January 13, 2016

Dominican Young Adults Help Rebuild in Freeport

By Gina Fleming, O.P.
(Ex-Director Dominican Youth Movement)

During the week of January 3rd-7th, six young adults, who are members of the Dominican Young Adults Chapter at Molloy College, came together to participate in a service project in Freeport. This year’s build was a collaboration with the Methodist Disaster Relief Services and ourselves.

The week began with arrival on Sunday evening, settling into bedrooms, a short tour of the house, dinner, and an overview of the plan for the week. This was followed by an opening prayer service.
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January 13, 2016

Dominican Sisters of San Rafael Celebrate 165th Anniversary

Archbishop John Quinn, presider, with Sister Maureen McInerney, Prioress General, at the reception.

On December 6, 1850 three Dominicans arrived in San Francisco on the steamer Crescent City after a long journey that included a mule-back crossing of the Isthmus of Panama: Mother Mary Goemaere, Bishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany, and Father Sadoc Vilarrasa.

On Sunday, December 6, 2015, the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael commemorated the event with a Mass at St. Raphael Church and a reception at the Dominican Sisters’ Center, the site of their motherhouse since 1889. Archbishop John R. Quinn, Monsignor Romulo Vergaro of St. Raphael Parish, and Father Robert Haberman, Director of Campus Ministry at Dominican University, were the presiders.
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January 12, 2016

Photo of the Week: Dominican Sisters of Peace Provide Healing Retreat for Survivors of Human Trafficking

To assist in the healing of women who are survivors of human trafficking, the Dominican Sisters of Peace and Theresa Flores, founder of S.O.A.P. (Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution), a human trafficking survivor, national speaker and writer, provided a New Beginnings Survivors Retreat for 20 victims of human trafficking from across the country. Read more

January 12, 2016

Faith and Film: The Big Short

Movie Review by Fr. Tom Condon, O.P.

How much do you know about the mortgage bond crisis of 2007, leading to the steepest downturn in the economy since the Great Depression? If you are like me, you do not know much about it. I have degrees in psychology and theology, not economics. If you want to learn more about mortgage bonds and the stock market collapse, and be entertained at the same time, I recommend that you see the new movie The Big Short. It is a rather complex movie, weaving together parallel stories of “outsiders” who predicted the collapse, and amazingly tried to profit from it. So I found myself rooting for them, but, simultaneously, feeling rather sick about it. If they are right, then a lot of people will suffer.
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January 12, 2016

Sinsinawa Art Gallery to Exhibit Photographer Mark Hirsch’s Photography, ‘That Tree—Shades of Wisdom’

SINSINAWA, Wis.—Sinsinawa Art Gallery will host “That Tree—Shades of Wisdom” February 3–March 31. Professional photographer Mark Hirsch of Platteville, Wisconsin, spent a year taking daily photos of a lone bur oak tree after he was challenged to use the camera of his new iPhone. Mark took the challenge and started sharing the photos online (www.facebook.com/photosofthattree), which resulted in people around the world following his daily shoots and a book (www.thattree.net) chronicling his year with That Tree. Mark shares how That Tree changed his perspective as he created amazing photos. Join us for an opening reception and gallery talk 6–8 p.m. Friday, February 5. The gallery is open daily, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and “That Tree” is available at Sinsinawa Book & Gift Gallery. For more information, contact Michelle Till at 608-748-4411 or visit our website at www.sinsinawa.org. Sinsinawa Mound, the Motherhouse for the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, is located in southwest Wisconsin on County Road Z, off Highway 11, about five miles northeast of Dubuque.