Photo of the Week

Racine Dominicans Breaking ground for Siena on the Lake The Racine (Wisconsin) Dominican Sisters and Lincoln Lutheran of Racine are working together to develop the sisters' existing property on Lake Michigan. The Siena on the Lake development is a faith-based campus that will be home for the Racine Dominicans and some of their ministries, headquarters for both the congregation and Lincoln Lutheran, and a living community for persons 55 and older. The offical groundbreaking ceremony took place on Dec. 12, 2012. Read more about the project Read article in Racine Journal Times View slideshow of photos from groundbreaking ceremony Above from left: Sister Sharon Simon, OP, Racine Dominicans president; Sharon Geertsen, Racine Dominicans finance director; Sister Kathy Slesar, OP, Racine Dominicans vice president; Sister Suzanne Noffke, OP, Siena on the Lake project coordinator for Racine Dominicans; and Sister Agnes Johnson, Racine Dominicans vice president.

Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology
Thomas Aquinas lecture is Feb. 27

This week, Jan. 28, was the Feast Day of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274), an Italian Dominican priest and influential philosopher and theologian (read more on Wikipedia). Fr. Augustine Thompson, OP, will address the topic “Baptismal Theology and Practice in the Age of St. Thomas Aquinas” at the 23rd annual Aquinas Lecture Feb. 27 at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (DSPT) in Berkeley, California. Fr. Augustine is a professor of history at DSPT. Read more

Springfield Dominicans
Rosary High School appoints new principal

The Rosary High School Board of Directors and the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois, have announced the selection of Sister Ann Brummel, OP, as the new principal of Rosary High School beginning July 1, 2013. Selected from a field of 19 applicants, Sister Ann becomes the eighth Springfield Dominican sister to lead Rosary High School. Sr. Ann will succeed Sister Patricia Burke, OP, who has been Rosary’s principal since 2004. Read more

San Rafael Dominicans
Sisters join in 5K Fun Run/Walk for Wellness

St. Joseph’s Foundation in Stockton, California, sponsored the fourth annual 5K Fun Run/Walk for Wellness on Jan. 26 to raise funds for St. Joseph’s Hospital CareVan, a mobile health clinic. Among the 400 people registered was a team of 10 representing the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael. Read more, view photos

Sinsinawa Dominicans
Sisters approve corporate stance on immigration reform

The Sinsinawa Dominican congregation recently approved a corporate stance in support of just and compassionate immigration reform in the United States. The stance states the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters support just and compassionate immigration reform that includes a process offering a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, assures the unity of families and the restoration of due process protections and human rights protections for undocumented workers, and creates policies which address the root causes of migration. Read more

UN Briefing
Land grabbing violates human rights, impacts environment

An emerging topic of discussion and concern amongst NGOs at the United Nations is that of land grabs. In essence, land grabbing denotes the seizure of power to control land and the resources it contains (e.g., water, minerals, forests) in order to preside over the benefits of its use. According to the Transnational Institute of Policy Studies (TNI), “[L]and grabbing is essentially control grabbing,” and the desire for capital and profit serve as the predominant motivations for the execution of such an acquisition. This hunger for power and profit results in a flagrant disregard for the inherent meaning, utilization, and management of the land that are embedded in the local community. Read article by Dominican Volunteer Kati Garrison

Mount Saint Mary College
Thomas Aquinas workshop scheduled for June

The third annual Thomas Aquinas Philosophy Workshop, “Free Will and Moral Virtue,” will take place June 13–16 at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, New York. Sponsored by the college’s Catholic and Dominican Institute and the Thomistic Institute of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC, the workshop will explore the nature of human freedom according to St. Thomas Aquinas of the 13th century. Read more

Weber Center
Summer retreat: “In the Beginning was the Word”

Weber Retreat and Conference Center, Adrian, Michigan, is offering “In the Beginning was the Word,” a Dominican, scriptural-based retreat, aimed at deepening our rootedness in the Word of God and renewing our passion for preaching. The retreat is scheduled for July 21–27. Retreat directors include Brian Pierce, OP; Megan McElroy, OP; Theresa Rickard, OP; and John Pitzer, OP. Liturgist is Rebecca Ann Gemma, OP. For more information or to register, visit www.webercenter.org or download brochure (PDF)

Faith and Film
Zero Dark Thirty

If you’ve read my reviews before, you know that I don’t do well with ultra-violent movies… I psyched myself up for the new two-hour 40 minute film by Bigelow and Boal. I’m happy to report that I’m very glad I did. I found “Zero Dark Thirty” to be an amazing experience… I was concerned that Zero Dark Thirty would be excessively violent. Yes, there is violence, but I don’t think it’s excessive, considering the subject matter of the film. Read review by Tom Condon, OP

Previous updates:

The next Dominican Life | USA update will be published on Wednesday, Feb. 13. Deadline for submission of articles/photos is Friday, Feb. 8.