About Ashley Apollonio

Posts by Ashley Apollonio:

December 4, 2023

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November 21, 2023

Events & Retreats – 11.22.23

Advent Retreat Focuses on Image of the Potter and the Clay

How can we be transformed during Advent as we prepare for the coming of Christ? Through an Advent Retreat: The Potter and the Clay, Father Vic Clore offers reflections on rich Scripture readings, allowing participants to be formed by the Potter, daring to beat our swords into plowshares and building our house on solid rock.

The Advent Retreat is from 6:30 p.m. Sunday, December 3, 2023, through 11:00 a.m. Thursday, December 7, 2023, at Weber Retreat and Conference Center.

Father Vic has been a parish priest in Detroit since 1966, always serving in racially integrated city parishes. He also served on the staff of the Dominican Center: Spirituality for Mission. He attended Sacred Heart Seminary in high school and college and holds graduate degrees in theology from the Gregorian University in Rome and developmental psychology from Wayne State University in Detroit.

The cost, including meals, is $160 for commuters, $325 per person double occupancy, and $425 single occupancy. Registration is required. Visit www.webercenter.org and click on programs; call 517-266-4000; or email webercenter@adriandominicans.org. 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 the Weber Center at 517-266-4000.

A History of Common Vegetables

SINSINAWA, Wis.—Have you ever looked at a potato and wondered how such a humble spud made its way into cuisine around the world? Laurana Snyder, Sinsinawa Mound’s Horticulturist and Farm Coordinator, will be a leading discussion on the History of Common Vegetables via Zoom on Friday, December 15, from 5 to 6 p.m. We will learn all about where your food really comes from and how humans domesticated and distributed some of the most common vegetables we consume today. Registration ends December 13, and the fee is $10 per person. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information. 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.

Wild Church: Winter Solstice

SINSINAWA, Wis.—On Thursday, December 21, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Eric Anglada, Sinsinawa’s Ecological Programming Coordinator, will be leading Wild Church: Winter Solstice at Sinsinawa Mound. Fire and song, ritual and community, prayer and quiet: this inclusive, outdoor gathering is centered on honoring this day of equal light and dark. In a time of planetary upheaval, it is crucial to recover our elemental sense of connection and kinship with Creator and Creation. We are inspired by Celtic tradition and the Wild Church movement. This event will be held outdoors at Cavanaugh Park. No registration is required and a free will offering is welcome. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information. 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.

Legacy of Agriculture at Sinsinawa: 175 Years of Farming

SINSINAWA, Wis.—Laurana Snyder, Sinsinawa Mound’s Horticulturist and Farm Coordinator, will be presenting Legacy of Agriculture on Wednesday, December 20, from 6 to 7 p.m. via Zoom. Farming has been a way of life at the Mound since 1847, when Father Samuel Mazzuchelli founded the order of Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa. This presentation will walk you through the past legacy of farming at Sinsinawa and explore where the future of farming is taking us. The fee is $10 per person, and registration ends Monday, December 18. Contact Arrangements at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at sinsinawa.org/moundcenter for more information. 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.

Embodying the Word (In-Person)

Saturday, Dec 2 • 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.” John 1:14 Join us as we prepare for Advent engaging Jesus and the Word Incarnate as a model of inspiration to embody our faith. Body, mind and spirit will be engaged, refreshed, renewed. Come for a day with scripture through gentle movement and deepening prayer practices with various postures. God chose to create us in bodies, and for our bodies to be the place of interaction with God and others. By recognizing and cherishing our bodies and others we are invited to restore soulful humanity with God. 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/embodying-the-word-during-advent/

Spiritual Director Retreat Practicum (In Person)

Mondays: Jan 8, Feb 12, Mar 11, Apr 8, May 13, 2024 • 6:00 – 9:00 pm

GRAND RAPIDS, MI –The Spiritual Director Retreat Practicum is for experienced Spiritual Directors who feel a call to journey with directees in a silent retreat setting. In this practicum, we will explore the dynamics of daily prayer on retreat; understand the unique rhythm and movement on retreat; use the insights of Ignatius of Loyola, David Benner, and Shirley Sullivan to help us be ready and available to retreatants in the unique environment of a directed retreat. Participants will be given opportunities to provide supervised direction within Dominican Center Marywood retreats. 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-retreat-practicum/

Compassionate Kinship Circle (In Person)

Tuesdays: Feb 6, 20, Mar 5, 19, Apr 9, 23, 2024 • 6:00 – 8:00 pm

GRAND RAPIDS, MI –Compassion is a heart-to-heart encounter. Through compassion, we are immersed in the reality of life, suffering, and goodness. Our compassionate thoughts, words and actions ripple out as a balm of peace, joy, love bringing healing into the brokenness of our world. This retreat-style experience is open to people of all faith traditions and spiritualities. Over the six sessions we will explore the meaning of compassion and discover how we are like pebbles thrown into the pond of reality causing ripples of compassion to flow out into the world. Through reading, review, reflection, and response, experience this time as a catalyst for a renewed commitment in being a compassionate presence, both to yourself and to others who are amid pain and struggle. Our time together will include presentations, communal prayer, small group dialog, and quiet times for reflection. 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/compassionate-kinship-circle/

Tending the Call ~ Ongoing Formation for Spiritual Directors (Online)

Wednesdays: Feb 7, Mar 6, Mar 20, Apr 10, Apr 24, 2024 • 6:30 – 8:00 pm EST

Join a community of Spiritual Directors who feel called to revisit the teachings of foundational companions and re-imagine ways they can support present-day ministries. We invite you to share, study, and pray with a sacred community of practicing Spiritual Directors from the Dominican Center for Spirituality, as we seek a deepening relationship with God and are reminded of the journey of transformation that first called us to the practice of spiritual direction. For our spring ongoing formation we will study and discuss in community, “Our Unforming: De-Westernizing Spiritual Formation”, by Cindy S. Lee. This book will both challenge and encourage spiritual directors to bring an awareness to their practices of curiosity and possibility regarding multi-cultural spiritual experiences. The author will join us during the April 10 session! The author proposes that the church (and spiritual directors!) need different ways to engage in spiritual formation. 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/tending-the-call-winter/

Journey into Silence Retreat ~ Rising from Winter (In-Person)

Thursday, Mar 21, 5:30 pm – Sunday, Mar 24, 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-rising-from-winter/

Renew Retreat ~ Schedule Yourself or a Group for an In-Person Retreat

Available for Individuals and Small Groups by Appointment

GRAND RAPIDS, MI –The Renew Retreat is an individual or group retreat that is a self-guided contemplative pilgrimage. The gentle Christian practice of using scripture and prayerful prompts aligned with the four elements — fire, water, earth, and air — will help guide your journey into and beyond the garden in ways that strengthen your awareness of creation as a renewable resource, energizing your beingness, and the world around you. We will begin at Dominican Center Marywood at Aquinas College, transition to the St. Francis of Assisi Sculpture Garden, and return to Dominican Center. As you walk the paths along the wooded trails, you are led into the pace and rhythms of the natural world. Water, earth, fire, and air greet you — each element of nature a reminder of the peaceful relationship between living organisms and their physical environment. 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/renew-retreat/

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: https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/centering-prayer/

November 21, 2023

Reflections from the Desert

“Holistic Accompaniment is about seeing the person as a whole person. We want them to feel seen as an individual, to feel valued. We want them to know their worth.”
– Sr. Josefina “Pina” Bejarano Padilla, M.E. KBI’s Shelter Coordinator

*Sr. Judy (second from the left) with the five Sisters and their education and advocacy director, Tracey*

Sr. Judy Lu McDonnell served as a volunteer at the U.S.-Mexican border in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico for the month of September as part of the “Sisters Walking with Migrants” Kino Border Initiative—a binational, inclusive Roman Catholic organization created in 2008. This initiative was inspired by the spirituality of the Jesuits and a community of Mexican Sisters, the Missionaries of the Eucharist, and for Sr. Judy Lu, it was an opportunity to “be with, accompany, and listen to migrants share stories on their particular journeys to freedom, justice, and a sense of wholeness with some chances of making them laugh.”

The Kino Border Initiative (KBI) operates out of “both Nogales”, across the border from each other in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. The vision of KBI is migration with dignity. The Mission is to promote humane, just, and workable migration. The services provided to migrants are the following: meals and clothing, counseling with a social worker, psychological counseling, medical assistance, immigration legal orientation, and referrals to immigration attorneys. KBI also provides temporary shelter for up to eighty people at a time, especially families with small children and pregnant women.

Sr. Judy Lu and four other Sister volunteers were given and in-depth orientation on the local reality and the migrant reality, which included a day-long excursion in the blazing sun in the Ari-zona desert, walking a path well-traveled by immigrants heading north. That experience, as well as a walk along the 30-foot high border wall topped with razor wire, emphasized the reason so many migrants cross the border in open, dangerous areas. With their hearts filled with sorrow, anger, and empathy, the newly bonded Sister team began four weeks of communicating in Spanish, preparing and serving meals, along with the kitchen staff and local volunteers, for 300 or more guests morning and afternoon. One essential learned skill was stirring scrambled eggs in a pan so large the spoon was the size of a paddle for a kayak! The Sisters suffered a few cuts and burns and learned to dance and joke and laugh while working with the dedicated staff.

Afternoon duties included meeting with the migrants shortly after their arrival to obtain biographical information that was entered into a database as a way of registering the guests and determining their immediate needs.

Sr. Judy Lu believes that asylum bans and walls are not the answer to these tragic human situations that cause massive migrations. The U.S. must focus on support for democratic governments and on efforts to rid countries of marauding gangs. In addition, the U.S. government should prohibit U.S. corporations from exploiting the people of other countries through unfair labor practices, usurping native lands, and polluting local rivers in the exploitation of local resources. These would be the just means of decreasing the migrant flow to the north. Many migrants have expressed that they would want to stay in their home countries if they could feel safe there and earn a living wage.

On a final note, Sr. Judy Lu expressed her “gratitude to the staff and many local volunteers at KINO Border Initiative who serve several hundred people daily, 24/7! They work tirelessly with love, dedication and joy and has been an inspiration to me. They were my teachers and mentors and are now my friends. I am also grateful to the Hilton Foundation for sponsoring this past month of Sisters Walking With Migrants.”

November 21, 2023

A Special Anniversary for the Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt, NY

By Sr. Michaela Connolly, OP

November 5^th marked the 145th anniversary of the arrival of the first sisters and children at St. Joseph’s Convent on Western Highway in what was then called Blauveltville, some 30 miles north of the lower east side of New York City. Our history tells us it was a cloudy and cool day, which would have helped make the long trip a comfortable one.

One can only imagine the excitement that morning as seven sisters and nine little girls prepared to say goodbye to their friends in Holy Rosary Convent on Second Street on the Lower East side of the city. It had taken some time and much effort on the part of our foundress, Mother Mary Ann Sammon, and the sisters of Holy Rosary for this new home for orphaned girls to become a reality.

She had dreamed of this day ever since she joined the cloistered convent in 1873 and began advocating for the sisters to shelter homeless children she had met on the city streets. Many of those children had become orphaned, as she had, as a result of the great famine that afflicted Ireland and its poor in the 19^th century.

Mary Ann had emigrated with her uncle’s family to New York at age 7 and, when she was older, was employed by a German Catholic family living in St. Nicholas parish. She met the Dominican sisters when she brought the young girls of the family to the parish school where they taught.

The sisters accepted Mary Ann’s request on behalf of the street children and several children came to live at the convent. As the numbers increased, some were sent to live at other convents where the sisters were teaching.

In 1875, the Second Street Convent formed a corporation for the care and education of orphans and other children. In May 1877, the ministry legally began when ten children were sent to the convent by the recently formed Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

As the number of children increased, the Cardinal asked the sisters to find a place in the country large enough to accommodate all the children in their care.

Initially, Sr. Mary Ann and her superior, Sr. Hyacinth, hoped to build an orphanage on land the convent owned in St. Catharine’s parish in Blauveltville. It had been purchased in 1870 in the hope of building a parish school. However, a nationwide financial panic in 1873-74 caused a great burden on the parishioners, and the plan was abandoned.

The two sisters visited the site but realized the cost of building an orphanage would be too expensive for the convent. As they were returning back to the city, they saw a For Sale sign on a property on Western Highway and decided to inquire about it.

When they entered the house, they were amazed to see a large oil painting depicting one of the miracles attributed to St. Dominic, that of raising a dead child to life, which took place at the church of St. Sixtus in Rome. Our history tells us that on seeing the painting, Mary Ann exclaimed, “Here we shall be” and so they were. The Second Street Convent purchased the house and its 16 acres and named it St. Joseph’s Convent. The property owners, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Eustace, gave them the painting, which now hangs in the foyer of our motherhouse.

November 7, 2023

Events & Retreats – 11.8.23

Sacred Poetry Reading

Wednesday, November 15, 2023
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Facilitators: Elizabeth Harmatys Park and Christopher Kolon

Cost of $20

Poetry can move and astonish us, leading us to a certain simple recognition that we dwell in the sacred. In poetry, all is revealed as both uniquely and universally holy.

Racine Poet Laureate Elizabeth Park and Kenosha Poet Laureate Christopher Kolon will share the spirit with poetry readings at the beginning of this gathering. Following their poetry, there will be an open mic so that other poets have opportunity to read their original or others’ favorite “soul-making” poems.

Sacred Poetry Reading | Siena Retreat Center

Wisdom From Generation to Generation

Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023

6:30 – 8:00 p.m. via Zoom

Facilitator: Andrea Sawyer-Kirksey

Each generation is called to guide the next generation. In this six-session Zoom series, justice advocate Andrea Sawyer-Kirksey will facilitate meaningful conversations about the books in this series, most of which have been written by Black or Indigenous authors. Join us for the whole series or as many sessions as your schedule allows. November’s session will focus on Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates, offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation’s history and current racial crisis. You will be sent the Zoom link after you register.

Wisdom from Generation to Generation – November Session | Siena Retreat Center

Accepting the Unknown: Advent Reflection

Thursday, November 30, 2023
3:00pm – 4:30pm Central; via Zoom
Facilitator: Paula D’Arcy

Cost: $20

The pilgrimage to Bethlehem that stretched ahead of Mary and Joseph was completely unknown, just as the roads before us are unfamiliar and never experienced before. We live within a mystery, each breath a new beginning. Come together for reflections by Paula D’Arcy to consider the deep trust it takes to accept both the light and the dark of our journey. You will be sent the Zoom link after you register.

Accepting the Unknown: Advent Reflection | Siena Retreat Center

Art, Antiques, and More Sale at Sinsinawa Mound Nov. 9-11

The Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa will be holding an “Art, Antiques, and More Sale” in the main foyer at Sinsinawa Mound Nov. 9, 10, and 11. The sale will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Items for purchase include antique, craftsman, and modern furniture; fine art; religious art and statues; pews; art pottery; trunks; clocks; vintage desks and items; bookshelves; a 1960’s Gibson steel string guitar; and more! Items can be paid for in the Sinsinawa Book and Gift Gallery. Products from Sinsinawa Bakery will also be available during the sale. All items must be taken the day of purchase. Photos of some of the sale items can be viewed on our Facebook page in the days leading up to the event at www.facebook.com/sinsinawa.

“Since many of our Sisters have moved away from the Mound and we will no longer be occupying all the building space, we have some ‘hidden gems’ that we no longer have a use for here. We would love to see these items go to good homes to be enjoyed by others,” said Sinsinawa Dominican Promoter of Arts and Cultural Heritage Sister Priscilla Wood, OP. “Some of our sale items date back to the furnishing of the convent in the 1880s.” To learn more about the congregation’s 176-year history in the tristate area, visit www.sinsinawa.org.