May 12, 2020, Henderson, Nevada – The signs in front of all three campuses of Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican Hospitals in Henderson and Las Vegas, Nevada, say it all: “Heroes work here.” The signs pay tribute to the staff members of the three campuses, who, like health care workers throughout the world, are risking their own lives to heal patients with the COVID-19 virus. The hospital buildings are also lit in blue to recognize the efforts of their partners, the first responders who bring patients to the hospitals.

As of May 8, 2020, Clark County, Nevada – which includes Henderson and Las Vegas – reported 4,616 cases of COVID-19 and 253 deaths, according to the Southern Nevada Health District. Patients with the virus are treated at the Siena and San Martín campuses of St. Rose Dominican Hospitals. The original facility, St. Rose de Lima Campus, has only 10 beds and has not treated patients with the virus.

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“The Dominican Sisters of Hope can’t visit with their members in senior living/nursing facilities, so they’re doing the next best thing: buying lunch for the healthcare workers who are tirelessly caring for them. This week, the Dominican Sisters of Hope bought for the employees at the Wartburg in Mount Vernon, NY and Brandywine at Wall Senior Living in Wall, NJ. Both senior care facilities are home to a number of Dominican Sisters of Hope.” Read article

April 6, 2020, Adrian, Michigan – In these days of the COVID-19 pandemic, protective equipment for healthcare workers is in high demand and in short supply. But at the Dominican Life Center (DLC) – the residence of retired Adrian Dominican Sisters –Nursing Co-workers are getting a supply of masks, thanks to the efforts of Sisters and Co-workers.

“The truth of the matter is, we can’t even get [the masks] from other sources,” said Lonnie Kison, Nurse Manager at the DLC. “There are other places that have a greater need than us.” Yet, she said, the masks are crucial for the protection of nurses and nurse’s aides who work with the Sisters.

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By Sister Margie Davis, OP

McAllen, TX – Over the week of March 8-14, I had the privilege of being part of the Ohio Dominican University Spring Mission Trip volunteering at the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, TX. The Center provides a place for the countless men, women, children, and infant refugees to rest, have a warm meal, a shower, and change into clean clothing as well as receive medicine and other supplies before continuing on their journey.

Current government policy mandates that those seeking asylum in the U.S. must stay in Mexico until their court date and hearing. Those families can wait more than a year for their hearing, and even then almost all of the cases are denied. These asylum seekers, many of whom are facing violence or worse, can appeal, but it’s a lengthy process. If asylum is ultimately denied, the asylum seekers are taken to the airport in shackles and deported back to the dangerous situation that they fled in the first place.

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