Pioneering Courage: Sister Josephine Meagher, OP
Josephine Meagher: Immigrant. Orphan. Dominican. Founder. Forged in displacement, suffering, and grief. On this first day of Catholic Sisters Week-also International Women’s Day-we honor one of our founding sisters and celebrate her remarkable courage, which became the foundation and inspiration of more than 150 years of Dominican life. Though details are incomplete, it seems that Josephine was born in Roscrea, County Tipperary, Ireland, about 1840, and emigrated to the United States with her widowed mother, Nellie Ryan Meagher, […]
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Clothing swap offers way to help others
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. The adage rings true for the co-workers and the Dominican Sisters at Sacred Heart Convent in Springfield, Illinois. The higher cost of clothes, along with the desire to be good stewards of the Earth, inspired the group to offer a simple idea that benefits all. The workers at Sacred Heart Convent, along with the Dominican sisters, started a biannual clothing swap that helps everyone find something new. Becky Woiwode, SHC Administrator, […]
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Cor Unum Presents: Courageous Women for Crazy Times
Resources for grounded activists. Fear isn’t an option. “Between climate change, global instability, and the general challenges of everyday life, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. At Cor Unum, we believe allowing ourselves to be paralyzed with fear isn’t an option.” These words introduce resources curated by the Dominican Sisters who live at Cor Unum House in Springfield. They are meant for use by young adult women and anyone else who would appreciate some guidance about how to engage […]
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Do you know how to spot fake news?
Last evening, just as we sisters were getting ready to turn out the lights, I heard Sister Kelly’s muffled voice through my closed door: “Pope Francis is dead.” Jumping up, I joined her in the hallway, and we looked together at the social media post on her phone screen. “I think this is fake,” she said. I agreed with her. But how did we know? Can you quickly spot disinformation or misinformation on your own social media feed? […]
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“An exceptional outpouring of love and faith”
The first-of-its-kind By Sister Kathleen Anne Tait, OP Chris Knight’s most memorable times as a child were when “the sisters” came to visit. When the word got around they were coming, the Kniery family of ten shifted into full-preparation mode, readying their home in Bloomington, Ill., for the arrival of their mother’s aunt, Sister Monica Marie Jordan and her sister, Sister Clarice Kniery. “Dad would select a prime cut of meat at the market and Mom prepared all […]
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A general chapter retrospective: 25 years of obedient listening
By Sisters M. Clare Fichtner, OP, and Elyse Marie Ramirez, OP Walk with us, please, into Sacred Heart Convent Chapel. You will notice several things all at once. First, you are reminded of how spacious God is. Then, you are aware of being wrapped in the simple beauty of concrete, colored glass, wood, and untold thousands of tiles in the mosaics. As light finds its way into the space, one often finds herself fully aware of the presence […]
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Registration now open for Stay with Me: Lenten Prayer for Disciples
Virtual prayer for the six Wednesdays of Lent Springfield, Ill.-Women and men everywhere are invited to join the Dominican Sisters of Springfield for Stay with Me: Lenten Prayer for Disciples. The virtual sessions, scheduled for 7:00 pm Central Time on the Wednesdays of Lent starting March 5, will allow space for participants to attune their hearts and minds to the struggles of those Jesus most often accompanied during his life on Earth: widows, orphans, and persons cast out. […]
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Lessons for life from St. Dominic
By Dave Sanders “I shall be more useful to you and more fruitful after my death than I was in my life,” promised St. Dominic from his deathbed. Gifted at comforting the suffering, he spoke these final words to give strength and peace to the distraught followers at his bedside; those he was leaving to carry forward his vision for an order of preachers. Eight hundred years after his death, we see that he kept his promise by […]
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