From left: Sister Kathleen Schanz, OP, General Councilor; Sister Tarianne DeYonker, OP, Vicaress and General Councilor; Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, Prioress; Sister Julie Hyer, OP, Administrator and General Councilor; and Sister Corinne Sanders, OP, General Councilor.

Adrian Dominicans elect new leadership
and set course for next six years

Adrian, Michigan—The Adrian Dominican Sisters, during General Chapter 2010, a 10-day planning and election process, affirmed their vision of 2004 to “Seek Truth, Make Peace, Reverence Life” and enhanced this Vision with four commitments that they will challenge one another to live into for the next six years. The delegation met February 18-27 in Lumen Ecclesiae Chapel at Siena Heights University, adjacent to the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Motherhouse campus in Adrian, Michigan.

In the next six years and beyond, the sisters commit themselves to living simply and sustainably; studying emerging theologies and worldviews; allowing themselves to be transformed by people of diverse races, cultures, classes, and faith traditions; and claiming their authority to speak truth in Church and society. The exact text of the 2010 document will be released in the near future. For each commitment, the delegates raised numerous action items that will guide them in implementing that commitment individually and communally.

In addition, the delegates elected a new Prioress and General Council to lead them for the next six years. Taking office on July 1 will be:

Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, Prioress. Sister Attracta has been the director and an attorney for nearly 11 years for an immigration law program for low-income immigrants residing in North Carolina. She has also worked in Legal Aid in Washington, D.C. and served as an asylum advocate for the Jesuit Refugee Service in Dublin. In addition, Sister Attracta was a community organizer at a low-income African-American community in Tennessee; served on the General Council for the Adrian Dominican Congregation from 1986 to 1992, and ministered in education in Alabama and Florida.

Sister Julie Hyer, OP, Administrator and General Councilor. Sister Julie is the CEO of a community health clinic for migrant farm workers and their families in Watsonville, California. Before that, she served for 22 years as President and CEO of Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, California, a hospital sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Sisters.

Sister Tarianne DeYonker, OP, Vicaress and General Councilor. Sister Tarianne currently serves as coordinator of social justice for the Diocese of Prince George in British Columbia, Canada, where she also provides marriage counseling and family therapy. In the recent past, Sister Tarianne was president of Dominican High School and Academy, a Congregation-sponsored school in Detroit that closed in 2005. As Vicaress, she will take on the responsibilities of the Prioress should anything happen to Sister Attracta.

Sister Corinne Sanders, OP, General Councilor. Sister Corinne has served for the past six years as the principal of Rosarian Academy, an Adrian Dominican-sponsored elementary school in West Palm Beach, Florida. Her ministries before that include directing the Congregation’s Office of Formation from 1999 to 2003; serving as Director of Mission and Ministry at Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida; ministering at St. John the Baptist Church, San Leandro, California, as a youth minister; and teaching and administering at Kino Learning Center, Inc., in Tucson, Arizona.

Sister Kathleen Schanz, OP, General Councilor. Currently, Sister Kathleen is executive director of Lenawee United Way in Lenawee County, Michigan. She has also ministered with Athena International, which mentors women in leadership. Before that, Sister Kathleen served at St. Joseph Academy and at Weber Retreat and Conference Center, both sponsored institutions of the Adrian Dominican Congregation and located in Adrian.

The Adrian Dominican Sisters are a Congregation of 800 vowed women religious whose roots go back to St. Dominic in the 13th century. The letters “OP” following a sister’s name stand for “Order of Preachers,” the formal name of the Dominican Order. The ADS Motherhouse is located in Adrian, Michigan. The sisters minister in 31 states; the District of Columbia; the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; Canada; the Dominican Republic; Italy; and Swaziland. They minister in such areas as education; health care; pastoral care in parishes, hospitals and prisons; social work; and peace and justice advocacy. More information is available at www.adriandominicans.org