Sister Mary Dominic Joerger celebrates 75 years of religious profession in 2020.
Small in stature, it seemed ordained that she devoted most of her religious life to teaching primary grades. Second grade was her favorite because it allowed her to prepare her students for First Communion, a responsibility she delighted in.
A native of Mendota, Ill., Sister M. Dominic was among many residents of Mendota to find her way to the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, including her younger sister, Sister Mary Concepta Joerger and two nieces, Sister M. Paulette and Sister Marian Joseph Joerger.
By the time her 47-year commitment to primary school teaching came to its end in 1993, Sister M. Dominic had already found a new way to serve God’s people. Before she stacked away the books and wiped down the blackboard for the last time at St. Patrick School on Springfield’s east side, she had already begun to organize St. Martin De Porres Center for the distribution of food, clothing, and household goods to impoverished Springfield residents. For many years after her retirement to Sacred Heart Convent she spent several days a week organizing, cleaning, and serving the people who relied on St. Martin’s for support and Sister M. Dominic for encouragement and prayers.
Sister Mary Dominic’s ministry assignments
1946-1960 St. John Bosco, Chicago Grades 1 & 2
1960-1964 St. Christina, Chicago Grade 1
1964-1968 Christ the King, Springfield, Ill. Principal
1968-1969 Holy Cross, Mendota, Ill. Grade 5
1969-1973 St. Frances Cabrini, Springfield, Ill. Grades 1-4
1973-1978 St. James, Sauk Village, Ill. Grade 1
1978-1979 St. Michael, Duluth, Minn. Grades 1-2
1979-1986 Our Saviour, Jacksonville, Ill. Grade 2
1986-1993 St. Patrick, Springfield, Ill. Grade 2
1993-2001 St. Martin de Porres, Springfield, Ill. Volunteer
2001-Present Sacred Heart Convent, Springfield, Ill. Ministry of prayer
Congratulations on your 75 years Aunt Sister Dominic! What a blessed life you have been given..so proud to have you as my aunt..Dad was very proud of you!
Congratulations on your 75th Jubilee Sister Dominic. I was reading my Just Words magazine and was pleased to see your picture. When I came on line and saw that you were indeed the Sister Dominic from Christ the King I had to send you a note of well wishes. My mother always remembered you and the work she did at St. Martin de Porres with you as well. How proud you must be to have served God in so many ways over all the years.
God Bless you,
Tom Call
1966 Graduate from Christ the King
Sr Dominic! My most wonderful and beloved 2nd grade teacher!! Love you soo much! I think of you every time I see a praying mantis! I have such fond memories of my last year at St. Patrick’s with you!! God bless you, you are always in my heart, you touched my life forever!
Congratulations on your 75th Jubilee, Sister Mary Dominic! You were my mentor at St. Frances Cabrini. You taught me all I needed to know about teaching elementary students. I was so blessed to have had such a wonderful role model. Thank you! God bless you for all your years of faithful service.
Good heavens! I was just idly Googling some names from my past – and there you were! You were my First Grade teacher (along with Sister Mary Bede) at St. Christina School in Chicago in 1960-1961. I was very tall for my age and my mother used to joke that you *had* to promote me to Second Grade because I was getting to be taller than you! ( Actually, I was a good student.) I’m sure you don’t remember me but I remember you, fondly. I’ve lived in Canada since 1972, when I started university, and I’m a semi-retired medical journalist.
Terry Murray (at the time I was Therese Murray)
Thank you for sharing your fond memories of Sister M. Dominic, Terry. She touched so many lives and made such an impact! Sister Dominic left us this year. Here is a link to her obituary: https://springfieldop.org/sister-mary-dominic-joerger-op-2/. I know she would be proud of your success in life.