Dominican Sisters of Springfield set direction for coming years

General chapter focuses on interculturality, collaborative Dominican future “For the life of the World”

Springfield, Ill.—During a week of prayerful conversation and contemplative deliberation, the Dominican Sisters of Springfield on April 5, 2024, affirmed a chapter statement in which they agreed to respond to the needs of the Church and the world by committing to intercultural living and participative Dominican governance as they look toward the next five years.

“Rooted in our prayer for the life of the world, and in our care for our common home, we are strengthened by our Associates and partners-in-mission to walk together into a future of authentic intercultural living,” the statement says.

To reach their goal, the sisters said “Together, we will” strengthen relationships within the congregation, welcome and support new members to the congregation and Dominican life, and build intercultural relationships “through study, engagement, and interaction.”

The hallmarks of the congregation’s ministry for the past two decades have been their commitment to antiracism and their response to the “Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor” through their efforts to live sustainably and encourage others in the care of Earth and her inhabitants.

We want witness to the good news of Jesus in our countries of origin—the United States and Peru—both burdened with cultural and political divisiveness, threats to democracy, and threats to the peace, tranquility, and flourishing of the human and the other-than-human beings with whom we share our homelands.

“These efforts will continue, and will be strengthened by this evolution in our thinking,” explained Sister Rebecca Ann Gemma, OP, the current prioress general of the congregation. “We want witness to the good news of Jesus in our countries of origin—the United States and Peru—both burdened with cultural and political divisiveness, threats to democracy, and threats to the peace, tranquility, and flourishing of the human and the other-than-human beings with whom we share our homelands. Our desire to live interculturally—within our own community as Dominican Sisters who are Peruvian and U.S. citizens, and with the many diverse cultures in our countries—is a natural outgrowth of our antiracism work and, we believe, a powerful intercultural—and countercultural—gospel witness.

“It is for these reasons we say we want to ‘walk together into a future of authentic intercultural living’,” Sister Rebecca Ann said, referencing a line from the chapter direction statement.

The Dominican Future

The second major theme of their chapter deliberations was the future of Dominican governance within the Dominican family.

“We take the next steps into our congregational future, grounded in the freedom offered in our Constitutions. We are energized by participating in the emerging movements of governance within the Dominican family,” the statement says.

To fulfill their commitment to themselves, the broader Dominican family, and the People of God, the Dominican Sisters of Springfield have committed to the necessary study to move toward a collaborative form of Dominican governance.

“Creative conversations about how collaboration can reshape and renew the future of Dominican life have been going on for years,” said Sister Rose Miriam Schulte, OP, vicaress general. “We are now at a point in our journey when it is time to animate our words with actions that move us forward into the future together.”

The week-long general chapter consisted of two parts. During the 5-day chapter of life and mission the sisters synthesized an 18-month-long period of study, prayer, and contemplative dialogue into the 2024 General Chapter Direction Statement. The complete statement is here.

New leadership team

During the 2-day chapter of elections the sisters elected a team of four leaders who will assume leadership on June 15, 2024. They are Sisters Mary Paul McCaughey, OP, prioress general-elect; Sister Joanne Delehanty, OP, vicaress general-elect, and second and third councilors-elect, Sister Elyse Marie Ramirez, OP, and Sister Kathlyn Mulcahy, OP. Their brief biographies are below.

Since 2017 Sister Mary Paul McCaughey, OP, has been a full-time faculty member at DePaul University, Chicago, where she teaches masters and doctoral students and coordinates the graduate studies and internship programs for Catholic Educational Leadership in the College of Education. 2008-2015 she was superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Chicago, the country’s second largest Catholic education system, and then 2015-2017 was appointed the Cardinal’s Advocate for Catholic Schools, where she was instrumental in helping to pass the Invest in Kids legislation at the Illinois Statehouse. Prior to that she spent many years in educational leadership at Sacred Heart Academy/Sacred Heart-Griffin, 1985-1991; and Marian Catholic High School, 1992-2008, where she served at various times as president and principal. She began her ministry in elementary school and high school teaching and also pursued doctoral studies in theology and social sciences at Chicago Theological Seminary. Sister Mary Paul was raised in Park Ridge and Olympia Fields, Illinois. She holds a certificate in clinical pastoral counseling, and master’s degrees in education, theology, and business and school administration.

Sister Joanne Delehanty, OP, a Chicago native, who was raised in Park Forest, Ill., was an elementary school teacher at parochial schools in Algonquin, Springfield, and Chicago from just after her profession 1969 through 1989, when she became a pioneer at St. Benedict the African Parish, a consolidation of eight parishes, in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. She served there as pastoral associate, religious education coordinator and director of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults until 2021. In February 2022 she began her ministry as support staff at St. Bernard’s Hospital, Chicago. She has a masters in pastoral studies and an undergraduate degree in education.

Springfield native Sister Elyse Marie Ramirez, OP, has, since 2019, been director of formation for the congregation and most recently for this past year, the director of formation for the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate in Chicago, where she has facilitated the spiritual and professional growth of five novices from three Dominican congregations. She served the congregation as vocation director, 1998-2006, during which time she was also promoter of preaching and campus minister at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School. She was coordinator of religious vocation ministry for the Archdiocese of Chicago, 2007-2014. After her profession of vows in 1985 through 1994 she completed a bachelor’s degree then taught elementary school in Aurora, Ill., and at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Hammond, La. Her bachelor’s degrees are in history and theology. She holds a certificate in preaching and a Master’s in theology from Aquinas Institute of Theology.

Born in Chicago and raised in Kankakee, Ill., Sister Kathlyn Mulcahy, OP, previously served in congregation leadership, 2009-2019. After her profession of vows in 1981 she taught junior high school and high school math and computer at St. Christina Parish Chicago, St. Patrick School, Springfield, and Marian Catholic High School, Chicago Heights, Ill. In 1996 she was missioned to Peru where she did pastoral work and helped to found a new mission in San Juan Bautista, Jarpa, where she served 2000-2004 and 2005-2006. She was director of formation for the sisters in Lima, 2006-2009. After completing her prior term of leadership, she began part time ministry at Bethany House of Hospitality, a home for women in the asylum process, in Chicago, where she is currently the director. Sister Kathlyn has a bachelor degree in math, a master in computers in education, and a certificate in cross-cultural ministry from Catholic Theological Union.