It has been two years since the 2014 inaugural celebration of National Catholic Sisters Week. The purpose of National Catholic Sisters Week is to shine a national spotlight on Catholic sisters and raise awareness of their profound influence on young women. It was that same year that we heard about an ongoing project called SisterStory that kicked off with more than 50 pairs of Catholic sisters and college students across the country gathering at St. Catherine University. Our own Sister Barbara Hansen and Aquinas College student Elizabeth Richer attended that first event.
As the enthusiasm grew, so did the involvement. Sister Barbara and Amy Dunham Strand, Assistant Professor of Women’s Studies and Director of the Jane Hibbard Idema Women’s Studies Center at Aquinas College introduced the oral history project to students in Amy’s Women’s Studies program. Seven students, including Elizabeth, were paired with seven Dominican Sisters.
Next week, during National Catholic Sisters Week, Mar. 8-14, our Congregation will begin introducing the Sister/Aquinas Student pairs who have undertaken the living history storytelling project known as SisterStory.
Read SisterStories about Sisters from all over the United States written by student authors from other Catholic colleges and universities.
Want to read more about the lives and times of the Dominican Sisters and the people who have been part of our lives? Tapestry in Time, The Story of the Dominican Sisters Grand Rapids, 1966-2012 is available in the Dominican Center Bookstore.