When Mary Kirkpatrick was ready to make a gift in support of Springfield Dominican Sister Barbara Ann Bogenschutz’s ministry at Our Lady of the Sioux Church in Oglala, South Dakota, she remembered seeing the sketch above on the website of her neighbor, artist Gail Hamilton.
Mary knew Gail would make a gift of her artwork to anyone who donated to a charitable organization an amount at least equal to the value of the artwork. This drawing, titled Morning Star, was the one she asked for when she informed Gail of her gift for Sister Barb’s pastoral ministry with the Oglala Sioux Tribe on Pine Ridge Reservation.
But Mary didn’t stop there! She also made a gift of the framed original work to the Dominican Sisters.
“When we shared the news with Sister Barbara, she was grateful for such generous support for her mission,” said Sister Kathleen Anne Tait, the director of the mission advancement office. “Gail and Mary are both generous women, using their talent and treasure to weave a web of relationship that circles around one another, the Dominican Sisters, our ministries, and the dignity of Native American people. Their kindness witnesses to what Pope Francis likes to remind us: We belong to one another.”
Sister Barbara was grateful for the generous donation and the portrait. “This beautiful child is just one of many faces of American Indians,” she said. “I’m touched by Mary’s generosity and by the grace and dignity of Gail’s sensitive portrayal.”
You can read more about Sister Barbara Ann’s ministry here. To learn more about the ways the Dominican Sisters of Springfield are connected to the needs of the world, look around our website, or call Sister Kathleen Anne Tait at 217-787-0481.
