From May 1–3, Discerning Deacons hosted their inaugural national gathering, "Assembly of Hope," in Indianapolis, IN. The day before the event, the organization celebrated its fifth anniversary, which coincided with the feast of St. Catherine of Siena. Close to one hundred key lay and religious women leaders and male allies from across diverse Catholic network attended.

 

Participants also joined a public Season of Faithful Witness event with Catholics in Indianapolis to stand with and pray for the local immigrant community.

 

For the past three years, we have collaborated at different levels  —including our sisters serving as preacher mentors and their support of our Encuentro. In their own words "Assembly of Hope attendees align with the Sisters' commitment to peace, justice and prophetic action."

 

We are honored to walk and partner with these women who bring so much hope to our church.

 

How do we pass on the Dominican charism at this crucial moment in our history?
How do we create new, relevant expressions of the Dominican charism to ensure its ongoing vitality through the formation of present and future generations of sisters and lay partners? These questions were the foundation of the Dominican Charism Initiative (DCI). Dominican sisters, friars, nuns, laity, associates and members of the Dominican Youth Movement from around the globe contributed to making the modules within this initiative come to life.

 

The Dominican Charism Initiative (DCI) modules are now located in an easy-to-access format in the Resources area on the DSC website at Dominican Charism Initiative | DomLife - Dominican Sisters Conference. The Dominican Charism Initiative (DCI) is a dynamic, multimedia platform that explores the charism of Dominican Sisters in light of today’s unique gifts and challenges. Launched in 2020, DCI includes eight courses on the Life, Mission & Spirit of St. Dominic; Call to Preach; Call to Action; Global Dominican Family; Call to Truth; Dominican Prayer; Dominican Spirituality; and the Evolution of U.S. Dominican Sisters Conferences. 

 

We make these courses available through our website, trusting they will in turn encourage further creative exploration, expression and dialogue across our Dominican family. May these courses provide members of the Dominican family, our lay partners, and curious inquirers the opportunity to reflect on and grow in understanding and living our Dominican charism with integrity and commitment.

 

We are grateful to all the DSC congregations and DVM who contribute to making these resources available. If you find these resources valuable and wish to contribute to their ongoing support, donate here:  Donate to DomLife | DomLife - Dominican Sisters Conference.

 

May 28, 2026 
3:00 PM CEST/ 9:00 AM EDT via Zoom
(simultaneous translation in Spanish and French)

Join us on Zoom to hear firsthand insights from the first Fossil Fuel Phase Out Conference in Santa Marta, Colombia. Learn about the "coalition of the willing" and their plans for a global treaty to move beyond fossil fuels. Speakers include: 

• Lisa Sullivan - Senior Policy Officer for Integral Ecology at the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns in Washington, D.C.
• Fr. T. L. D. Rohan Dominic - Coordinator of the Claretian Team to the United Nations, New York City

To register, please send an email to dsi@curia.op.org.

 

Please see these event flyers:

English: https://dsiop.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/EN_May-28-flyer.pdf
Spanish: https://dsiop.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ES_May-28-flyer.pdf

 

 

For 39 years, Sister Carol Monzon, OP has lived her Dominican vocation with compassion and dedication. A registered nurse and a Dominican Sister of Mission San Jose since 1990, she has served in ministries across Arizona and California, including St. Martin’s Care Center, St. Joseph Convent, St. Elizabeth in Oakland, St. Callistus, Santa Teresita, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, and San Gabriel Mission.

Most recently, Sister Carol brought her gifts to the KINO Border Initiative, a binational ministry accompanying migrants and deportees in Nogales, Sonora. Guided by the motto “Respect for Human Dignity,” KINO provides meals, medical care, legal assistance, social services, and educational support to families navigating the challenges of migration.

Sister Carol served in the kitchen, preparing and sharing meals with migrants who had arrived with little more than hope. She witnessed a vibrant community of support:

• A clinic staffed by a doctor and nurse
• Lawyers ensuring migrants are not exploited
• A social worker and special education teacher
• Skill building programs for women in baking, embroidery, and jewelry making
• Construction opportunities for men
• Volunteers ranging from college graduates to Jesuit high school students
• Sunday Eucharist grounding the community in faith

 

The Partnership for Re-Entry Program (PREP) is a ministry of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, established on May 12, 2002, by Sister Mary Sean Hodges, Mission San Jose Dominican. The program continues under the leadership of Executive Director Tony Jung Kim, supported by a staff of six and dedicated volunteers.

Following a 39-year teaching career in elementary and high schools, Sister Mary Sean Hodges sought a new ministry. During a year-long sabbatical, she explored the possibility of establishing a prison re-entry program within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.  At the time, Sister Mary Sean was a marathon runner.  With the LA Marathon in March, 2002, she met Sister Suzanne Jabro, CSJ Carondelet, then head of Detention Ministry. Sister Mary Sean was subsequently hired and began her work on May 12, 2002. After researching various re-entry programs, she developed and launched the Partnership for Re-Entry Program (PREP) in November of that year, initially as a mentorship initiative for individuals returning from prison.

By 2006, PREP had evolved into a re-entry program specifically serving Lifers, individuals incarcerated for extended periods due to serious offenses. The 1980s and 1990s were characterized by mass incarceration, during which few individuals were released from prison.

In 2006, with the inauguration of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, policies shifted to allow the release of Lifers. This development prompted PREP to expand its services by creating correspondence programs, with Lifers themselves developing lesson content in areas essential for healing and transformation, such as Anger Management, Domestic Violence, Victim Awareness, and Trauma. Additionally, the program began offering housing, transitioning from the Sober Living 

Homes model to Transition Homes. Currently, The PREP program offers 25 correspondence courses, all authored by Lifers.

 

The release process for a Lifer requires appearing before the Board of Parole Hearings (BPH) and demonstrating readiness to safely re-enter the community.  A significant program of PREP to prepare for this process is called INSIGHT. It is the Lifer looking at her/his Road to Crime and Road to Transformation. It is also for the Lifer to become confident that she/he is ready to return to the community as a contributing members of society.

In 2020, Tony Jung Kim assumed the role of Executive Director of PREP following 32 years of incarceration. Under his leadership, PREP has expanded its initiatives, supported by ongoing grant funding that enables the development of new programs.  Increasingly necessary, the time for transitioning from prison life to life in the world of today, is very necessary.  The world of today is very different than the world they left.
PREP supports Lifers returning to the community through initiatives such as Grace on Wheels, which provides transportation, financial assistance, help with paperwork, employment resources, and guidance toward independent living as needed.
PREP staff is inspired to work with all with whom we serve. 

 

 

A new book by Mark W. Butler, Dominican Associate and Director of Founded Ministries for the Dominican Sisters of Peace, has appeared multiple times, including reaching the number one spot on Amazon’s Top 10 “Hot New Releases” in General History of Religion.

 

Timeline of Dominican Sisters in the United States: The First 203 Years (1822–2025) invites readers to discover patterns of courage, response, and discernment among Dominican women over more than two centuries. Readers can explore the history of the Dominican Sisters, beginning with their founding in Kentucky in 1822, alongside key events in the United States, the world, the Church, and the wider Dominican Family.

 

Explaining the contextual structure of the book, Butler says, “For instance, the book shows what the Dominican Sisters were doing when the Monroe Doctrine was written, during the papacy of Leo XIII, and into the present day.”

 

In addition to highlighting how congregational developments correspond with historical events, the book includes a section featuring 20 reflection questions and journaling prompts. “I think one of the most important insights readers will gain is the Dominican spirit of collaboration and the ability to adapt with the times—the sense of working together and moving intentionally into the future,” Butler says,

 

While the book has gained attention on Amazon, Butler emphasizes that its purpose is not commercial, but rather to serve as a reference and reflection tool. "This book is a record of the first 200 years of the Dominican Sisters in the United States,” Butler says. “We look forward to what lies ahead. What we do know is that the future will remain rooted in the Gospel and in the charism of prayer, study, community, and service—the same principles that guided the founders and the first 200 years.”

 

The book offers a unique resource for Sisters, Associates, ministry leaders, and anyone interested in the ongoing mission of Dominican life.

 

Click here to read more about the book. The Amazon site link can be found here.

 

The Bot and I: Thinking Ethically about Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is ushering in another Industrial Revolution, and it is coming fast. Predictions suggest as much as a 45% loss of jobs over the next 5-10 years. This holds many challenges for people of faith as we learn to navigate this rapidly evolving technological rupture. Are you ready? https://flowcastlisten.org/episode/ai/

 

For all events at the Siena Retreat Center, you may register by going to the website www.sienaretreatcenter.org, calling the registar at 262-898-2582 with a credit card number, or by mailing a check made out to “Siena Retreat Center.” The address is 5637 Erie St., Racine, WI 53402. Payment must be received to complete registration.

Mystical-Prophetic Communion is Rising in Us
Saturday, May 16 | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Cost: $80 (includes lunch)
Facilitator: Miriam Brown, OP

In this day-long retreat, we will explore the rising spiritual sensitivity within and around us—through reflection, prayer, service, and immersion in nature—sharing experiences of communion, nurturing this awareness, and sending forth the compassionate, sacred energy of life into the world.
https://www.sienaretreatcenter.org/retreats/mystical-prophetic/

 

Writing Haiku as Sacred Art
Saturday, June 6 | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Cost: $85 (includes lunch)
Facilitator: Vicky Curtiss
Living in the present moment with attentiveness using all our senses is a spiritual practice enhanced by writing haiku. Haiku is a brief poem, usually of three lines with 17 syllables or fewer, that originated in Japan. Traditionally haiku included a nature image and seasonal reference but has expanded in English to capture a variety of moments within our everyday days—moments in which we can notice and savor the Sacred. Writing prompts and contemplative walks will fuel our creativity and awareness throughout the day. https://www.sienaretreatcenter.org/retreats/haiku/

 

Celebrate 30 years of the Dominican Sisters of Hope of Ossining, NY with a concert by songwriter, recording artist, performer, educator, and activist Carrie Newcomer at the Center at Mariandale in Ossining, NY. The live concert takes place on Thursday, May 28 at 3pm, and it will be livestreamed from the Mariandale Chapel. 

 

Oftentimes, hope isn’t easy to come by or even to define. Yet, as 90 Catholic Sisters, the Dominican Sisters of Hope of Ossining, NY have committed their lives to living and preaching the Gospel message of Hope. This event celebrates their shared efforts for 30 years.

 

In a world marred by violence, environmental destruction, and deep divisions, the Sisters give witness to the enduring power of Hope.

 

This concert is a gift from the Dominican Sisters of Hope in celebration of 30 years in mission, but we ask that you register online. Free-will donations are most appreciated.

 

Note: This is an in-person concert in Mariandale's Chapel and it will also be livestreamed for online viewing. Please indicate whether you will attend in person or watch the livestream when you register.

Join us and deepen your relationship with God, self, and others.

Learn more about us here.

 

 

Interfaith Table Talks: Healing Ourselves and Our World ~ Contemplation and Action
In-Person • Tuesdays: May 12 and Sept 22 • 6:00 – 8:30 PM
Contemplative practice and social action have often been seen as disconnected and, in some cases, opposed. In the wake of tragedy or atrocity, one might see offers of “thoughts and prayers” countered by demands for “action and legislation.” And yet, both are necessary as we seek to advance justice. Join us for a two-part Interfaith Tuesday Table Talk, where we will lean into this conversation of Healing Ourselves and Our World. We will be hearing from intergenerational multifaith voices and sharing our own over a delicious dinner at Dominican Center Marywood.Details & Registration:

Rule of Life Refresh Retreat
In-Person • Saturday, June 6 • 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
If you have a Rule (you might call it a Rhythm of Life or your guidelines for living) and are attempting to live by it, however imperfectly, but want some intentional community and time to observe with God what needs to be refreshed so you will be sustained by it, then join our Rule of Life Refresh Retreat. In this 3-hour morning retreat we will consider together what is working for you and what isn’t, common pitfalls, and what invitations God has for you to discover the trellis that does support your current growth. Details & Registration: https://www.grdominicans.org/program-retreat/rule-of-life-refresh/

Journey Into Silence Retreat (6-day retreat in Conway, MI)
In-Person • Sunday, June 7 – Friday, June 12
Join us for Journey into Silence Retreat, a six-day silent, directed retreat. After our initial gathering Sunday night, we spend the days in silence and communion with God. You will meet with a Spiritual Director each day to further cultivate and process your experience. This retreat is held at the Augustine Center Retreat House. The center is a retreat house welcoming individuals and groups for ongoing formation, education, and spirituality. Silence the world around you. Silence the world within you. Silence the thoughts that shout out to you. In the stillness hear God’s voice. In the quiet, sense the Divine’s presence and the spiritual love that is waiting to embrace you. Details & Registration: https://www.grdominicans.org/program-retreat/journey-into-silence-retreat-june-2026/