Touching our wounds, affirming our dignity
By Alexis Williams, LSCW How does one begin to make sense of the repetitive pain and chaos in the world today? How can one understand the images of immigrants being forcibly detained by federal agents, the fear being stoked about those who look different from you, and the combined anger and […]
True Justice: honoring and restoring human dignity
Springfield Dominican Sisters were among those present at the State Capitol on October 18 in protest of the anti-immigrant policies of the Administration. From Left to right: Sisters Judith Curran, Dorothy Marie Solak, Martha Marie Kirbach, Beverly Jeanne Howe, Ann Clennon, Kathleen Ryan, Marcelline Koch, and Elizabeth Wrenn. By Sister Kathlyn […]
SEEK2026: Another First For Me
Hello Readers, Welcome to Vocation on Location with Sister Mary Jo Sobieck, OP SEEK2026: What an experience! Vocation Animation has been a new ministry for me as of the summer of 2025, and Sister Denise has been a wonderful host guiding me through the ropes of these gatherings; each one being […]
Dominican Sisters offer Brown Bag series on social justice themes
The public is welcome to join the Dominican Sisters of Springfield for a series of Brown Bag lunches offered at Sacred Heart Convent in February and March. The noontime events scheduled for February 24, March 5, and March 10 will apply principles of Catholic social teaching to timely challenges facing us today. The events are free; preregistration is requested. Since last spring, […]
International Dominican commission issues statement on Iran
A global commission of Dominican sisters, friars, and laity today issued a statement addressing the crisis in Iran. “We urgently appeal to the Iranian authorities to safeguard the lives of all citizens, to respect their dignity, and to take concrete steps to halt further bloodshed,” the statement says. “No political goal […]
The mission is God’s, the work is ours
It was an iconic moment. August 28, 1963 in Washington DC. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Representing the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, King was last in the order of twelve speakers. Twelve hours before giving the speech, King did not yet have it written. But an idea […]
My Get Up and Go… Springfield–Tucson–Columbus
Hello Readers, It was Dec. 12, 2025, when I left Springfield, Ill., to give a retreat to the students preparing for confirmation at Mission San Xavier Del Bac on the Tohono O’odham Nation, San Xavier Indian Reservation in Tucson, Ariz., Following my time there, I flew to Columbus, Ohio, to participate […]
Sister Judi Hilbing: Giving in the service of the Gospel
Over the course of a lifetime every Dominican Sister engages in many ministries, all for the sake of the preaching mission. Such is the case for Sister Judith Hilbing, who over her lifetime has been a teacher, administrator, missionary, and a member of elected leadership. Sister Judi’s role now is to […]
Sister M. Anita Tapocik, OP
Sister M. Anita Tapocik Services Visitation: 4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., Tue., Dec. 9, Aquinas Center, Sacred Heart Convent, 1237 W. Monroe St., Springfield, IL 62704. Funeral Mass: 6:30 p.m., Tue., Dec. 9, at Sacred Heart Convent Chapel, Dominican Father Robert Kelly, presiding. Wake and Mass livestreamed at springfieldop.org/livestream/ Burial: She […]
2025 Month of Peace: Cameroon
Each year, from the first Sunday of Advent until the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, the Dominican Family celebrates the Dominican Month for Peace: a time of prayer and commitment focused on a country in the world facing situations of conflict. This year, the spotlight is on Cameroon, under […]
Pope Leo: Building Bridges of Hope and Healing in the Church
Do you recall where you were the day Pope Leo XIV was elected? A citizen of the United States and Peru, Augustinian friar Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost, born in Dolton, Ill., was chosen by the College of Cardinals May 8, 2025, to succeed Pope Francis. The shock and joy of the […]