Elections & Political Parties: Month for Peace 2021
Voting has been the democratic form par excellence used by citizens to settle political conflicts. The people understood that voting in elections was the most important component of what Democracy means, although elections are not enough for the preservation of Democracy, as sometimes voting does not necessarily mean electing. In a democracy, all members of society can freely express their opinion and have their opinion heard and respected, even if they are a minority. On repeated occasions this […]
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Sister Gabriella Luebbers: Doing the “Little Things”
A Dominican sister for 72 years, Sister Gabriella Luebbers has lived for the last 33 years at Sacred Heart Convent. Before that she taught-first elementary school and then, in high school-French. For a time, she was principal of Rosary High School in Aurora, Ill. She says her pre-convent nursing home experience helped her feel comfortable moving back to the motherhouse in 1988 to begin her dedication to “the little things.” Watch the full video-interview below or keep scrolling […]
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Rule of Law: Month for Peace 2021
Rule of Law refers to the State governed by laws and other legal norms, where the authorities are accountable. In Venezuela, according to the 1999 Constitution, Article 2 Venezuela constitutes itself as a Democratic and Social State of Law and Justice, which holds as superior values of its legal order and actions those of life, liberty, justice, equality, solidarity, democracy, social responsibility and, in general, the preeminence of human rights, ethics and political pluralism. Today, the rule of […]
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Lakota Wisdom: An Interview with Elizabeth Garnier-Little
Elizabeth Garnier-Little, right, with her sister Wanda Garnier and Sister Barbara Ann Bogenschutz, OP, at Our Lady of the Sioux Parish, Oglala, S.D., in 2017. Elizabeth Garnier-Little is an 80 years-wise Lakota woman born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Oglala, South Dakota. A teacher of all grades K-12 for 52 years, she now substitutes frequently in the Oelrichs, S.D., public school. She is a parishioner at Our Lady of the Sioux where Sister Barbara […]
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Thanksgiving Greetings from Sister Rebecca Ann Gemma, OP
Dear Friends, Centuries ago, St. Paul encouraged the community in Philippi saying: “Do not worry about anything, but present your needs to God in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. Then the peace of God, which is beyond all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (4:6-7) Might those same words be a mantra of hope for us today? As a community of believers, let us raise our voices in praise for all the blessings given […]
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Holy Listening, Sacred Compassion: Paths to a Healing Communion
The seemingly unending pandemic, climate change, natural disasters, discrimination, inequality, injustices, and violence of every kind-all the “-isms” we can think of (racism, ageism, sexism, etc.), ideological, political, and religious conflicts-impact and shape our lives in ways we might never imagine. They can spawn deep-seated, contagious anger, embed themselves in the lives of family, friends, and colleagues and put people at odds with each another. How do we deal with this reality? Is ignoring the other the only […]
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The Dominican Family in Myanmar Needs Your Help
Our Dominican Family in Myanmar needs your prayer and action today. Since the military coup there on February 1 the country has been in chaos, with a brutal crackdown on dissent and attempts to silence the country’s media. On Nov. 11 the United Nations Security Council issued a rare, unanimous call for an immediate end to fighting in Myanmar and for the military to exercise “utmost restraint.” Our Dominican brothers and sisters in Myanmar request our attention and […]
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How St. Catherine of Siena Healed the World
Catherine Benincasa was born in mid-14th century Tuscany, a plague-ridden, economically and politically unstable time-much like our own. She and her twin sister were the 23rd and 24th children in a prosperous family of 25 children of Lapa and Jacopo di Benincasa, wool dealers. By the time Catherine died at the age of 33 in 1380, she had left her mark on this challenging, desperate period of ecclesial history. Images courtesy of Sisters Kathleen Anne Tait, Maristella Dunlavy, […]
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