Springfield, Ill.—Sunday March 31 was the day the Dominican Sisters of Springfield welcomed members of their monthly donor club, dubbed “Bearers of the Flame,” to join them for Sunday Mass and brunch at Sacred Heart Convent. About 15 individuals and families joined in the celebration, including Mark and Sue Quinn from Naperville, Ill., and Alyssa and Greg Regan and their boys, Gregory and Joshua, who live in Springfield.
Sister Kathleen Anne Tait, director of the mission advancement office for the Dominican Sisters, thanked the Regans, the Quinns, and all the other families present for helping to keep alive the flame of mission with their generous giving. “Having you present with us to celebrate Mass and enjoy brunch helps us to understand one another as family,” she said. “It’s wonderful to have you gathered around the table with us.”
Mark was taught by the Springfield Dominican Sisters at St. Walter School on Chicago South Side. He’s still carrying the torch for his favorite teacher, Sister Monica Marie Finnegan, who died in 1993. The Quinn’s relationship with the Dominican Sisters fuels their desire to support our mission with their financial gift. “The good work of the church was mostly done by the women of the church,” Mark says. “I own my faith today to the sisters who provided me with that early faith formation.”
For Alyssa and Greg, the relationship with our sisters started when Alyssa began working as a receptionist at Sacred Heart Convent. She is now the manager of the team of receptionists who greet our guests at the door and on the phone. Alyssa says she has delighted in sharing her family with the sisters, and often brings the youngest for what she calls “toddler therapy.” The sisters enjoy a chance to interact with children whenever they can.
On this particular Sunday however, her toddler, Joshua, only had eyes for Sue Quinn. The two really hit it off. In the photo you see here, Joshua was explaining to Sue in great detail how to throw rocks into the pond beneath the dining room window.
Both families, from very different backgrounds and circumstances have found a way to support the sisters with a financial gift because they value the impact the sisters have had on their lives and on the broader society. Read more donor stories and learn how to join the Dominican Sisters’ mission as a “Bearer of the Flame.”
