Reflections – Contemplatio

Sparkill Sisters in St. Louis

There but for the grace of God…

Social Justice Ministry has been active in my home Archdiocese of St. Louis for my entire life. As I look back over my lifetime, I am saddened by the events that made a ministry for social justice a necessity, while being grateful for the active involvement of the sisters and priests of the St. Louis […]

Hispanic Americans postal stamp

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

One of the great gifts of living in the United States is the opportunity to learn about and celebrate our diverse cultures. From September 15 to October 15, we have the opportunity to enrich our lives by exploring National Hispanic Heritage Month which has been celebrated every year since 1988. Those of us who are […]

baseball

Not every pitch is perfect!

Last July, Sr. Cecilia, the director of One To One Learning, a ministry of our congregation serving immigrants, came to ask me if I would throw out the first pitch in honor of the ministry’s 25th anniversary which would be held at the stadium of our local team, the Rockland Boulders. I thought to myself […]

shoelaces

The Miracle of Shoelaces

And then the soldiers stripped Jesus of his clothing. They made a crown of thorns and placed it on his head and a reed in his right hand, shouting insults and making fun of him. They began spitting on him, taking the reed and beating him with it. – Matthew 27:28-30 During our Border mission […]

kids playing soccer

Matthew 25 in Laredo, Texas

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” – Matthew 25: 35- 36 These words best describe my five-day experience serving the migrant […]

processing table

Can you imagine…

Traveling anywhere with one or two little ones is quite a feat, especially with each ones’ supplies for the journey. Can you imagine having four or five children and traveling through extremely dangerous foreign land, unable to communicate and having no help? At first you might have a little luggage, money, and energy, but by […]

Laredo Mission Team

Courage and Compassion at the Border

From June 28 – July 7, 2021, I was blessed to travel to Laredo, Texas, as part of a Dominican Sisters (OPSCC) mission team to Laredo with seven amazing women: Sister Patricia Daly (Caldwell), Sister Patricia Ginty (Blauvelt), Fiona Kyle, Sister Valorie Lordi (Sparkill), Sister Carolann Masone (Amityville), Sister Diane McSherry (Sparkill), and Sister Margaret […]

Dowling Gardens exterior

Rockland County’s best kept secret

In early 1884, our Mother Dominic Dowling purchased a plot of land on the west side of the Hudson River in Rockland County, New York. This was to carry out the Dominican Sisters’ plan to provide a healthier environment for the homeless children in their care. In June of that same year, four Sisters and […]

Chapel interior

A grace-filled ministry

I was pleasantly surprised when a notice was released asking Associates to consider assisting during weddings and funerals in Sacred Heart Chapel. The tasks were outlined: to open the chapel doors, switch on the audio and lighting systems, dress the altar with fresh linens and the sacred vessels, and remain on site during the function. […]

stained glass window

Reflecting on Saint Dominic

Reflecting on the life of St. Dominic de Guzman seems particularly timely this year, since precisely 800 years have passed since his death on August 6, 1221. Let’s take a moment to go back to the time when Dominic lived his extraordinary life on this earth. Historians and others tell us that Dominic was a […]

Scroll to Top