By Sister Barbara Kelly, OP

 

About 50 members of the Dominican Institute for the Arts (DIA) met July 22-25, 2024, at Weber Retreat Center in Adrian, Michigan, for their annual gathering, under the theme, Artists for the Earth.
Begun more than 25 years ago, the DIA is a grassroots organization of Sisters, Friars, Nuns, Laity, and Associates who preach through the arts. Members range from painters, sculptors, and photographers to musicians, poets, dancers, filmmakers, dramatists, and appreciators of the arts.

Trusting the Sacred Path - Sister Karen Vollmer

Change is a constant and the journey is an adventure for S. Karen Vollmer who believes God is leading us on the sacred path.  All we need to do is embrace it with joy as the journey unfolds.

S. Karen has been a joyful, spirited person with deep faith and sensitive concern for others. She was born in Joliet, Illinois and educated by Franciscan Sisters at St. Raymond’s Cathedral Grade School and St. Francis Academy. “I learned to pray and respect others and nature early in my life through the example of faithful parents,” she says. “I was always grateful for my supportive and loving family, and at the same time, I had an overwhelming awareness of the injustices in the world and wanting to share what I had with others.”

It was during her time attending the local junior college preparing to become a teacher that she began to pay attention to what she called “the still, small voice within.” Karen felt a yearning to help create a peaceful, harmonious world.  Her older sister was a Racine Dominican aspirant, and during Sunday visits, she met many Racine Dominican Sisters.  “Joining the convent wasn’t something I was encouraged to do, as many thought my boundless energy, sometimes called rambunctious, would interfere with the tranquil demeanor of a religious woman,” she says. But she knew she needed to pay attention to the inner call, which turned out to be the life of a Sister.

A Journey of Faith - Associate Gail Jacobsen

 

Gail grew up in Milwaukee with her mother, father, and sister, Lynn. She attended Catholic grade schools and Pius High School in Milwaukee. She has many wonderful memories of those early years. “My childhood happiness was picking wildflowers and romping in the woods nearby my home,” she says.

After attending Mount St. Clare College in Clinton, Iowa, Gail married her husband, Don, and had two children, Lorilyn and Ann Marie. Her family enjoyed the out-of-doors and camping at so many of the Wisconsin State Parks. As the girls got older, Gail furthered her education by completing an undergraduate degree with a major in communication and a submajor in Gerontology, and receiving a Masters in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.

Gail’s work took her to hospitals, oncology, home health, hospice work and case management with agencies working with Wisconsin’s Family Care program. She found the work diverse and rewarding. “Social work keenly developed my listening skills and deepened my compassion. It was so rewarding to know in some small way I made a difference in someone’s life. So often people just want to tell their stories, to be listened to, to be understood,” she says.

NGO Representative, Sister Durstyne Farnan, OP, Welcomes Two Dominicans to the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2024 

The High-Level Political Forum was a highlight of the summer for the NGO. The Dominican Leadership Conference welcomed Sr. Sarudzai Mutero, OP from the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,  Zimbabwe and Fr. Emmanuel Mulu, OP of Kenya with us for two weeks.

 

Together we had the opportunity to meet members of the Justice Coalition of Religious (JCOR) here at the UN.  It was my first time hosting a Friar and Sister at the UN. The forum focused on the following SDG’s;

 1) Poverty 2) Zero Hunger 13) Climate Action, 

16) Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, and 17) on Partnerships for the Goals. 

 

Fr. Mulu, OP and Sr. Sarudzai, OP shared their country’s response to the SDGs. They were among the 36 countries who participated in their national voluntary review of the SDGs. 

 

It was important that we had religious from these countries to hear directly from them on the accuracy of the report from their countries. They each gave a critique of their country.  Sr. Sarudzai and a companion from Zimbabwe reviewed the country statement. Sr. Sarudzai worked with others in Zimbabwe before coming to the HLPF to be prepare a counter report from their data and research. After their presentation at the UN their country minister asked to meet them and explain how they came to their conclusions. It was slightly intimidating but they were able to give accurate and an informative review to their country representative.

Amityville Dominican Sister Jeanne Clark Nabs First Place Award for Best Memoir and Gold Medal

Amityville Sister Jeanne Clark, OP, received the First Place Award for Best Memoir from the Catholic Media Association for her book “All The Way In: A Story of Activism, Incarceration and Organic Farming.”  She also garnered the Gold Medal from Nautilus Book Awards.  

 

“All the Way In” is a book that tells the inspiring story of Amityville Dominican Sister Jeanne Clark and her ongoing journey to dive deep into non-violent witness, peaceful activism, and care for the Earth.  

 

The book recalls scenes from her life: being arrested for protesting the USS Ohio, America’s first nuclear Trident submarine; living with refugees from El Salvador and helping to found Homecoming Farm, an organic community- supported farm on the grounds of Queen of the Rosary Motherhouse in Amityville, NY. 

 

Sister Jeanne hopes the stories in the book “create an opening for people to begin to see that there is another way to look at life and to know that how we think and what we do creates the world we live in.  She spends her time now helping others to see with the new eyes we have been given through the Hubble and Webb telescopes.  “We are learning” she tells us ” a new origin story which reveals that we are born in a universe which has created the stars and galaxies, the mountains and oceans, you and me and all of life.  We are connected to everything that exists and the human now is being asked to build this new world united with the Story of the Universe which will lead us to peace and wholeness.”
 
“The book is not just about me,” said Sister Jeanne.   “It’s about inviting everyone to tell their stories and to use their unique gifts in the world right now because future generations are depending on us.” 
 
To find out more about her book, visit the Orbis Press website by clicking below. 
https://orbisbooks.com/products/all-the-way-in-a-story-of-activism-incarceration-and-organic-farming

Dominican Sister of Peace, Sister Annie Killian, Elected to Serve on The National Council for Pax Christi U.S.A.

 

Sr. Annie Killian, OP, PhD, a member of the Dominican Sisters of Peace and
Assistant Professor of English at Ohio Dominican University, has been elected to the national council at Pax Christi USA, an organization that rejects war and all forms of violence and domination.

Sr. Annie’s vision for Pax Christi includes bringing the gifts of Christian nonviolence into collaboration with human rights organizations that are opposed to US militarism and state violence. 

She thinks the threat of violence may be real this election year. She also says that exorbitant defense spending has raised public consciousness of the harm American-made weapons are
inflicting on people of this country and abroad. She believes that the time is right for Pax Christi to build a coalition and a movement for democracy and liberation. 

“I welcome the responsibility of a council position with Pax Christi, it is an organization that I was immediately attracted to in 2020 when I found the Pax Christi Young Adult Group. Its purpose and vision fit perfectly with the Dominican Sisters of Peace and our mission of being peace, building peace and preaching peace,” says Sr. Annie Killian.

Tending Our Hearts to Tend the Earth (In-Person)

Friday, Aug 9 • 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Join us for a retreat to place our bodies on this sacred land allowing the stones and the wind to carry our grief. There will be time for story sharing, wandering the woods, practicing rituals around our grief and anger, settling in silence and rest, and summoning that wild possibility of hope. This retreat is open to all wanting to tend their hearts around climate anxiety, especially those involved with children: parents, teachers, grandparents, neighbors, etc. 

Details & Registration: https://www.grdominicans.org/program-retreat/this-sweet-earth/

 

Zentangle Patterns of Pause ~ A Visual Prayer Practice to Cultivate Peace (In-Person) Saturday, Sept 7 • 10:00 am – 12:30 pm

In the fullness of everyday life, there is refreshment in pausing and noticing what scripture and creation can reveal to us. Both are filled with wonderful patterns that can spark delight. When we slow down and notice, we make space to invite peace and calm, encounter the presence of God, and be rejuvenated. In this class, we’ll enjoy combining the Zentangle Method, watercolor, and pen to create a visual prayer inspired by a portion of Psalm 19. We’ll also explore how this visual prayer practice encourages us to cultivate gratitude, awareness, delight, peace, and faith. 

Details & Registration: https://www.grdominicans.org/program-retreat/zentangle-1/

  

Called to be a Spiritual Director ~ Year 1 Practicum

Sep 13 & 14, Oct 11 & 12, Nov 8 & 9, Dec 13 & 14, 2024; Jan 10 & 11, Feb 14 & 15, Mar 14 & 15, Apr 4 & 5, May 9 & 10, 2025
A Spiritual Director holds sacred the stories heard in a one-on-one relationship or in a trusted group. The Spiritual Director Practicum is filled with contemplative spiritual practices, prayer study, and shared reflection; strengthens our ability to stay present; attunes our listening to sense how the Holy Spirit is present in our lives and in the lives of others; looks to Spiritual Giants to mentor participants during the formation process; and reminds that the ultimate healer holds up director and directee in all ways. Using an Ignatian spiritual framework, you are encouraged to find meaning in every moment. You are given space to deepen your relationship with God - the God who loves us into life. 

Details & Registration:  https://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/spiritual-director-practicum-year-1/

 

Centering Prayer (Online)

Tuesdays • Noon

Centering Prayer is a modernized prayer method based on the intuitive prayer rooted in Lectio Divina. It is a method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience the Divine’s immanent presence with us. Centering Prayer is grounded in relationship with God, through Christ, and is a practice to nurture that relationship. This method of prayer complements and supports other modes of prayer — verbal, mental, or affective prayer — and facilitates resting in the Divine Presence. 

Details & Registration: http://dominicancenter.com/programs-and-retreats/centering-prayer/