Associate Life

An Associate heart is a servant heart – so needed in our world today.

Dominican Associates are non-vowed women and men who desire to practice their Christian faith in the spirit of the Dominican Order of Preachers. More than 150 Associates have made commitment to Associate Life, supporting one another and bringing Dominican values to their family, community, place of worship and workplace.

The mission of Dominican Sisters and Associates of Grand Rapids, in both our personal and professional ministries, is to praise, to bless and to preach the Gospel with integrity, truth and joy. This includes empowering people spiritually, intellectually, socially, materially, and by promoting justice through prayer, study and service.

If you are going to live your life with Christ, one of the great challenges is to forget yourself. We live in a very introverted society, which is always focusing on me, me, me. I think the great challenge, if you are going to be alive, is sometimes the great liberation of forgetting yourself – that’s when you discover in other people their need for your love, and their need for your trust.

Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP

Praising, Blessing, and Preaching…

is lived out by all forms of Dominican life today in multiple and diverse ways.

Mary Catherine Hilkert, OP, defines preaching as “naming Grace”. Others might call it sharing the “good news of salvation and freedom” Jesus Christ brought to us. While not all have the opportunity of formal preaching, all baptized have the call to praise, to bless and to evangelize, that is, to name grace in words of joy and thanksgiving and touch the mind and the heart and the very lives of those we find on our path of life with the truth and liberating love of God for us experienced in Jesus.

Would you like to explore Associate Life and learn about the discernment process? Contact Lisa Mitchell, Director of Associate Life.

Associate Life News & Events

Liturgy of the Hours: August 2-29, 2026

Liturgy of the Hours: August 2-29, 2026

Pray along with us.
July 29, 2026 Read More
Dominican Sisters Grand Rapids 2026 Jubilarians

Dominican Sisters Grand Rapids 2026 Jubilarians

A Jubilee is an anniversary when we honor Sisters and Associates and reflect on their…
July 17, 2026 Read More
Liturgy of the Hours: July 5 – August 1, 2026

Liturgy of the Hours: July 5 – August 1, 2026

Pray along with us.
July 4, 2026 Read More

Interested in Learning More about Associate Life?

Contact

Lisa Mitchell, Director of Dominican Associate Life
lmitchell@grdominicans.org
616-514-3115 ext. 3115

Pillars of Dominican Life

Our pillars groups welcome Associates to engage in Dominican Spirituality through: Prayer. Study. Community. Service. Are you interested in engaging in one of our pillar groups? Contact Lisa Mitchell.

Deepen Your Spirituality

Dominican Center Marywood at Aquinas College intentionally cultivates an environment of stillness — a space where you can listen, a place where you can simply be. Associates will continue to discover authentic experiences of prayer, reflection, and study within these doors. Join us for authentic relationship encounters and community.

Receive a daily blessing.

As you are blessed, may you bless others.

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