Join us as we celebrate 150 Years of Service!
A portrait of St. Augustine of Hippo. Photo Credit: Saint-augustine.org St. Augustine, whom we honor this day, spoke these memorable words back in the fourth century: Late had I loved you, O Beauty so ancient yet ever new, late have I loved you! Behold, you were within and I was abroad, searching there for you. […]
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St. Rose of Lima lived on this earth for only 31 years, and yet she has left a great and lasting “heart-print” not only in Lima, Peru, but throughout the world. She was born in 1586 of noble parents, a beautiful child, full of God’s grace. She was destined to touch the lives of countless
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who bring Glad Tidings: What a perfect quote to describe St. Dominic. As a young woman looking to enter this Congregation, I was clueless about St. Dominic. Other than the fact that he was the founder of the Order, I knew nothing about him. During
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Art by Katy Olsen Who was this woman, Mary of Magdala? There have been many debates and misidentifications about her. She was neither the woman caught in adultery (John 8) nor the woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears and dried them with her hair (Luke 7), nor even the sister of
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I recently saw on Facebook a photo of a village in Portugal where the lambs are not strong enough to climb the high mountain. And so they are placed on small pouches on a donkey’s back and carried up to the green pastures to be fed. This gospel came to mind. In our Gospel reading,
Feed My Lambs, Tend My Sheep Read More »
Many of us have memories of a picture of the Sacred Heart displayed in our homes when we were growing up. Perhaps we still say the prayers that we learned at that time. Perhaps we have different thoughts and prayers now What follows are random jottings for you, dear Reader, to ponder. My hope is
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Sr. Helen Robert Boyd offered the following reflection on the Feast of the Ascension at Mass in Dominican Convent. If you long for the power, presence, and promise of Christ, read on.
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A few months ago, while attending physical therapy in Rivervale, New Jersey, I noticed a large picture of Lucy and Charlie Brown in the waiting room. Lucy was holding the famous football for Charlie to kick. If you are familiar with that particular cartoon, you remember that Charlie Brown fails to kick the football many
Foundation Day and Jubilee 2025 Read More »
Pope Francis (d. April 21, 2025). May he rest in peace. With heavy and hopeful hearts, we mourn the passing of Pope Francis, a humble servant who led with love, compassion, and courage. His life was a living example of the words often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi: “Preach the Gospel at all times,
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As we draw closer to commemorating the events of Holy Week, we are confronted this weekend with a story that encapsulates what Jesus had spent three years trying to teach his disciples: the importance of mercy and compassion over judgment. He emphasized the overall Mosaic Law, which taught that justice was to be tempered with mercy (Micah 6:8), and which the religious leaders of the day had conveniently forgotten.
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Fourth Sunday of Lent, 2025 This Sunday’s reading from the Hebrew Scriptures describes a key transition moment in Israel’s history. Joshua records a huge event, the Lord saying, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt,” in a measured and powerful proclamation. The exodus period of wandering is over; the time/or settlement
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We invite you to see through the creative eyes of our poets!
Poetry for the Soul, 2025 Read More »
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. [Luke 4:1-13] All three Lectionary cycles give us the same gospel story for the First Sunday of Lent: an account of Jesus’ temptations in the desert—a clear
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Fra Angelico portrait by Luca Signorelli Today we take time to honor one of our Dominican brothers who became an outstanding artist of his time; namely, Fra Angelico who was born Guido di Pietro in 1395 during the early stages of the Renaissance. There was excitement in the atmosphere as men and women entered the
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Thanks to Sister Cecilia LaPietra, who shared this reflection on February 2, 2025, at St. Francis of Assisi Church in West Nyack for the celebration of Vita Consecrata on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. We are happy to be here with you, Parishioners of St. Francis of Assisi Church and with you
When Sister Catherine Rose asked me to give this reflection, I just looked at her. She said, “Jean, give it some thought.” This made me think of how much Thomas Aquinas has meant to me throughout my many years of teaching and administration and part of my name is shared and my feast day is
Good Morning! A blessed Christmas to each of you – those present in this chapel and those who are with us through the wonders of technology. Today’s reading from the Book of Isaiah proclaims, “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” In this age of
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The feast of Christmas has four different liturgies. They celebrate the in-breaking of divinity into humanity in the person of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. The gospel for the Christmas vigil is from Matthew and begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, son of Abraham. This proclaims the human lineage of
I Bring You Good News Read More »
Visitation painting by Therese Quinn rsj. Mary is pregnant. She’s really, really pregnant! That was the refrain of a homily at the Spanish Mass at St. Nicholas of Tolentine in the Bronx on the 4th Sunday of Advent over 30 years ago. For those of you who also spent time at Tolentine, the homilist was
Maria está embarazada. Ella está bien embarazada! Read More »
These three readings exemplify what Advent is all about—praising God in the waiting, loving each other, blessing others with our light because we are blessed with the light of Christ, and thanking God for every moment. Advent is traditionally seen as a season of anticipation, a time to prepare for the birth of Christ so
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From the time Jesus said from the cross, “Woman behold your son; son behold your mother,” Mary became the mother of all humankind. Mary’s new role included keeping a watchful eye on us as we traveled through the ages. She has made her maternal presence known in many different parts of the world, including the
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For the second week of Advent Vespers, Sister Valorie preached about the connection between the Immaculate Conception and Peace in Haiti. Like Mary, we are called to share our sacred power to re-create the world. Sister Valorie Lordi, OP, is the school nurse at St. John Chrysostom School, Bronx, NY.
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Today, we mark the beginning of the liturgical year once again. Once again, we enter into the mystery of God’s coming into our world. Advent is a season of expectant waiting, a season of longing. In the first reading from Jeremiah, we are reminded that God’s coming is near. This is not a cause for
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In a recent conversation, Sr. Ellen Joseph Moore shared insightful reflections on St. Martin de Porres, a saint who has profoundly influenced her life since childhood. Raised in a Celtic culture with a deep reverence for St. Martin, Sr. Ellen recalled how many of her relatives cherished a statue of St. Martin; she keeps one
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Last week, as I was emailing members of our Circle with the date and time we would be meeting, I said, “The good news was that our Circle membership was staying the same. We will all be returning to our same Circle this year.” As soon as I sent it out, I realized that Pius
Memorial Mass, 2024 Read More »
Brother Norbert McAuliffe, SC, originally known as John McAuliffe, embarked on a remarkable journey to sainthood. His spiritual journey began when he and his brother William, orphaned at a young age, found refuge at St. Agnes Home for Children in Sparkill in 1895. At 16, John experienced a profound spiritual calling to join the Brothers
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According to Luke’s Gospel, Jesus reached the moment in his ministry when he was ready to choose from among his many disciples, the chosen Twelve. Notice that he spent his whole night in prayer before he made these final decisions. Saint Paul tells us today that we have all been called to be the heirs
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On October 17th, I joined the fourth annual “Shine the Light” walk in solidarity” sponsored by the Center for Safety and Change. This organization serves both domestic violence victims, survivors, and family members. We began in Nyack, while Westchester agencies, advocates, and others came together at midspan on the Tappan Zee Bridge to honor and
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Happy Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary to all of our Sisters and Associates who, as members of our Dominican Congregation, have served God for the past 148 years under her holy protection. Since it is such a joyful day for us, I thought it appropriate to contemplate the meaning of the Joyful Mysteries
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Sister Margaret Palliser shared the following reflection for the Feast of St. Rose of Lima. Born in Lima, Peru, in 1586, by all accounts, Isabel Flores de Oliva was a beautiful infant, a beautiful child, a beautiful young woman. With a Puerto Rican father and an indigenous mother of Incan ancestry, she inherited the fine features and fair complexion that marked that combination of lineages.
Beautiful…She was beautiful. Read More »