By Sr. Kathleen Anne Tait, OP
Jason Jansen’s connection to the Dominican Sisters of Springfield began in the classroom – and the lessons he learned there have stayed with him long after his school days ended.
Growing up in Springfield, Jason was educated by the Dominican Sisters at Christ the King and Sacred Heart Griffin. He credits the Sisters with giving him “a strong moral compass and a passion for numbers.” He especially remembers the open debates in Sr. Theodora’s theology class.
“It challenged us with critical thinking in forming very different opinions, however the Gospel message was the center and it formed that moral compass,” Jason recalls.
His passion for numbers likely began with math being his favorite subject, but he also credits Sr. Kathleen Anne Tait, OP, with making algebra understandable and even easy. Geometry, however, was another matter. Sr. Mary Diana spent countless hours tutoring Jason, helping him discover how his love of numbers might shape his future.
After college at Notre Dame, Jason moved to Chicago for work. Although he was physically farther from Springfield, the values he learned from his family and the Dominican Sisters continued to shape the husband and father he became. He met his wife, Kristina, in Chicago, and together they relied on those values as they raised their three children.
Jason worked as a financial planner and coach for a firm in Austin, Texas, before recently transferring to Atlanta, Georgia, so their children could be closer to family.
Jason and Kristina responded to the Dominican Sisters’ first appeal and have remained faithful donors for the past 10 years, since the Mission Advancement Office began. His financial training taught Jason the importance of planning for retirement, and he understood that the stipends the Sisters had received throughout their history were insufficient to provide for their future needs.
For Jason, giving is a way to give back to the Sisters – and to give back what God has given his family. The Jansens also appreciate all that the Sisters continue to do as they care for their elder members and carry on ministries of social justice, education, health care, and spiritual formation.
The Dominican Sisters are grateful not only for the Jansens’ generosity, but for all who help care for our elder Sisters and support the mission God continues to give us. In many ways, Jason’s story is a testament to the lasting impact of those who taught him: the lessons that shaped his moral compass continue to guide how he lives – and gives – today.
Sister Kathleen Anne is the director of mission advancement for the Dominican Sisters of Springfield.
