Our desire is for our presence to nurture hope in the world. For hope is that aspect of faith which makes us certain that the world is cared for and loved by God. Hope obliges us to work toward the realization of the promises found in Jesus: freedom, peace, justice, and reconciliation.
Our congregation, the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids, is an apostolic community of vowed women religious. We are rooted in both the Word of God and the Dominican tradition of the Catholic Church. Each Sister gives her life promising to live in service to the Church and world.
Through prayer, study, community, and service, we share Christ’s message — redemptive love that reflects God’s desire for a just world. Our hope is to continue opening ourselves to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit — and to be a flame of truth, love, hope, and mercy.
“We see first the common ground of our humanity, and allow our differences only to enrich, and not to disparage. In all of our undertakings, we will notice first and foremost the human person before us.” (DSGR Corporate Stance 1999)
We respond to a call to live our commitment made in baptism: to grow in the love of God. This we aspire to do through prayer and study, the common life, and the service of our neighbor.
We endeavor to express in our lives the Dominican motto: to praise, to bless, and to preach.
The Dominican Sisters have a passion for truth and a deep desire to transform and be transformed through the people and experiences that God brings into our lives. We willingly embrace the risk of preaching a gospel of hope, of love, mercy, and justice. Like our patron, St. Catherine of Siena, we minister so that others can be transformed in faith and community.
“Be who God meant you to be and you shall set the world on fire.” — St. Catherine of Siena
Through our preaching, we give voice to men, women, and children who suffered injustice. We are emboldened and informed by our relationships with vowed religious Dominican women and men around the world. Our solidarity helps promote human rights and sustainable development in a world where only justice will ensure security and dignity for all.
Study is an essential component of our Dominican life and mission. It informs our ministry, enriches our common life and is integral to our prayer. We commit ourselves to formal and informal study in order to bring careful consideration to decision concerning our life and mission. ~Constitution #17
