Pope Leo: Building Bridges of Hope and Healing in the Church
By Sister Barbara Blesse, OP Do you recall where you were the day Pope Leo XIV was elected? A citizen of the United States and Peru, Augustinian friar Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost, born in Dolton, Ill., was chosen by the College of Cardinals May 8, 2025, to succeed Pope Francis. The shock and joy of the election of a U.S.-born pope permeated conversations for many days afterwards. The “six degrees of separation” theory of a small-world network clicked […]
Sister Teresa Marron honored with named scholarship
Sister Teresa Marron returned to her home parish for a class reunion in August and was pleasantly surprised to learn the school established a scholarship fund in her name: The Sister Teresa Marron St. Malachy Scholarship Fund will support the financial needs of St. Malachy students for years to come. Additionally, on August 23, the Feast of the Dominican St. Rose of Lima, the parish launched a two-year fundraising campaign to build a new parish hall, named, in […]
Welcoming women to religious life: New vocations team takes up the challenge
Springfield, Ill.-The Dominican Sisters of Springfield are pleased to announce a newly appointed ministry team to welcome those discerning a call to Catholic sisterhood, consecrated religious life. Sister Mary Jo Sobieck, OP, assumes the role of Minister of Vocation Animation and Sister Denise Glazik, OP, serves as Minister of Vocation Accompaniment. Most recently Sister Mary Jo has been immersed in learning Spanish language and culture through a series of experiences learning, living, and ministering in Spanish-language contexts. […]
In-house pilgrimage offers prayers for our world
How long, O LORD? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery? Habakkuk 1: 1-3 After hearing this scriputre on Sunday, the sisters at Sacred Heart Convent found themselves asking “What is ours to do?” Their response was to hold a rosary pilgrimage on October 7 in celebration of the Feast of […]
Season of Creation: time of celebration, conversion, and commitment together
This story first appeared on the Dominican Sisters International Confederation website. Celebrating the Season of Creation is relatively new to us Catholics. Though other Christian traditions have been celebrating this Season since 2008, it was not until 2019 that Pope Francis announced that we would join them. Its origin actually dates back to 1998 when Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I proclaimed September 1 as a day of prayer for creation for the Orthodox. The Orthodox Church year actually begins on […]
Nurturing the kernal of truth
A reflection for the feast of St. Dominic We live in a time of deep division and polarization. Wealth wields power through weapons of war and economic policies. Famine and poverty deny fundamental human rights and dignity. Saint Dominic, whose feast we celebrate today, was no stranger to such realities. He chose the power of Gospel simplicity and charity to proclaim the truth of human dignity. During a famine in Spain, the student Dominic sold his treasured books […]
“We have your back”
When our sisters and coworkers at Sacred Heart Convent say “We have your back,” you can count on that. Both sisters and coworkers at the motherhouse look out for one another, providing a safety net in order to ensure positive healthy outcomes and safety for all. Brad Cox, who leads the maintenance and groundskeeping departments at SHC, said caring for the well-being of the sisters is much more than maintaining the building’s mechanical systems. Safety first “Every day, […]
Partners in Mission
By Sister Kathleen Anne Tait, OP The Springfield Dominican Sisters are celebrating 60 years of service to the Peruvian people. In response to a call from Pope John XXIII to send sisters to South America, four sisters volunteered in 1965. Today, native Peruvian Springfield Dominican Sisters serve in Lima and in Jarpa, a rural agricultural area. In late March seven of us travelled to Peru for the anniversary celebration in Jarpa where we have served for 25 years. […]
