Sister Rosemary O’Donnell, OP
Jubilarian 2026 – 70 Years a Sister
Prayer Ministry
Pray for leadership of our country.
70th Jubilee Reflection
“You made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
This profound insight from St. Augustine first resonated with me during my senior year of high school, giving voice to a persistent spiritual longing. At the time, I could not have foreseen how this holy restlessness would shape the next seven decades of my life.
It was this internal call that led me to the Grand Rapids Dominicans, where I have been privileged to serve God and His people for seventy years. That same spirit of seeking has defined my diverse ministries as an educator, counselor, and companion. My journey has been enriched by the opportunity to instruct students across a vast spectrum of life experiences—from rural farming communities and diverse urban centers to my own ancestral country in the village of Tullycross, Ireland.
I remain deeply grateful for the abundant grace and support I have received from family, friends and community members throughout this seventy-year vocation. My service has also afforded me the unexpected blessing of international travel, taking me to Spain, France, Italy, and the cultural centers of London and Amsterdam.
Now, in this season of retirement, I remain compelled by that same restless heart to offer my stewardship wherever it is needed: serving on committees at Aquinas College, mentoring and engaging in the Grand Rapids Associate Program, supporting the mission at Marywood and volunteering within the local Grand Rapids community.
I offer this milestone not as a finish line, but as a prayer of deep thanksgiving. My life has been a tapestry woven from the diverse threads of the students I taught, the lands I visited, and the community that sustained me. While my ministries may change in this season of retirement, my vocation remains the same: to be a witness to God’s enduring love until that day when my heart finally finds its perfect rest in Him.
60th Jubilee Reflection
“O Choose life…by loving the Lord your God, heeding his voice and holding fast to him.” ~ Deuteronomy 30:19-20
More than 60 years ago I chose to heed God’s voice in calling me to religious life with the Grand Rapids Dominicans. I am deeply grateful for all those who have supported me on this journey, my family and friends and my Dominican Sisters who have shared with me the joys and sorrows of seeking God’s will in serving His people.
I entered this life on June 15, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois the youngest of three children born to John and Florence O’Donnell. Daily prayer, devotion to Mary, and attending Sunday Mass as a family were important influences on my life.
My education began with the Adrian Dominicans at St. Columbanus School in Chicago. In 1944 my family moved to Muskegon, Michigan where I met the Grand Rapids Dominicans. Inspired by the advice of a retreat director in my senior year at Muskegon Catholic Central, I entered the Grand Rapids Dominicans on September 8, 1955.
Teaching high school was my assigned ministry. For 12 years I directed forensics and debate and taught a variety of high school classes in the Grand Rapids and Saginaw Dioceses. In 1971, I continued my teaching ministry at Aquinas College, working with many wonderful and talented colleagues. I remained at Aquinas until my retirement in 2014.
Over the years I have appreciated the opportunity to teach students from a variety of settings: rural farming communities, mixed ethnic/racial backgrounds, and urban middle-class. I feel that these experiences have given me a better understanding of the many faces of God that He has called me to serve.
