Dominican Life 
USA
A web crossroads for the Order of Preachers
We Have Family in Iraq
Sister Marcelline Koch, OP (Springfield) recently had an opportunity to speak to students at Eastern Illinois University about her experience in Iraq. Her visit was featured in an article in the college newspaper. Read article
By Sister Gina Fleming, OP
In March, 23 students from St. Agnes Academic High School, College Point; St. Frances de Chantel Parish, Wantagh; St. Rafael’s Parish, East Meadow; and St. John the Baptist High School, West Islip, came to St. John the Baptist High School to begin a weekend of prayer, study, and the forming of community. These students were the latest group who attended one of our youth preaching workshops. They learned how to bring to life their baptismal call to “preach the Good News” by using the gifts and talents that have been given to them by our loving God.
Due to the snow storm on Friday night, we began the weekend on Saturday morning at the Amityville Dominicans’ motherhouse. The participants enjoy the presentations on preaching through drama, art, music, and dance. They also have an opportunity to meet our retired sisters for an ice cream social on Saturday afternoon. This is a fun event for all who participate. These young people are seeking any opportunity to come closer to God. One need only listen to their re flections during our prayer times to hear the hunger in their hearts for rela tionship to the Divine! How blessed are we to be able to provide a venue to foster and ignite that relationship.
The weekends are completed with the Sunday liturgy at the motherhouse. The students use what they have learned during the weekend to be lectors, dancers, leaders of song, musicians and leaders of intercessory prayers. They take a very active role in the liturgy that morning. Following the mass, the students and their parents are invited to join us for lunch in our dining room, a wonderful finish to the weekend.
The participants continue to find the weekends very spiritual, prayerful and a great deal of fun. Most im portantly, many stay connected to us after experiencing the weekend. Some return as youth mentors and have the opportunity to lead a new group of young preachers, and some have volunteered at the motherhouse as part of their service requirements at school. Many of these same young people will attend this year’s National High School Preaching Conference in Michigan. However they choose to stay connected, we are grateful for their presence among us.
I am forever grateful for the continued presence and assistance with these weekends by Sisters Barbara Schwarz and Bernadette DeMayo as well as our former youth preacher Jessica Abejar, who has recently taken over the liturgical dance presentation. I am also grateful for the willingness of our sisters who reside in the motherhouse to come and join us for some quality time. I am sure that all would agree that these programs have been a blessing to the participants, and also to the congregation-at-large in whose name the programs continue.
If any group is interested in participating in these weekends, please email me. All high school age students are welcome.
Sister Gina Fleming, OP (Amityville) is director of the Dominican Youth Movement USA, Dominican Young Adults USA, and the National College Preaching Conference.
Grand Rapids Dominicans
Aquinas College Professor Julie Schatz-Stevens, PhD, arranged for her students to have an “intergenerational conversation” with Grand Rapids Dominican Sisters at their Marywood campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Some of the thought-starter questions included: What’s something that you have done that surprised even you? How do you distinguish God’s voice from your own thoughts? What was the most significant day of your life, and why? Participants ranged in age from 19 to 99 years, and the responses varied as widely as the ages. In this Year of Consecrated Life, this dynamic exchange was especially meaningful.
Aquinas College was founded by the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids. In addition to teaching and attending Aquinas College, the Grand Rapids Dominicans helped launch intergenerational programming 40 years ago, and sisters continue to attend courses at the college’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Dominican Volunteers USA
By Kelly Litt, Dominican Volunteer
From Jan. 28–Feb. 1, the Dominican Volunteers reunited in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, for their midyear retreat. Hosted by the Dominican Sisters of Peace at their Rosaryville Spirit Life Center, the current volunteers joined to reflect, re-center, refocus, and reignite their spark for the remainder of their volunteer year.
“I really valued the opportunity to make a retreat at the midpoint of our service year. DVUSA consistently puts forth a commitment to reflection as part of Dominican spirituality, ‘to contemplate and share the fruits of contemplation.’ It is really easy to get burnt out in service, giving so much of yourself without necessarily feeling any reward. The opportunity to reunite and share joys and sorrows with my fellow volunteers was really refreshing.”—Grace Urankar, Volunteer in San Francisco at Immaculate Conception Academy
The volunteers opened the retreat with laughter as communities acted out short skits to explain what their day to day life was like living in community with Dominican Sisters or other volunteers. Though the skits pointed out the most comical aspects of community, it was apparent that the DVs truly value their experiences of living in community and have grown in numerous ways through that experience. Each community also had an opportunity to lead prayers and social activities for the larger group throughout the retreat.
The Dominican Volunteers were also given an opportunity to preach in Dominican fashion through their lives and experiences. DVs wrote “pre-volunteer letters” addressed to themselves before they began their volunteer year. Many letters included suggestions on essentials to pack and surprises they might find through moving to a new city. These letters also discussed expectations of their service year explaining what would be their largest struggles and greatest joys. These letters were both heavy as they explained times of tears but also uplifting as they spoke of laughter, passion, and life-changing experiences.
“Retreat is usually a time spent taking a break from all of the work that we live through on a daily basis. However, on mid-year retreat, it felt like we continued to live our experiences when we were sharing them with our fellow volunteers. For a time, it felt like I was living in 15 other lives when we all shared our letters. It also reminded me that we’re all living with each other in spirit throughout this whole year and I couldn’t be more blessed to share an experience so powerful and breathtaking with this group of women and men.”—Chris Bargeron, Volunteer in Chicago at Heartland Alliance
The volunteers were also able to have dinner with the Dominican Sisters of Peace in New Orleans. Many volunteers enjoyed gumbo for the first time! The volunteers also appreciated time and pizza with the Dominican Friars after attending Mass at St. Anthony of Padua, the Dominican church in New Orleans.
“It was great to join the rest of the DVs on our mid-year retreat in Lousiana! The best part was definitely having an opportunity to hear about the amazing work that all of the volunteers are doing across the nation. I am truly impressed with how incredible the DVs are this year and our retreat reminded me of the passion that our group of volunteers shares for ministry and for improving the world that we all live in!” —Amelia Vojt, Volunteer in Chicago serving at Sarah’s Inn.
The volunteers were blessed to share in prayer and learning with some of the Dominican Sisters during their retreat. The Dominican Sisters of Peace gave the volunteers an opportunity to reflect on spirituality and prayer as Sister Dot Trosclair led a meditative prayer. Sister Ceal Warner shared some insight on personal and spiritual growth with the volunteers and gave them an opportunity to better understand their own personality through the Color Code personality test. Sister Suzanne Brauer shared about Saint Dominic and the Dominican charisms with the volunteers and gave them an opportunity to reflect on the history and mission behind their service. With the opportunity to prayerfully reflect and craft their own earthen vessels, Sister Pat Thomas led the volunteers in a reflection on their passions and spiritual gifts.
“I found the DVUSA Midyear Retreat to be prayerful and uplifting. I loved all of the presentations, in particular, the ones on prayer and Dominican Spirituality. It was helpful to hear the experiences and stories of my fellow volunteers. I feel rejuvenated and ready to begin the second half of my year as a Dominican Volunteer.”—David Gayes, Volunteer in Chicago serving at the Tolton Literacy Center and Casa Juan Diego
“Mid-Year Retreat was a refreshing reminder as to why we, the volunteers, are taking this journey together. We were able to share our stories, challenges, successes, and how we are living out the four pillars. We re-sparked the passion and mission that bind us together and were able to provide encouragement and support for one another.”—Rebecca Morgenstern, Volunteer in the Bronx serving at Dominican Sisters Family Health Services
More photos from the mid-year retreat are available on the DVUSA Facebook page. For more information about Dominican Volunteers USA, visit their web site (www.dvusa.org).
St. Mary’s Dominican High School Preachers visited the Dominican Sisters of Peace at their motherhouse in New Orleans in November. At a Mass celebrated in the sisters’ chapel, student preacher Mylinh Bui offered a reflection on the Gospel reading of the talents. During their community meal, the sisters shared their experiences and asked the students about their lives as young Dominican preachers.
USA
A web crossroads for the Order of Preachers
