By Sister Kathleen Anne Tait, OP Sister Barbara Blesse, left, encourages Susan Hickman during the Dominican Associate Commitment ceremony. Susan Hickman didn’t realize that a working relationship with one Springfield Dominican would open her life to a long and meaningful relationship with the Springfield Dominican community. However, as Susan and her friend, Catherine Leyser, enjoyed […]
Monthly donations helps keep focus on values Read More »
A religious community’s general chapter, like the one we just completed in April, is, ultimately, a commitment of the sisters to do their part and do what is needed for others. A chapter also requires prayer, contemplative dialog, and direction-setting for the coming five years. Ultimately it boils down to each sister doing her part
Doing our part…Doing what needs to be done Read More »
By Sister Kathleen Anne Tait Where do you find God in hidden and unexpected places? For many of us it means peering through the lenses of the ordinary to recognize the blessings hidden there. For Teresa and Leahy Bennet, the ordinary is a farm tucked away in Pleasant Plains, Ill., that has been home for
Partners in Mission: Teresa and Leahy Bennet Read More »
Associate Spotlight Mary Helen Rowland “All through my 28 years as a potter, God has helped me stay in the clay even through the busy-ness of life,” says Mary Helen (Call) Rowland, a second-generation Springfield Dominican Associate who lives in Weston, Va., and travels frequently to her hometown, Springfield, Ill. Through the years she has
Staying “in the Clay” Read More »
When Mary Kirkpatrick was ready to make a gift in support of Springfield Dominican Sister Barbara Ann Bogenschutz’s ministry at Our Lady of the Sioux Church in Oglala, South Dakota, she remembered seeing the sketch above on the website of her neighbor, artist Gail Hamilton. Mary knew Gail would make a gift of her artwork
Morning Star Reminds Us: We Belong to One Another Read More »
If you keep up with the daily news in this country, you have surely heard much about the immigration situation and the many unaccompanied children crossing our southern border. We are bombarded daily with the numbers of children and families desperate to begin a new life in this country. Less frequently, we read or hear
Beyond the News: How You Can Welcome and Advocate for Immigrants Now Read More »
For Valentine’s Day we asked two couples who work at our motherhouse to share what they most love about each other and about working with us at the convent. Their sweet replies are enough to melt your little chocolate heart! Lisa Grant I love Dave’s good sense of humor! He’s a great dad for his
A Little St. Valentine’s Day Love from Sacred Heart Convent Read More »
For a number of years the sisters at Sacred Heart Convent and the students and faculty “across the blacktop” at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School have enjoyed a wonderful mutuality. Students are allowed to give one study hall period a week in service at the convent, where they come to read to sisters, or write letters
Service in the Community: A Reflection on Service from Current SHG Students Read More »
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,
Five Ways to Promote a Culture of Vocations Read More »
Spirituality and Money? These two concepts don’t often rub shoulders. For spouses Fletcher Farrar and Mary Jessup, however, it’s a connection continually made. Fletcher learned from his parents who were integrally tied to church and community in Mt. Vernon, Ill., where Fletcher Farrar Sr. worked as an oil producer. Frequently the product was a dry
Fletcher Farrar:
High Adventure, Old Houses,
and Giving Read More »
Blanca and Steve Farris with their daughter Isabella, top, center, and Springfield Dominican Sister Beatríz Vila Alania at the Farris home in 2018. Blanca Farris partners with the Springfield Dominicans as a “Bearer of the Flame” because she values memories of the Dominican Sisters who’ve influenced her family life through the years, prompting her to
Blanca Farris:
Monthly Giving is
“Thanks-giving” Read More »
Frank Ramirez, seen here with his sister, Springfield Dominican Sister Elyse Marie Ramirez, converted what could have been a one-time Giving Tuesday donation into monthly gift. “It’s a time in my life when I can start to give back,” he explained. Frank, a retired employee of Public Works for the city of Springfield, Ill., has
Frank Ramirez: Bearer of the Flame Read More »
Estate planning is one important way to help shape future generations and continue the legacy of your personal values. As Nancy Armstrong, an associate of the Dominican Sisters, anticipates getting older and reaching her final goal of eternal life, she thinks about the legacy she wants to leave her children. “I want to leave my
Nancy Armstrong: Legacy of Gratitude Read More »
Imagine the challenge for a thirteen-year-old: Connie Hannagan arrived at Sacred Heart Academy decades ago, floundering under a burden of family difficulties that sent her to boarding school. Sister Maria Eck provided the firm foundation she needed to thrive. Fifty years later, Connie Hannagan-Lind arrived in Springfield looking for the teacher who was her rock.
Connie Lind: Sisters Make a Difference Read More »
Mark and Sue Quinn value the witness of the sisters who’ve blessed their lives. For Mark, a teacher of business and finance in the Chicago suburbs, that includes his teachers at St. Walter Parish on Chicago’s south side: Sister Aloysius (Sister Mary Ann Droste) and Sister Monica Finnegan—and Sister Aniceta Skube, whom he met in
Mark Quinn:
“I owe my faith to the sisters” Read More »
