Sister Regina Marie Bernet, OP
Sister Regina Marie’s Services Private Mass of Resurrection at Sacred Heart Convent, Monday, January 18; private burial, Roselawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Tuesday, January 19. A memorial mass will be held at Sacred Heart Convent at a later date. Memorials to honor the memory of Sister Regina Marie may be made to the Dominican Sisters Retirement Fund, 1237 W. Monroe St., Springfield, IL, 62704. The Dominican Sisters and family of Sister Regina Marie are served by Butler Funeral Homes. […]
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A (Hidden) Ministry Within a Ministry
“You can do so much with a card!”~ Sister Mary Francella Vyverman, OPSister Mary Francella has been a pastoral minister for decades. Her experience has taught her how important the littlest gestures are for people who feel isolated and alone. That’s why she encourages you to send cards to your extended family, people you know who are unable to leave their homes, and people in nursing homes. If you’re feeling anxious and isolated, imagine how those without close […]
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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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