Aquinas Literacy Center – ‘Virginia Mercado Awarded the Sister Claudia Hinds Scholarship’

Virginia Mercado, a graduate of Aquinas Literacy Center, speaks from the heart after being awarded the Sister Claudia Hinds Scholarship.

On Thursday, June 16, Aquinas Literacy Center (ALC) held its annual Student Awards Celebration. Nine adult learners were celebrated for their graduation from Aquinas’ English as a Second Language (ESL) program.

Virginia Mercado, one of the graduates, was awarded the Sister Claudia Hinds Scholarship. Each year ALC awards the scholarship to a graduate who goes above and beyond the average student. The scholarship was created in memory of Sister Claudia Hinds, the Adrian Dominican Sister who founded ALC. Scholarship funds are used to further the student’s education in English.
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June 28, 2016

‘Legacy of Impact Award Given to Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose’s St. Catherine’s Academy’

St. Catherine’s Academy, founded in 1889 by the Dominican Sisters of MSJ in Anaheim, CA, is a boys’ K-8 day and boarding school with a military tradition. Recently the Anaheim Beautiful Award was presented as an honor to the campus. The Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the US bestowed the “Legacy of Impact” award in recognition of exceptional leadership of the faculty and staff in their mission.
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May 2, 2016

‘St. Mary’s Dominican High School Blessing and Dedication of Gayle and Tom Benson Science and Technology Complex’

Reverend Gregory M. Aymond, Archbishop of New Orleans, gives a final blessing at ceremonies dedicating the Gayle and Tom Benson Science and Technology Complex at St. Mary’s Dominican High School.

St. Mary’s Dominican High School in New Orleans celebrated the blessing and dedication of the Gayle and Tom Benson Science and Technology Complex during ceremonies attended by leadership, congregation members of the Dominican Sisters of Peace, benefactors, school officials, faculty and students. The event marked the culmination of 14 months of construction that began after Dominican’s announcement in September 2014 of the STREAM™ —Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Math – initiative and unveiled construction plans.

At the April 22 blessing and dedication of the Gayle and Tom Benson Science and Technology Complex at St. Mary’s Dominican High School in New Orleans (from left) Dr. Cynthia A. Thomas, president of St. Mary’s Dominican High School; Mr. Tom Benson and Mrs. Gayle Benson; Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond, Archbishop of New Orleans; and Scott Whittaker, Chairman of St. Mary’s Dominican High School’s Board of Directors.

STREAM™ impacts three areas of ongoing improvement at the 155-year-old school: formation, curriculum and campus facilities. It is designed for the exploration of the relationship between faith and reason by integrating science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and math. STREAM™ continues Dominican’s unique role in the formation of students who are believing thinkers and thinking believers.

“The Dominican Sisters of Peace are thrilled that our young women now have a state of the art facility where they may be prepared to become exceptional leaders in science and technology. This bold initiative is in keeping with our Dominican heritage and provides a fertile environment that showcases the harmonious relationship between faith and science in our Catholic tradition,” said Sr. Patricia Twohill, O.P., Prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Peace.

Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond, Archbishop of New Orleans, celebrated Mass and blessed the complex. In gratitude for their commitment and generous support, Dominican President Dr. Cynthia A. Thomas presented to Mr. and Mrs. Benson a glass sculpture of the complex’s Veritas Tower. The sculpture was by Mitchell Gaudet.
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March 22, 2016

‘St. Mary’s Dominican High School Observes National Catholic Sisters Week’

At the display are, (from left), students Kris Plunkett (New Orleans), Sara Britsch (River Ridge), Sr. Pat Harvat, O.P. (Vice President of Dominican Catholic Identity at DHS), art teacher Jennifer Frosh, and student Olivia Finger (LaPlace).

Among the observances during National Catholic Sisters Week (NCSW), March 8-14, St. Mary’s Dominican High School’s art teacher Jennifer Frosch invited students to contribute to a commemorative bulletin board outside the Campus Ministry office, highlighting various religious orders with photos and brief profiles. Featured orders included the Order of Preachers, Society of Sacred Heart, Daughters of Charity, Sisters of the Holy Family, Daughters of St. Paul, Sisters of Life, and Sisters of Mount Carmel.
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February 22, 2016

‘Crowning the Cupola at St. Mary’s Dominican High School’

Randy Havard of Havard Iron Works, LLC, places the Celtic cross on top of the newly placed cupola on St. Mary’s Dominican High School’s Science and Technology Complex’s Veritas Tower. The base of the cross bears the signatures of alumnae who represented the graduating classes from the 1930s to the 1960s. The complex is set to open this spring at the 155-year-old school that traces its roots to Ireland when seven Dominican sisters from St. Mary’s Convent-Cabra, Dublin, Ireland arrived in New Orleans to teach children of Irish immigrants.

Since 1860, St. Mary’s Dominican High School has been a leader of Catholic education in the New Orleans region. The school’s 155-year legacy is rooted in the tradition of prayer, study, community and service. These are the pillars of Dominican life and form the foundation for the Dominican student’s experience.