Emboldened by Faith, Serving with Joy
“If you happen to live near us here in Grand Rapids, Michigan, you know that in our community one of the great harbingers of spring is the arrival of the butterflies to their tropical habitat at our hometown botanical garden.
The butterflies are beautiful as they fly around the tropical conservatory with people walking around admiring one of nature’s wonders. Seeing the metamorphosis of the butterfly got me thinking about the changes that we are going through on our campus. You will read about this transition in the pages that follow. We spent months sorting and packing, organizing and purging, and finally moving and getting settled at our various locations. Each move meant a goodbye to spaces that we had long known as our home, our workspace, our prayer and worship space and our place of formation for Sisters, Associates, and many lay friends.
It also meant saying hello to new spaces where we will continue to live, to pray and worship, to share ministry and continue in formation. We are being changed, just as the caterpillar; we are finding a new way of living in our new spaces.” ~ Sister Sandra Delgado, Prioress
Enjoy other articles and lots of photographs in this issue.
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Celebration of Final Mass at Dominican Chapel/Marywood by Diane Zerfas OP
The energy and joy were palpable as the Dominican Sisters welcomed the Sunday Assembly home for a final celebration Mass on February 20. After almost two years of separation because of COVID and with the sale of the Motherhouse building we gathered in Dominican Chapel/Marywood for one last time.
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Marywood Campus Update
We are excited to share this update and hope it helps re-orient you to the location of our new Motherhouse—our home and our ministry headquarters!
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Dolls & Critters Made with Love
In 2019, Nancy Malburg OP called Bethany Christian Service and asked “What can the Dominican Sisters~Grand Rapids do to comfort the children caught up in the refugee and immigration crisis?”
When told the children arrive with nothing, Sister Nancy put into motion a plan that would put creature comforts into the arms of children. -
At Every Age, In Service with Pat Kennedy OP
As I crochet, I’m praying for the child who will be wrapped in this blanket, wearing this hat. I’m praying to God to wrap your arms and love around them.”~ Pat Kennedy OP
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We Don’t Always Choose, In Service with Jo Birchmeier OP
We don’t always choose the nature or timing of changes that come into our lives.
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God’s People Together — Dominican Center Marywood at Aquinas College
We have been reaping the benefits of face-to-face community, sharing the joy and togetherness that we will never take for granted in the future.