Ephesians 3:14-21 speaks of family and the discovery of one’s true self. Being part of a family – “whether spiritual or natural” – reminds us that we are not alone in life or faith. Becoming Dominican is a lifelong process of discovering the true self, which at its core is the Word of Life. I am so grateful to discover, share, and celebrate this Life with all who have touched and shaped me, especially the Dominican Family.

Had I not seen the postcard about spending a semester in Ireland on the bulletin board in high school, I never would have found my way to Aquinas College where I met the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids and the Dominican Friars of the Central Province. Born and raised in Royal Oak, Michigan, the oldest of five children, my discovery of Aquinas College was the beginning of seeing the world, of discover-ing the presence of God everywhere.

Since those days, I have indeed been in the presence of God in what I have done, in where I have gone, and in whom I have met. In these 25 years of religious life, all of my ministries (pastoral work, teaching, and formation), my studies, my prayer, and my communities of sisters, brothers, family, and friends have collaborated with the grace of God to birth a preacher into being. Who would have thought? How blessed are we to be a part of the imagination of God!