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December 18, 2014

Photos of the Week

Apostolic Visitation
Sisters describe experience in new book

In 2008, the Vatican Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life initiated an apostolic visitation to examine the quality of life of women religious in the United States. The final report from the Vatican was released on Dec. 16. A group of sisters in leadership at the time, including Adrian Dominican Sister Pat Walter, OP, wrote about their experience participating in the apostolic visitation. “Power of Sisterhood: Women Religious Tell the Story of the Apostolic Visitation” was announced at a book launch Dec. 8 in Chicago. An article about the book, “Attitude shift: Six years through the Apostolic Visitation,” was published in the National Catholic Reporter’s Global Sisters Report Dec. 10. Articles and links to more information about the apostolic visitation report are available on the Global Sisters Report web site.

Above: Sister Pat Walter, OP (second from right), former prioress of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, was part of a panel at the book launch Dec. 8 at Loyola University in Chicago. She wrote a chapter in the book “Power of Sisterhood.”

Photo courtesy of Sister Joanne Gallagher, CSJ

Springfield
Sister gives invocation at historic cemetery re-dedication

Springfield (Illinois) Dominican Sister Philip Neri Crawford, OP delivered the invocation at the re-dedication of the Third Street gateway entrance to Oak Ridge Cemetery, resting place of Abraham Lincoln, on Dec. 3. Two of the Springfield Dominican foundresses, Sisters Josephine Meagher and Rachel Conway, were called upon to unveil the statue at Lincoln’s Tomb on Oct. 14, 1874. The gate has now been recreated to appear as it was during Lincoln’s funeral procession. Watch video of invocation on YouTube

Peace
Sister encounters human trafficking, illegal mining in Peru

Dominican Sister of Peace Susan Leslie, OP, travelled with a delegation of four sisters to Peru in November. She shares the harrowing and thought-provoking story of her personal encounter with the face of human trafficking, and the environmental devastation of illegal mining. “There are connections among illegal mining, destruction of the land, and human trafficking. The primary industry in this area of the country is illegal gold mining. Mining means having to clear the land of vegetation. What was once part of the green Amazon rain forest now appears as a desolate desert wasteland.” Read more

Adrian
Sister Jeri Renner: A vocation story

Sister Jerome Mary (Jeri) Renner, OP (Adrian), lives and ministers in Seattle, Washington. She has worked for more than 60 years in health care, serving as a medical technologist, hospital administrator, and hospital chaplain, most recently for 10 years as director of mission, ethics, and spiritual care at Providence Hospital in Seaside, Oregon. From the article: “Early in religious life, Sister Jeri had a profound experience that might have helped to shape her later ministry. She was a companion to Sister Thomas Aquinas Cowgill, who, at age 33, was dying of cancer. ‘Many nights we broke profound silence so she could talk while she was enduring so much pain,’ Sister Jeri recalled.” Read more

Faith and Film
The Theory of Everything

“The Theory of Everything” tells the story of the marriage between the brilliant British physicist Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne), and his wife, Jane (Felicity Jones). The film is a testament to the strength of the love between Stephen and Jane. The screenplay, written by Anthony McCarten, is based on Jane Hawking’s memoir. Read review by Tom Condon, OP

Previous updates:

  Dec 5, 2014 Nov 5, 2014
October 22, 2014 October 8, 2014 Sept 10, 2014
August 27, 2014 August 13, 2014 July 30, 2014
July 16, 2014 July 2, 2014 June 18, 2014
June 4, 2014 May 21, 2014 May 7, 2014
April 23, 2014 April 9, 2014 March 19, 2014
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
IN BRIEF

Nativities on display at Sinsinawa Mound

Sinsinawa Art Gallery, Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, presents “Nativities of the World” featuring handcrafted nativities from the United States, Germany, Tanzania, India, Venezuela, Ecuador (above), Jerusalem, Peru, Russia, Ireland, Kenya, and other countries.

More info

News from Dominicans at the UN

Read the latest newsletter from Sister Margaret Mayce, OP, DLC NGO representative to the United Nations, and Dominican Volunteer Kelly Litt.

Read newsletter

Friar preaches men’s Advent retreat

Fr. Giles Dimock, OP, preached the annual Catholic Men’s Advent Retreat Dec. 5–6 at the Holy Spirit Center in Norwood, Ohio. He spoke on the subject of men, fatherhood, and St. Joseph who represents the “finest dimension of being a man.” Fr. Giles serves at St. Gertrude Parish in Madeira, Ohio.

Read more

Nashville Dominicans in the news

Kathryn Jean Lopez of the National Review interviewed Sister Marie Bernadette Thompson, OP (Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia) for a recent article titled, “The Real Sisterhood.”

Read article

Working to prevent violence against women, minorities

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