 | |
 Adrian Dominican Sisters Motherhouse | |
| Abbreviation | OP |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1923; 1944 (pontifical status) |
| Type | Congregation of women religious |
| Headquarters | Adrian, Michigan, U.S. |
Region served | 22 U.S. states, theDistrict of Columbia,Puerto Rico,Dominican Republic, the Philippines,[2] |
| Membership | 390 (as of 2024)[1] |
Prioress | Sister Elise D. Garcia, OP |
| Affiliations | Dominican Order |
| Website | http://www.adriandominicans.org/ |
TheAdrian Dominican Sisters is aCatholicreligious institute ofDominicansisters in the United States. Theirmotherhouse is inAdrian, Michigan.
The Congregation serves in ministries education, health care, pastoral and retreat ministry, the arts, social work, ecology, and peace and justice advocacy. Adrian Dominicans serve in these ministries in 22 U.S. states and three countries: Dominican Republic, the Philippines, and Norway.[3]
The Adrian Dominican Sisters have anAssociate Life program consisting of women and men who make a non-vowed commitment to the Congregation, sharing in the mission and vision of the vowed members and in the Dominican spirituality.[4] The Congregation sponsors two universities, two hospitals in the Dignity Health system, an elementary school, a high school, and seven literacy centers.[5]
The Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan trace their origin toHoly Cross Convent inRegensburg (Ratisbon), Bavaria, a convent established in 1233.[6]
In 1853 four Sisters from this convent were sent to New York in response to a request for Sisters to provide religious education for German immigrant children. These Sisters settled on Montrose Avenue in theWilliamsburg section of New York City. Another convent was later established on Second Street in Manhattan. From this congregation Sisters were sent to St. Mary Parish (1879) and St. Joseph Parish (1880) in Adrian, Michigan. In 1899, the Second Street convent moved to Newburgh, New York.[6]
In 1884 additional Sisters were sent to Adrian to establish a hospital for injured railroad workers.[7] Adrian became a province of the Newburgh Congregation, with Camilla Madden as theProvincial. As the need for the hospital diminished, Mother Camilla turned to education and opened St. Joseph Academy in 1896. Students came in large numbers to this boarding school and the province grew rapidly with new members. At the same time the Congregation was called upon to staff other schools in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and New Mexico.[6]
In 1923, through the efforts of Mother Emmanuel Phelan of Newburgh and Mother Camilla Madden, canonical separation of the Adrian province from Newburgh was achieved. BishopMichael Gallagher ofDetroit and Archbishop (later Cardinal)Patrick Hayes ofNew York agreed to the separation. Mother Camilla Madden became the firstMother General of the new independent congregation in Adrian, a position she held for only six months prior to her death in 1924. At this time the Congregation numbered 440 members.[6]
The Congregation and its ministries grew during this time. Education continued to be a major endeavor during these years.[8] The Congregation also developed ministries in social service, particularly in parish visitation, and opened three hospitals, two inSanta Cruz, California (now consolidated at Dominican Santa Cruz Hospital) and one inHenderson, Nevada:St. Rose Dominican Hospital - Rose de Lima Campus. Today there are two additional campuses in Southern Nevada — theSiena (2000) and theSan Martín (2006) campuses. Mother Camilla opened St. Joseph College in Adrian (nowSiena Heights University) during her time as provincial. Mother Gerald Barry expanded the Congregation’s ministry in higher education by openingBarry University in 1940. She also built a House of Studies atThe Catholic University of America to accommodate sisters studying for advanced degrees. The Congregation grew to over 2,000 members.[6]
Under the leadership of Mother Gerald, the Congregation achieved pontifical status in 1944 and extended its ministries overseas — to theDominican Republic,Puerto Rico, andPeru. In 1959, as the Congregation grew in numbers, it was divided into five provinces with headquarters inDetroit,Michigan (2),Chicago,Illinois,West Palm Beach, Florida, and Santa Cruz, California. In addition there was an Overseas Vicariate and a Motherhouse Vicariate. Over the years of leadership of Mother Gerald and her successor, Mother Genevieve Weber, the Congregation served in the formation of two new Congregations: theGlenmary Sisters (originally located inCincinnati, Ohio) and the Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of Remedies (Pampanga,Philippines).[9]
The Adrian Dominican Congregation entered into its General Chapter of Renewal in 1968 after theSecond Vatican Council. This was a time of transition as it was for all United States congregations of womenreligious. General Councilors became full-time participants with the Prioresses in directing the life in mission of the Congregation. Over the years, Sisters Nadine Foley and Donna Markham were elected president of theLeadership Conference of Women Religious in the United States during their terms as Prioress. Sisters Nadine Foley and Patricia Walter have represented United States women religious on the Council of the International Union of Superiors General. Sister Nadine Foley also wrote chapter 15 ofTransforming the Faiths of our Fathers: Women who Changed American Religion (2004), edited by Ann Braude.[10]
Acting upon the directives sent from Rome after Vatican Council II, the Congregation developed new Constitutions that received approval on April 29, 1989. This Constitution and Statutes replaced earlier ones approved in 1937 and 1944. The Constitution incorporated a new governance organization based on Mission Chapters (equivalent to provinces) headed by Chapter Prioresses (provincials). The latter, with the General Council, constitute a Leadership Council which directs the mission of the Congregation.
SinceVatican Council II, the Adrian Dominican Sisters have continued their ministries in education and healthcare and expanded to include professional ministries such as university presidents, hospital administrators, directors of literacy centers, directors of theological programs, theologians and professors of theology, liturgical artists, diocesan directors of schools, parish directors of religious education, and retreat directors. The Congregation's Ministry Trust fund helps to support projects and ministries of Adrian Dominican Sisters that aid economically poor people, and offer spiritual renewal.[11]
In 2003, the 55 sisters of the Congregation of Holy Cross inEdmonds, Washington merged with the Adrian Dominican Sisters.[6][12] The Edmonds Dominicans share a common heritage with the Adrian Dominicans as they too were founded in 1923 by sisters from Holy Cross Convent in Regensburg.[12]
In 2011, the Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of Remedies ofSan Fernando, Pampanga,Philippines also merged with the Adrian Dominican Sisters, forming the eighth "Mission Chapter" or unit of governance of the Congregation. In a coming around full circle, the community in the Philippines that got its start in partnership with the Adrian Dominican Sisters decided to merge with the Congregation. The Sisters became a Mission Chapter of the Congregation in November 2011: the Our Lady of Remedies Mission Chapter.[6]
In 2022, the Congregation's General Chapter elected Sister Elise D. Garcia, OP, as Prioress; Sister Lorraine Reaume, OP, as Vicaress; and Sisters Janice Brown, OP, Bibiana “Bless” Colasito, OP, and Corinne Sanders, OP, as General Councilors.[13] The Chapter delegates also approved four Enactments that they will focus on through General Chapter 2022: deepening their spirituality and engaging with others in prayer and presence; sacrificing to mitigate their impact on climate change and ecological devastation; facilitating and participating in resilient communities with people who are relegated to the margins;[14] and deepening their relationships with one another, inviting others to vowed and Associate life, and expanding collaboration.[15]
In December 2020, nine retired sisters died fromCOVID-19, six within a 48-hour period. While this made national news, it was not untypical of rest homes elsewhere in the United States.[16][17][18]
As of January 2021, the Congregation has 507 Sisters and 215 lay Associates, who minister throughout the United States as well as in the Dominican Republic, Norway, and the Philippines.[19]
The Adrian Dominican Sisters ledshareholder activism efforts, including in the areas ofexecutive compensation,climate change, the rights ofindigenous peoples, andgun control. Sister Judith Byron, OP is a member with the Adrian Dominican Sisters and theInterfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, and serves as a consultant to the Adrian Dominican Sisters' Portfolio Advisory Board and as director of The Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment, a coalition of religious communities and health care systems. The Adrian Dominican Sisters introduced shareholder resolutions asking firearms manufacturersAmerican Outdoor Brands Corporation (the parent company ofSmith & Wesson) andSturm, Ruger & Co. and retailerDick's Sporting Goods to report to investors regarding the steps they are taking to reducegun violence.[20][21][22][23][24]
The Adrian Dominican Sisters purchased 200 shares ofAmerican Outdoor Brands Corporation (AOBC), the minimum holding needed to qualify to formally submit shareholder resolutions. American Outdoor Brands Corporation opposed the resolution. Investors approved the resolution. On February 8, 2019 American Outdoor Brands Corporation released a 20-page report, which said, in summary, "AOBC’s reputation among firearm buyers and Second Amendment supporters is more critical to the success of the Company and the enhancement of shareholder value than its reputation among industry detractors and special interest groups with a political agenda."[25][26][27][28][29][30]
The Adrian Dominican Sisters purchased $2000 worth of shares ofSturm, Ruger & Co. in order to qualify to formally submit shareholder resolutions. The resolution was co-filed by the Adrian Dominican Sisters andCatholic Health Initiatives. Ruger opposed the resolution.BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager and Ruger's largest investor, andInstitutional Shareholder Services andGlass Lewis, the two most important shareholder advisory firms in the United States, supported the resolution. At Ruger's annual meeting on May 9, 2018 69% of shareholders voted in favor and Ruger said they would heed the resolution. TheBrady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence called the vote a "first-of-its-kind victory."[21][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39]
The Adrian Dominican Sisters were among shareholders that helped influence retailerDick's Sporting Goods to stop sellingAR-15 style rifles at itsField & Stream stores.[28]
The following Sisters have served as either Mother General orPrioress of the Congregation:
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