The Blessings of 2020: Sister Kathleen Anne Tait Looks Back—and Forward
January is a month to reflect back and look forward. Far from pulling us in opposite directions, this two-way vision provides a valuable perspective on the experience we are now enduring. Much to my delight, my reflection has revealed three precious gifts that came our way in 2020. Dedication. Throughout this pandemic our coworkers at Sacred Heart Convent have repeatedly illustrated their dedication to our mission. Their daily efforts to keep our sisters safe have been extraordinary. This […]
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“What Happened Here?” Understanding the Survival Trauma Response as a Step Toward Healing
In scenes of unleashed rage- violence, looting, destruction-if we want peace, we must resist the temptation immediately to determine who is wrong and instead first ask, “What happened here?” This shift in approach is a basic tenet of being trauma-informed, which means we know what trauma is and how it affects individual and community behaviors and health. We can identify signs that a person or community has experienced trauma, and we intentionally build responses and environments that […]
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Springfield Dominican Sisters Respond to Nation’s Crisis
There is hope when the nation acknowledges it failings and pledges to renew a sacred commitment to the common good. The social justice office and the leadership of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield issued a statement today pledging their prayer, energies, and “collective desire for national healing and renewal” in a statement issued today responding to the crisis of leadership unfolding in our nation’s capital. Today “people in the United States awoke to a new reality-but not one […]
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Five things to know about Catholic Sisters and Human Trafficking
January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Catholic Sisters are at the forefront of the struggle to prevent human trafficking and defend the dignity of 40.3 million people who are in forced labor, forced marriage, sexual exploitation, and domestic servitude worldwide. Here are Five things to know about Catholic Sisters’ work to prevent human trafficking. Catholic Sisters have joined forces globally through Talitha Kum International to end human trafficking through collaborative initiatives focused on prevention, protection, […]
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Five Ways to Promote a Culture of Vocations
The word vocation comes from the Latin vocare-to call. It is no secret that every baptized person is called by God to respond to this call that started with baptism. But how? Where? When? For what purpose? These are the questions of a lifetime. They are among the most important questions Christians discern, pray about, and think about over the course of a lifetime. Promoting a “culture of vocations” means creating an environment that encourages all people: young, […]
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The Year in Review: Our Top 50 Stories of 2020
A Year We Won’t Soon Forget We all will have memories of 2020 that will define the rest of our lives. We have so many stories to tell about our year it is baffling to think that everything we listed in our top 50 stories happened within 365 days. We had to adapt to a new digital reality after canceling many events at the motherhouse and Jubilee Farm. We continued to meet the needs of the community in […]
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Living Hope Testimonial: Using Our Talents for Good
I took art all four years of high school with Sister Regina Marie and achieved the Golden Palette Award. She was my favorite teacher at Sacred Heart Academy. She was always happy and welcoming. She encouraged her students and would find something positive about their artwork even when they thought it wasn’t great. I learned that art could be used to make others happy. I see the theme is “Living Hope.” It made me think of this photo […]
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Guidance for Fruitful Living
“You called. I answered a joyful yes as I moved to help transition elders to a life blossoming into eternity, and walked with those whom the world scorns, as well as others who are locked behind the bars of their own heart.“ ~Sister Regina Marie Bernet Sister Regina Marie took on another important task by assisting her Dominican Sisters with transition from active ministry to retirement. After she completed a degree in gerontology, she and Sister Ann Regina […]
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