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March 19, 2014

Photos of the Week

UN Briefing
Sisters, students participating in CSW events at UN

The Commission on the Status of Women is probably the busiest time here at the United Nations. Women from all over the world converge upon New York to explore the critical issues facing women and girls worldwide. Sisters representing each of the five continental areas of Dominican Sisters International are also present this year, along with a group of students from Yale University. Read article by Margaret Mayce, OP (Amityville)

Above: Sister Jenn Schaaf, OP (Blauvelt), third from left, with Yale University students. Sister Jenn works in Campus Ministry at Yale University.

St. Mary's Dominican High School
Sister Pat leads mission trip to Dominican Republic

The students wore T-shirts with the words “Tocando Corazones, Cambiando Vidas” (Touching Hearts, Changing Lives).

Sister Pat Harvat, OP (Adrian), vice president of Dominican Catholic Identity at St. Mary's Dominican High School in New Orleans, Louisiana, led a mission trip in early March to Espiritu Santo School in Bani, Dominican Republic. Thirteen students and five adults participated. One of the students wrote a reflection about the trip that was published in the Archdiocese of New Orleans' newspaper. Read reflection, view photos

Sparkill Dominicans
Sisters celebrate professions in Pakistan

Feb. 16, 2014, was a joyful day of celebration for the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill as the community in Pakistan gathered to witness the first profession of Sister Philomena Victor and the final professions of Sisters Sumaira Sadaf Siddique, Nazia Shafi, and Shahnaz Nazir. Families and friends were in attendance as well as many priests who were educated by the Sparkill Dominicans in Multan, Bahawalpur, and various villages of the diocese. Read article by Sister Margaret Palliser, OP (Sparkill)

Mount Saint Mary College
Sister Laurie Brink: Dominican charism rooted in Bible

Sister Laurie Brink, OP (Sinsinawa) reflected upon the heritage of Saint Dominic de Guzman, founder of the Order of Preachers, in “Fire in My Bones: Biblical Foundations of the Dominican Charism” at Mount Saint Mary College. Sister Laurie, associate editor of “The Bible Today” journal, proposes that a three-fold biblical foundation informs and sustains one of the largest worldwide communities in the Catholic Church, and provides direction for those who seek to build a more holy and just world. Read more

Dominican Province of St. Joseph
Eight Dominican brothers ordained to diaconate

On March 8, eight Dominican brothers were ordained to the transitional diaconate at the Dominican House of Studies. Brothers Thomas More Garrett, OP; ohn Devaney, OP; Boniface Endorf, OP; Gabriel Torretta, OP; Innocent Smith, OP; Charles Shonk, OP; Vincent Ferrer Bagan, OP; and Philip Neri Reese, OP, were ordained by Bishop Daniel Thomas, auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia and titular bishop of Bardstown. Read more

National Catholic Sisters Week
Students honor Peace Dominicans with prayer chain

Residents of the Columbus, Ohio motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters of Peace show the wonderful “prayer chain” of messages they received from St. Paul’s school in Westerville, Ohio, in honor of the inaugural National Catholic Sisters Week March 8–14. The chain includes dozens of paper links, each with a message of prayer and thanksgiving from a sixth-grade student.

Peace Dominicans
Congregation passes corporate stance on gun control

The Dominican Sisters and Associates of Peace have approved a corporate stance calling for responsible gun-control legislation and improved mental-health care resources. The corporate stance states: “In the United States, we will advocate for common-sense gun control laws, such as requiring universal background checks before purchasing guns; banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; promoting strategies to prevent gun violence; and providing adequate financial resources to establish mental health programs for victims and perpetrators, and prevention programs for at-risk people.” Read more

Houston Dominicans
Justice promoters, leaders attend LCWR learning lab

March 3–6, communicators, justice promoters, and members of leadership teams, gathered at Bethany Retreat Center in Lutz, Florida, for LCWR’s Imagining Justice. There were seven women representing Dominican congregations in attendance. Sisters Marcelline Koch, OP (Springfield); Ann Marie Lustig, OP (Tacoma); Judy Lu Mc Donnell, OP and Lyn Kirkconnell (San Raphael); Joy Peterson, PBVM (promoter of peace and justice for the Sinsinawa Dominicans), Elizabeth Zwareva, MM (Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic) and Ceil Roeger, OP (Houston). Read article by Ceil Roeger, OP

Springfield Dominicans
Sister Marcelline appointed North American justice promoter

Sister Marcelline Koch, OP, was recently appointed DSI (Dominican Sisters International) North American Co-Promoter of Justice and Peace by Sister Marie Therese Clement, DSI International Coordinator. Sister Marcelline was elected to this position by the prioresses of the North American congregations and was recommended to Sister Marie Therese and the DSI Coordinating Council. Sister Marcelline directs the Office of Justice for the Dominican Sisters of Springfield. Read more

Faith and Film
Son of God

Last year, TV’s History Channel aired “The Bible,” a highly successful miniseries, produced by the team of Roma Downey (from “Touched by an Angel”) and her husband, Mark Burnett (“Survivor.”) The current film, “Son of God,” was originally shown as part of “The Bible,” with additional scenes added in order to flesh it out into a feature length movie. Perhaps that’s why so much of “Son of God” feels like a cut and paste project. Read review by Tom Condon, OP

Previous updates:

March 5, 2014 February 19, 2014 February 5, 2014
January 22, 2014 January 8, 2014 Nov 22, 2013
November 6, 2013 October 23, 2013 October 9, 2013
Sept 25, 2013 Sept 11, 2013 August 14, 2013
July 24, 2013 July 10, 2013 June 26, 2013
June 12, 2013 May 29, 2013 May 8, 2013
April 24, 2013 April 10, 2013 March 27, 2013
March 13, 2013 February 27, 2013 February 13, 2013
January 30, 2013 January 16, 2013 Dec 19, 2012
December 5, 2012 November 16, 2012 October 31, 2012
October 17, 2012 Sept 26, 2012 Sept 12, 2012
August 29, 2012 August 15, 2012 July 25, 2012
July 11, 2012 June 27, 2012 June 13, 2012
May 31, 2012 May 16, 2012 May 2, 2012
April 4, 2012 March 21, 2012 March 7, 2012
February 22, 2012 February 8, 2012 January 25, 2012
January 11, 2012 December 21, 2011 December 7, 2011
November 23, 2011 November 9, 2011 October 19, 2011
October 5, 2011 Sept 21, 2011 Sept 7, 2011
August 24, 2011 August 10, 2011 July 20, 2011

The next Dominican Life | USA update will be published on Wednesday, April 9. Deadline for submission of articles/photos is Friday, April 4.

IN BRIEF

The Cross: Our Lenten Journey to Eternal Life

Chris Saliga, OP, will be preaching a parish mission at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado, March 22–26. The theme for the mission is “The Cross: Our Lenten Journey to Eternal Life.” Fr. Chris will examine the mystery of the cross and its meaning for the Christian life, especially through the mysteries of the rosary. From Dominican Daily.

Read more

Gospel reflections for Lent

Starting with Ash Wednesday, and continuing each Sunday during Lent, The Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Berkeley, California, offers an online video series of Lenten Gospel reflections by Fr. Michael Sweeney, OP, DSPT president.

View videos

New book: Biblical Economic Ethics

“Biblical Economic Ethics: Sacred Scripture’s Teachings on Economic Life” by
Albino Barrera, OP, is a theological synthesis of the findings of scripture scholars and ethicists on what the Bible teaches about economic life. It examines the Bible’s economic norms within the larger context of its theology and ethics.

Read more

14 Totally Awesome Things About the Order of Preachers

With text and photos, Br. Dominic Bouck, OP, blogs about life as a Dominican student brother. From Dominicana.

Read blog post

Sisters, students participating in CSW events at UN

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