Called by God into right relationship with all creation
and graced by Dominican life and mission,
we compassionately preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Mission Statement, Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois
2024 Chapter Direction Statement
We, the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, guided by the Holy Spirit, join with others to reimagine a future of promise and hope.
Rooted in our prayer for the life of the world, and in our care for our common home, we are strengthened by our Associates and partners-in-mission to walk together into a future of authentic intercultural living. Trusting in the transformation already at work within us, we step into the challenges, riches, and grace of the unknown.
Together, we will strengthen relationships within our congregation.
Together, we will invite, welcome, and support new members to our congregation and to Dominican life.
Together, we will build relationships with those of other cultures, through study, engagement and interaction.
We take the next steps into our congregational future, grounded in the freedom offered in our Constitutions. We are energized by participating in the emerging movements of governance within the Dominican family.
Together, we will engage in ongoing conversation and communal study in our effort to move toward a collaborative form of governance.
Together, we will embrace individual and shared responsibility for participative Dominican governance.
Compelled by our passion for mission, we respond, in Christ, for the life of the world.
Affirmed by the General Chapter, April 5, 2024, Springfield, Illinois
Dominic's Day—And Ours
The preaching mission of Jesus is just as necessary—and just as inspiring—as it was for the founder of the Order of Preachers 800 years ago.
St. Dominic and his followers faced challenging complexities as they proclaimed God’s justice and mercy to a world emerging into the Renaissance. The preachers, pastoral leaders, educators, and artists of the 13th century labored, as we do now, to integrate their experience of God with waves of scientific discovery and technological innovation that challenged centuries-old theological and cultural certainties. People were on the move, emigrating in surges that overwhelmed the cities with diverse people and new cultural expectations.
The Holy Preaching: An Anchor in the Chaos
Since the 13th Century the Dominican anchor in the chaos has been what Dominic called "The Holy Preaching"—our lives consecrated to God and practiced through community, prayer, and study—all for the sake of the preaching of the Gospel.
Characteristic of Springfield Dominican life in the 21st Century is our commitment to communal living, sung common prayer and liturgy, and our desire to stand with the poor, to accompany those on the margins, and to work toward systems that promote life.
Wherever our sisters minister—whatever our “jobs” are—we share the same commitment to promoting human dignity through teaching and preaching, accompaniment and solidarity, caring for creation, and dismantling institutional racism. And we share these same seven core values.
Our Core Values
These values that shape the culture of our congregation.
- Collaboration: Partnering with others for the sake of the mission
- Contemplative worldview: Nurturing a global perspective through personal and communal prayer and discernment
- Inclusivity: Embracing the gift of diversity
- Interdependence: Sharing responsibility and accountability for the common good
- Justice: Promoting relationships of respect and mutuality in nonviolent, prayerful and reconciliatory ways
- Life-long learning: Fostering ongoing transformation through study and the discipline of dialogue
- Integrity: Living the Word We Preach
Recognizing a truth about the land we occupy
The land on which our motherhouse, Sacred Heart Convent, lies, is in a place that has only recently been given the name Central Illinois. For far longer it was home to the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Tamaroa, Kickapoo, Peoria, and some six other nations who made up the Illini Peoples. To learn more about the indigenous people of Central Illinois, or to find the names of the people indigenous to the place you live, use the button below.
