2016 was a dynamic year with no shortage of difficult news. However, it seemed that hope shone even brighter this year. As we wrap up this year and look to a new one, we thank you sincerely for reading our stories, supporting us, and sharing hope with us everyday. Here’s to a 2017 of deeper spirituality, abundant blessings, and ever more hope.
11. Why We Have, and Will Always Have, Hope
10. Were You Taught by a Dominican Sister?
There are few things our sisters love more than hearing from former students. This year, we asked students to share with us their favorite memories of their Dominican teachers, and we published the responses here.
9. “They’re Not Unlike Us”: Meet the Prioress Helping Refugees in Kurdistan
When Sister Lorelle Elcock began talking about Iraqi refugees, she teared up. The prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Hope, Sister Lorelle is normally even-keeled, but she concedes that talking about the people who have left everything they knew to flee from ISIS really gets to her. This piece is about justice, faith, and hope incarnate: three themes that were especially meaningful this year.
8. How to Lead Like a Nun
This piece feels ever more pertinent. No doubt, the United States government could learn a lot from these tips.
7. Six Reactions from Our Sisters on Studying Women Deacons
We’ve cover everything from why Francis’s words are good news, why women deacons aren’t as radical as some might think, and why this news gave us hope here.
6. A Tale of Two Sisters
It’s no surprise that friendship and family rank so highly on this list. In this piece, we remember one of our dear sisters, Jorene Cieciuch, and shed light on the true influence one person can have on another.
5. Five Questions from Last Night’s Interview on “Inside Amy Schumer”
This was the year that Dominican Sister of Hope Mary Alice Hannan, OP appeared on “Inside Amy Schumer” (no, this isn’t a joke). During the “Amy Goes Deep” segment, Amy Schumer asked Sister important questions about what it means to be a Catholic Sister. We were thrilled with the interview, and thrilled with the fact that you were, too!
4. Join Us in Celebrating Our Jubilarians!
A celebration like this should rank. These twenty sisters who have been Dominican Sisters for sixty and seventy years gave us all twenty reasons to celebrate in 2016.
3. Somersaulting toward Hope
Dominican Sister of Hope Jean Spena shares her life of coaching, teaching physical education, organizing a food-pantry, and cooking at Camden’s largest emergency food provider here.
2. Former Students Remember Sister Joan Whittle
Again, our best story is comprised of your voices. We asked several of Sister Joan’s former students what made her a great teacher for fifty-three years. Here are their answers.
1. When Sisters Traveled to Standing Rock They Found Community, and Violence
Standing Rock was on many minds this year, but Catholic Sisters did more than send their thoughts to North Dakota. Last month, eight Catholic Dominican Sisters ventured to Standing Rock to stand in solidarity with the water protectors there. This is what they found.