SisterAda Dominguez

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me… I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers/sisters, you did it to me.” ~ Matthew 25:31-36

“I believe that God reveals the face of the beautiful ordinary: love, laughter, crying, and rejoicing. All the essentials of human life are found in the extraordinary ordinary.”

In 1972, Sister Ada traveled to Grand Rapids, Michigan, from her home in Penasco, New Mexico to “more fully live Jesus’ command to Love our Neighbor”. As a Dominican, she believes “this is what our lives have been about, to love our neighbor and to help carry the cross of each person we meet”.

As a long-time teacher and principal at Our Lady of Fatima, Holy Ghost, and Navajo Elementary Schools in New Mexico and in the Albuquerque Public School System, Sister Ada serves through education, seeking answers and opportunities for students, teachers, and parents in this district where many live with the challenges of economic deprivation. She often finds herself contemplating the great divides between wealth and position — and poverty and position. Where does prosperity live where there is injustice?

“I have experienced much joy in seeing children and young adults experience true freedom because of their educational accomplishments. In this way, I can contribute to the betterment of the world.”

Sister Ada looked back on her 50th Jubilee and reflected, “My life as a Dominican has been grace-filled, not always easy, but filled with love, compassion, and faith. I have loved each official ministry I have had; but, more than that, I have loved the people I have encountered during these 50 years.”