August 11, 2022
The path to U.S. citizenship is not easy. In these monthly sessions, we hope to provide guidance and resources to those navigating their way through the citizenship process. Information will be provided on how to prepare for the citizenship exam, fill out the N-400 form, and obtain the necessary legal documents. Free attorney assistance will […]
March 24, 2021
All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. Meet Maria Isabel Hernandez, formerly from El Salvador, and a student of our ESL program. Maria didn’t let the COVID-19 Pandemic deter her from her hopes of learning English and eventually becoming a U.S. citizen. I was privileged to encourage and […]
October 16, 2019
On Wednesday, Oct. 16, in Ada Michigan, 190 people from 53 countries were sworn in as United States citizens. Looking on and celebrating the achievements of every person in the room were Carmen Rostar, OP, Janice Mankowski, OP, and Joyce Ann Hertzig. Especially dear to these Sisters was Evelyn Sunshine Lao. They walked beside Evelyn […]
February 20, 2019
As the Dominican Sisters~Grand Rapids WORD~ESL ministry grew and expanded, students expressed a desire to become citizens, so our tutors began to prepare them individually. Within a brief time, we began to form small groups of students who were eligible and wanted to study with us. When they were ready, we would contact Liz Balck […]
October 2, 2016
Training teachers and integrating principles of Catholic social teaching into curriculum came easily to justice-minded Dominican Sister Joyce Ann Hertzig. “I was once asked how one could integrate Catholic identity or Catholic Social Teaching into a math class. ‘Develop a story problem about the ratio of food to people in the world,’ I suggested,” says […]
July 22, 2014
Justice Issue: Unaccompanied Children Crossing the U.S. Borders Our Corporate Stance: Dominican Sisters~Grand Rapids recognize, as a moral obligation, the need to protect children fleeing violence or oppression in their homelands. Our Justice Position The Dominican Sisters~Grand Rapids have a long history of serving and caring for children in schools, hospitals and the orphanage of St. […]