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Partners in Mission
By Sister Kathleen Anne Tait, OP The Springfield Dominican Sisters are celebrating 60 years of service to the Peruvian people. In response to a call from Pope John XXIII to send sisters to South America, four sisters volunteered in 1965. Today, native Peruvian Springfield Dominican Sisters serve in Lima and in Jarpa, a rural agricultural […]

Mowing the Grass Stairs: Lessons in Neighborliness
By Brandon Durham I have always enjoyed mowing. My yard is much smaller than the 5 acres I grew up on, so when spring comes it doesn’t take long to cut. The street out front is split by a raised median that is also part of my responsibility to maintain. What is striking about this […]

What is leisure?
By Sister Judine Hilbing, OP While leisure can be defined as time spent away from business, work, domestic chores, and education, we simply can’t put it off until all the work is done. We need to take time to care for the mind, body, and spirit by carving out time and space for relaxation. Doing […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

What do you do when you are ready for a fresh start?
By Sister Catherine Stewart, OP Throughout our lives, we have multiple experiences of endings and beginnings. We are reminded of this as we daily enjoy sunrises and sunsets. When a new opportunity presents itself, we pause and ask “Am I ready for a new experience?” Most of us, “Just know it’s time to start something […]

Walking backward: Seeking common ground in a Kenyan refugee camp
By Margaret Lombe, PhD. My reflection centers on my engagement, along with six students from Boston University School of Social Work (BU-SSW), with refugees in Kenya: dignified-citizens-turned-objects-of-charity by conflict and civil unrest. The largest refugee camp in the world, called Kakuma, lies on the edge of the Sahara Desert in northwestern Kenya. Kakuma holds about […]

Diverse thoughts about divisive conversations
These four friends tell us how they stay present when tensions flare Ann Garrido: Remaining in conversation It has not been easy! Even though I regularly offer workshops on managing challenging conversations, I still find it difficult to be in the middle of them myself! What keeps me “hanging in there” is an experience I […]