and “civilize” Ho-Chunk children. Antonie is president of the Prairie du Chien Historical Society and a Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation board member. She has authored several books, including The War of 1812: The Battle for Prairie du Chien and Enslaved, Indentured, Free: Five Black Women in the Upper Mississippi 1800-1850 (fall 2022). The workshop is sponsored by Sinsinawa Mound Center. The fee is $10 per person, and the registration deadline is March 21 at 4 p.m. Please register by contacting Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visiting our website at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter.

Celebrating Lent in a Time of Pandemic

Thursdays, March 3 – April 7

Sr. Jo-Ann Ianotti, OP will present “Celebrating Lent in a Time of Pandemic,” a virtual Lenten journey co-sponsored by The Center at Mariandale in Ossining, NY and Wisdom House in Litchfield, CT. As Sr. Jo-Ann explains in a brief video, the six-part series is based on her book, Remember, Return & Rejoice: Journeying from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, “My hope is that as we travel together this season of Lent…that we will remember all that our God has done for us, return to our God with a full heart, and rejoice again in a gift of Easter life.” The chapters of this book will be the launch pad for reflection, sharing, journaling, and prayer. The fee is $100 and includes a copy of the book. Please register by clicking here. 

Braiding Sweetgrass Book Club

First Sundays, March 6 – July 3

The Center at Mariandale is hosting a free virtual book club on Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. The book, a collection of essays by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, rose to fame during the pandemic and has spent 96 weeks on the NY Times Bestseller List. As reviewer Aurora Bonner notes, “Through our circumstances, many of us are really noticing our natural environments for the first time and feeling a sense of gratitude from deep within…Kimmerer’s words are the motherly insight we need to tame our collective uncertainty.” Discussions will take place one Sunday each month, from 1:00 – 2:30 pm ET.

Triduum Retreat

Thursday, April 14- Sunday, April 17

The Center at Mariandale in Ossining, NY will host an in-person Triduum Retreat April 14-17. Experience the fullness of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil as one rich and meaningful movement of transformation, from death through resurrection. Francis Gargani, CSsR will lead a team of presenters including guest homilists, dancers, and musicians. Gargani is an experienced spiritual director and retreat leader who has served in a variety of ministries as parish priest, campus minister, and retreat director, and currently serves in a ministry of social justice. The fee of $375 includes accommodations, meals, and materials for 3 days. Register here. 

Space is also available for pre-Triduum retreat days, for those wishing to slow down and prepare their spirit to celebrate the Holy Days. Accommodations and meals are available for $95 per day. Learn more and register by clicking here.

Heart Speaks to Heart: Biblical Women in Conversation

Sunday, May 15 – Friday, May 20

Nancy Sheridan, SASV and Nicki Verploegen, PhD will lead an in-person silent guided retreat, “Heart Speaks to Heart: Biblical Women in Conversation” at The Center at Mariandale in Ossining, NY.  Participants will be invited into heartfelt conversations with Biblical women across the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures through drama, reflection and ritual. There will be opportunity to meet daily with a spiritual director. The fee is $495 (all inclusive). 

Nancy Sheridan, SASV is a spiritual director, having spent many years on the staff of the Center for Religious Development in Cambridge, MA. Nicki Verploegen, Ph.D is co-founder of TATENDA International, served as Director of Spiritual and Ministerial Development and Visiting Professor at Weston Jesuit School of Theology, and currently teaches courses in spirituality around the US. Learn more and register here.

Appreciating and Celebrating Jewish Holidays

Tuesdays, March 15, 22, and 29

Knowing the common roots of the three Abrahamic religious traditions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – can help Christians to better understand and appreciate their own faith tradition. In this series of talks offered in person and online, Sister Susan Van Baalen, OP, walks participants through the roots of Judaism: its theology, Scriptures, household rituals, Sabbath observances, and festivals and holidays.

“Appreciating and Celebrating Jewish Holidays” is offered both in person at Weber Retreat and Conference Center and via live stream from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. EDT Tuesdays, March 15, 22, and 29, 2022. 

Sister Susan, a Dominican Sister of Adrian, worked in an environment that required her to explore the depth and breadth of world religions and has taught world religions at the graduate and undergraduate level. 

The cost for the in-person participation is $25 for the series. All guests will be screened for COVID-19 and required to wear masks. The cost for online participation is $15.

Registration is required and is available at www.webercenter.org; click on “programs.” Registrations may also be made by calling 517-266-4000 or emailing webercenter@adriandominicans.org. Limited scholarships are available.

Weber Center is located on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse, Adrian. For information, call the Weber Center at 517-266-4000.

Poetry for the Lenten Journey

Those looking for a different way to focus their Lenten experience can look to a new workshop. A Prayer to Praise What We Become: Poetry for the Lenten Journey will be offered at Sinsinawa Mound Center from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 16. Please check our website for current COVID protocols. Sisters Mary Paynter, OP, and Priscilla Wood, OP, will explore some of the themes of Lent—forgiveness, renewal, conversion and hope—through classic and contemporary poetry. Sister Mary has spent most of her life teaching writing and literature at the college level. She has studied and written about the poetry of George Herbert, who remains one of her favorite writers. Sister Mary has often collaborated with others, sharing and discussing poetry. Sister Priscilla spent many years as a high school English teacher before moving on to other art-based ministries. She  is passionate about literature, especially poetry, and enjoys sharing it with others. The registration deadline is March 14, and the fee is $10. For more information, contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter. Sinsinawa Mound, the motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque.

Yoga Retreat: The Interaction of Prayer with Meditation

Join Denise Edenhofer, owner of Keepin Fit in Wausau, Wis., for a day of combining ancient practices of Hatha yoga, praying, and meditation. Yoga Retreat: The Interaction of Prayer with Meditation will be held at Sinsinawa Mound Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 2. Please check our website for current COVID protocols. Through free-flowing discussion, we’ll explore why we sometimes pray halfheartedly as we move through life, if these prayers are heard, and do they matter. Then there is meditation. What does that have to do with praying? We’ll explore what keeps someone from practicing meditation. Is it because they don’t know how or because their mind is too busy? Does that affect prayer? Is there more than one way to meditate? How do the two interact with each other? Edenhofer will assist participants in discovering these answers—all while practicing yoga! She focuses on helping individuals find holistic lifestyles for their well-being through personal fitness, yoga, reiki and healing touch. The fee is $125 per person, and the registration deadline is March 28. Please register by contacting Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visiting our website at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter. Sinsinawa Mound, the motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque.

Fusion: An Exhibition of Teacher and Student Glass Art Work

Glass artist Barb McKinlay and her students will present Fusion: An Exhibition of Teacher and Student Glass Art Work at Sinsinawa Art Gallery April 2 through June 2. McKinlay has been creating glass art designs since 2011. She owns her own studio and displays her work in specialty gift and museum stores and art galleries across the United States. The students created their pieces in a class with McKinlay at Sinsinawa in March. They designed a bowl, plate, or tray using pieces of cut glass, pebbles, stringers, and noodles. Come view their creative works. Sinsinawa Art Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Please check our website for current COVID protocols. For more information, contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter. Sinsinawa Mound, the motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque.

Divine Embrace

Sinsinawa Mound Center is offering a workshop led by Sisters Christa Cunningham, OP, and Jean Tranel, OP. They will focus on Lent as a time to rediscover how deeply we are loved by God. Divine Embrace will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 30. Please check our website for current COVID protocols. Participants will explore the compassion of Jesus as he reaches out to two women whose lives are changed by his embrace (Mark 5:21-43). Jesus invites us to a life of deep faith trusting in his profound mercy and love. Lent is the time to surrender anew to his embrace and love. Both sisters have years of experience ministering in adult faith formation and spirituality. The registration deadline is March 28, and the fee is $10. Please register by contacting Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visiting our website at www.sinsinawa.org/moundcenter. Sinsinawa Mound, the motherhouse for the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque.

Siena Retreat Center Summer Retreats

Weeklong summer retreats with daily spiritual direction are offered the weeks of June 12, July 10 (women only), July 17 (women only), and August 14. Located on Lake Michigan, Siena Retreat Center has an on-site bookstore, an outdoor labyrinth, private bedrooms and bathrooms, and comfortable meeting rooms and sitting spaces. Retreats fill up quickly; please register soon at https://www.sienaretreatcenter.org/retreat-programs. Siena Retreat Center is also open for private retreats.

Lunch and Learn Series Resumes

Weber Retreat and Conference Center resumes its popular, in-person Lunch and Learn Series with two Springtime presentations at 12:15 p.m. on Tuesdays, March 15 and April 5, 2022, in Weber Center’s Common Room. Bring your own lunch. Beverages will be provided.

Upcoming programs are as follows:

• “Eating from the Ground Up,” March 15, 2022. April Amo shares her personal journey into a whole food plant-based lifestyle and the positive benefits it has on her health. A tasting menu with a variety of the foods in this lifestyle will be provided.

• “Growing Great Vegetables,” April 5, 2022. Jared Aslakson, Permaculture Specialist for the Adrian Dominican Sisters, shares everything you may want to know about planting and harvesting a variety of vegetables.

The series is free and open to the public. Registration is not required. All guests will be screened for COVID-19 and are required to wear masks when not eating.

Weber Center is located on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse, Adrian. For information, call the Weber Center at 517-266-4000.

Armchair Visit to Ireland

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Weber Retreat and Conference Center offers an Armchair Visit to Ireland from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. The program is offered both in person and online.

Julie Barst, Associate Professor of English at Siena Heights University, shares stories, sites, music, and a bit of blarney to put participants in the mood for St. Patrick’s Day.

The event is free and donations are appreciated. Registration is not needed. All in-person guests will be screened for COVID-19 and are required to wear masks. The live stream can be found at https://webercenter.org/ireland.

Weber Center is located on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse, Adrian. For information, call the Weber Center at 517-266-4000.