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 […]
Saint Martin de Porres Read More »
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
Venerable Brother Norbert McAuliffe Read More »
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
Feast of St. Simon and Jude Read More »
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
Shine the Light on Domestic Violence Read More »
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 »
Sister Lesley Block shared this reflection at Mass for the Feast of St. Dominic celebrated at Dominican Convent. So, it’s impossible for the truth to ever be cruel or judgmental or any of those other things we sometimes associate with it. It’s not a bad thing to keep wrestling, challenging oneself, and testing one’s authenticity. I pray that Jesus will live in me more and more each day until there is only his truth residing in me.
St. Dominic: Absolute Trust in God Read More »
Art by Katy Olsen Sister Ellen Joseph shared this reflection at Mass in Dominican Convent on Monday, July 22, the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene. Good morning, and happy Feast Day. Today is a glorious day for all Dominicans. It is a feast of preachers, and preachers means all of you gathered here and all
I Call You By Name – You Are Mine Read More »
St. Kateri by Kevin Gordon at https://www.saint-kateri.com/ Who among us doesn’t struggle to be Christ-like in our world? We are all made in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:27) and connected, yet each has a different heavenly helper, such as Mary or some holy ancestor. For me, my mom and dad always helped me, along
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha – A Guiding Light for Ecological Conversion Read More »
Sr. Helen Robert Boyd offered this reflection for the Feast of the Sacred Heart at Mass in Dominican Convent, Sparkill, NY. The three readings of today point to the theme of God’s undying love. Whether the parental image of God in the Book of Hosea, the reminder of Saint Paul that our lives should be
Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 2024 Read More »
Sister Aileen Donovan preaching on Foundation Day, 2024 Following are reflections shared by Sister Aileen Donovan on Mass at Dominican Convent on the occasion of our congregational Foundation Day and Sister’s Jubilee celebration. Good morning. How good it is to be together in celebration! Our 2016 Direction Statement began, “Filled with the Spirit and compelled
Foundation Day & Jubilee Celebration, 2024 Read More »
God blessed them and said: “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and govern it. . . God looked at everything and found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day. . . . On the seventh day, God completed the work . . . and found it to be very good.” (Genesis
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Here is Sister Margaret Carey’s reflection shared at mass on the Feast of Saint Catherine of Siena. Catherina and Giovanna Benincasa were born prematurely in Siena on March 25, 1347, in the Tuscany region of Italy. Giovanna lived less than two years and Catherine lived 33 years and died on April 29, 1380. The Precious
Feast of Saint Catherine of Siena, 2024 Read More »
We invite you to see through the creative eyes of our poets!
Poetry for the Soul Read More »
Earlier this month, notes were up on the bulletin board for days, asking for Sisters to take turns sitting in prayer with Sister Bridget Kiniry as she hovered between life and death. And then she woke up—again (for this was not the first time Sister Bridget has been near that horizon of death). She reflects
Sister Bridget Comes Back to Life Again Read More »
Many of us have had the privilege of sitting by the bedside of our dearly beloved family members and friends as they near that sacred moment of death. Our ears perk up and strain to hear their last departing words to us that we might treasure them in the days and years ahead—never to be
Holy Thursday 2024 Read More »
Gospel: John 12: 20-33 If a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it produces much fruit. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Of course, we know that Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland, which fostered Irish culture and food, and Irish bread, which comes from wheat. Jesus in John 12:24 alludes to his
Lenten Vespers, Week 5 Read More »
Sister Claire MacDonald, Dominican Sister of Sparkill, preaching at Vespers for the fourth week of Lent. Seek the Lord whose mercy abounds. Call aloud to God who is near. Today is the day and now the proper hour to forsake our sinful lives and turn to the Lord. These revised lyrics of the popular Saint
Lenten Vespers, Week 4 Read More »
Sister Diane McSherry, Dominican Sister of Sparkill, preaching at Vespers for the third week of Lent. Make a Change Do you recall a time in your life when you were treated unfairly, and you expressed your anger in an uncharacteristic way? Maybe you kicked the door or threw your phone. You may have fantasized getting
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Sister Margaret Glynn, Dominican Sister of Sparkill, preaching at Vespers for the second week of Lent. Today’s readings recount two radically different experiences of God. One touches on the gruesome practice of child sacrifice to a relentless and vengeful God, the other a moment of revelation where the divinity of the Son is both seen
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Sister Dorothy Maxwell, of the Sisters of Saint Dominic, Blauvelt, preaching at Lenten Vespers. The First Reading For The First Sunday of Lent Genesis 9:8-15 The first reading for today’s Liturgy is taken from the book of Genesis and informs us of the covenant made with Noah after he obeyed the directive to build an
Lenten Vespers, Week 1 Read More »
We invite you to listen to Sister Margo Saich illuminating some of the artistic work done by our Sisters at Dominican Convent. As Administrator, Sister Margo has been able to showcase the Sister’s art throughout the house. Today on the Feast of Blessed Fra Angelico, our Dominican Brother and patron of artists, we lift up all
A Stroke of Genius Read More »
In modern society, it is common for people to overthink and feel the need to openly demonstrate their kind acts. Just as the Gospel shared, that is not what God calls us to do. He calls us to do kind acts for His praise and glory, not our own. We may take actions and say
Ash Wednesday Gospel Thoughts Read More »
Sister Claire MacDonald, OP offered these thoughts as part of her reflection at Mass on the Feast of St. Josephine Bakhita on February 8. Josephine Bakhita (d. 1947) was not her given birth name, but the name imposed on her by the slave traders who seized her as a young child from her village in
Speaking Up for Freedom Read More »
Today the Gospel draws our attention to two senior citizens whom we have known as Anna and Simeon. We are told they were both dedicated to Temple worship for their entire lives. Simeon had been a faithful priest for the better part of his eighty-four years and Anna who had been married and widowed at an early age was also in the upper stratosphere of aging as well (not unlike us).
The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Read More »
Painting of Thomas Aquinas by Sandro Botticelli, ca. 1481-2 Sister Margaret Palliser shared this reflection with our Sisters and Associates at Mass today. On this feast day, just how are we to think about our illustrious Dominican brother Thomas in this Aquinas Jubilee Year celebrating the 800th anniversary of his birth, the 750th anniversary of
St. Thomas Aquinas Feast Day Reflection Read More »
Sister Joan Correia delivered the following words at the Epiphany Mass for our Sisters and Associates. Merry Christmas and Happy Feast of the Epiphany! This is a perfect day for us to celebrate Christmas, as a community, for both feasts are so clearly linked together. It is wonderful to have everyone here with us for
Feast of the Epiphany Read More »
Sister Bridget Kiniry shared the following reflection at Dominican Convent. We are here to celebrate the Mass on Christmas Day. The readings chosen for this Mass leave us with a full message of all the Nativity readings, as they are called by the Church. Each of the previous Masses gave us a piece of this
Sister Helen Robert Boyd shared this reflection at Sunday’s evening Vespers at Dominican Convent in Sparkill. Today Christians throughout the world celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday from the introductory phrase of the liturgy, “Rejoice in the Lord!” All the readings of today call for us to rejoice! Even the
Third Sunday of Advent, 2023 Read More »