SACRED HEART

number of parentsseek admission fortheir daughters witha request for financialaid to fulfill theirtuition obligations.Sr. Margaret Ryan, OP,President and Sr.Catherine Rose Quigley,OP, Principal alongwith the facultybelieve that theseyoung women deserve a chance to break the cycle ofpoverty and commit themselves to accomplishing thisthrough the quality education offered at Aquinas. Fouryears of intellectual, spiritual, social and physical development within an encouraging and challengingatmosphere Aquinas paves the way for moving on toan all-important college education. Aquinas HighSchool is very proud of their students who receivemillions of dollars annually in scholarships and grantsproviding them the readiness for successful careers. The

FACE program is designed to assistfive students with tuition assistancethroughout their four years atAquinas. Other financial assis-tance is raised via the StudentSponsor Partnership andSupport an Aquinas StudentProgram. Via all of these effortsyoung women who attendAquinas High School can looktoward futures full of hope and promise.

DOMINICAN SISTERS 175 ROUTE 340 SPARKILL, NY 10976 WWW.SPARKILL.ORG

The goal and mission of the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill call and challenge us to be:

‘joyful women of prayer and compassion…proclaiming the reign of God through a ministry

for justice…with reverence for all creation…wherein wefocus on the enablement of the poor, of the powerless,

of the oppressed and of the spiritually deprivedpeople of our times.’

(Congregation’s Constitutions No. 19)

It is through a variety of ministries that our Sisters ‘bringthese words to life’. From New York to Missouri,Montana, other states within the country and acrossthe globe to Pakistan we make every effort to respondto the needs of people of all ages.

This past fall you were invited to participate in ourNovember Calendar Raffle and were briefly introducedto the various projects that would benefit from yourgenerosity. With your response seven programs arereceiving support:

The Financial Assistance for Catholic Education(FACE) Program at Aquinas High School, Bronx, NY

A national ‘Blue Ribbon’ school Aquinas is the onlyCatholic high school for young women in the southernsector of the Bronx. Its mission and beliefs is to be ‘acommunity of faith and learning rooted in the Catholic traditionand committed to excellence in the education of young women,mind and heart, body and spirit.’ Since its founding by theDominican Sisters of Sparkill in 1923 Aquinas has welcomed young women, finding the face of God ineach person and forming Aquinas women ‘with a heartfor the whole human body’. In recent years an increasing

WINTER 2014

‘Reverencing All of Creation’

Sr. Thea Bowman Center for Women Service Trip

Sr. Susan Dunn, OP, Assistant Vice President for StudentAffairs at Siena College in Loudonville, NY invited sup-port for an annual student service trip to theDominican Republic. Sr. Susan, along with Dr. Shannon

O’Neill who is the director of Siena College’s Sr. TheaBowman Center know this is an opportunity for students to witness and work alongside women whoare leaders in advocating for social justice and are livingwitnesses to the power and practice of solidarity. The student service teams are hosted by Bernardine Sistersfrom Brazil. They work at their school and health clinic,modest in size, serving the local poor, both located inthe impoverished urban community of Los Tres Brazos.During their stay students plan a myriad of activities forthe children who attend the school, sharing their time,talents and especially their energy all of which serve asrole models for the little ones – grades one through six.The benefit to the college students is a deeper under-standing and realization of the beauty of the poor andmore so the realities of poverty. Upon returning to thecollege campus students reflect on and share theirexperiences with administrators, staff, and classmatesacknowledging that their service trip to the DominicanRepublic is definitely a life lesson and a lasting memory.

Summer Camp – East Side Heart and HomeFamily Center, East St. Louis, IL

Sr. Carol Lehmkuhl, OP and the staff at The FamilyCenter know the importance of keeping children safeand engaged during the summertime. The SummerCamp provides a variety of activities for the children offamilies who participate in the Center’s year-round pro-grams, families who are from low to very low-incomeresidents of East St. Louis. Goals focus on respect for selfand others, courtesy, skills improvement, mentoring,creativity enhancement and task completion. Daily, withbetween 25 to 30 children in attendance, instructional,

social and fun activities are planned for children ages 6-13. Teens, ages 14-17, are instructed by staff to assumethe responsibilities of counselors for the younger children. Themes are developed, taught, and reinforcedthrough art and craft projects, drama scenarios, andgroup discussions. Important goals of the SummerCamp are to teach good stewardship of property andto provide a safe, nurturing environment for productivedays complemented by healthy interaction. The Family

Center is a ‘beaconof hope’ for the fam-ilies in a neighbor-hood that is oftenoverwhelmed withviolence. Sr. Carol andthe staff, and espe-cially the children,hope that ‘their’Summer Camp pro-gram continues formany, many years!

A Play System/ Playground for the Students at St. Paul’s Mission Grade School, Hays, MT

Knowing the importance of physical activities for gradeschool students Sr. Helen Durso, OP Principal, along

2 WEAVINGS WINTER 2014

Sr. Carol leading a group activity.

Sisters Nora, Helen, and Chris with the children.

with Sr. Christine Ferrar, OP, Sr. Nora McCarthy, OP andthe faculty at the Mission Grade School planned for theinstallation of a play-system that would benefit the children. With obesity and diabetes prevalent on thereservation one of the school’s goals is to combat these

diseases by providing extra activity. Since there are noplay areas or parks in Hays they extended an invitationto the neighboring community to come as their guestsand enjoy the playground. The students and theirneighborhood friends are now enjoying swings, awooden see-saw, slides and other playground equip-ment. Support for this project came from severalsources which included fundraising by the school’sParent Committee. All agree at St. Paul’s Mission GradeSchool that: ‘This might not be a big city park but is our‘Mission Park’ – where children have fun!’

Sr. Purissima Girls Hostel, Bahawalpur and GirlsHostel, Loretto, Pakistan – a ‘home away from home’for students during the school semesters.

Since our arrival in Pakistan in 1958 our Sisters havecommitted themselves to offering a quality Catholiceducation to the Christian children, most from verypoor families who have few options for a formal education. Hostels were established to provide a safeand nurturing place for children to live while attendingschool. The Bahawalpur Hostel houses fifty young girlsand the Loretto Hostel is home to sixty students. Alongwith learning the 3R’s the Hostels’ goals promote self-respect, instilling joy and peace in the students’ livesand enabling them to learn how to prepare for futurework experiences and family life. Sr. Monica Lewis, OPand Sr. Nusrat Lewis, OP are the directors of the twohostels. Committed to their ministry as educators theyand their staffs work diligently to provide guidancewithin an atmosphere that promotes preparing ‘theirstudents’ for a viable future.

This is the second yearthat you are helping tosupport: Elizabeth’s PlaceOrphanage & The House ofPresence, Duval Roche,Haiti. Following the earth-quake of 2010 in Haiti andbelieving that a ‘grassroots approach’ would bethe best way to offerneeded assistance agroup of Dominican Sistersof Sparkill with membersof other congregationsand volunteers created acollaborative mission

team. Their purpose is to respond to the needs of thepeople of Haiti, particularly women and children, andhas resulted in a shared partnership with indigenousHaitians. The five major long-range goals that wereestablished continue to be of primary concern: completion of the orphanage Elizabeth’s Place – well under-way; expanding medical and health services with efforts havingserved close to 1200 women and children; increasing the capacityof a water well in the area that provides clean, drinkable waterto the orphanage and the individuals who come to the well

daily; working towards becoming a distribution center for Foodfor the Poor (a present goal is to purchase a van to deliver food);sustaining and continuing to develop the skills of nativeHaitians at the Flower of Life Institute, via a two week programwhere local community leaders and potential staff are instructedin ways to respond to the multitude of needs. Twenty men andwomen in 2011 and twenty-five in 2012 are graduates of theprogram! The needs are great and often the reality isthat there are limited supplies. A well-known fact is thatHaiti is considered the poorest country in the westernhemisphere and the devastation of the earthquakeonly increased its frail existence. The town of Duval

3 WEAVINGS WINTER 2014

L-R: Sr. Jeanne Shary, Sr. Valorie Lorei, middle, with the graduates.

Roche and its surrounding villages are the areas wherethe Mission Team ministers to the most needy. Thedeep spirituality of the people has been an example offortitude and hope to the Mission Team, the staff andvolunteers sustaining the on-going commitment torespond to the needs of the poor and to serve the peo-ple of Haiti with dedication and compassion.

Another second year project is the Fr. Jim Karaffa,C.S.C. Business Academy for Women, Kibera, Kenya, EastAfrica (JKBAW). Fr. Jim Karaffa, (RIP/June 2002,) a HolyCross priest, ministered for many years working tireless-ly for the poor, especially the women in Kibera, Kenya.Through the on-going efforts of Dr. G. David Moss,Assistant VP for Student Affairs at the University ofNotre Dame, Indiana and Edel Quinn Odongo, Chief ofOperations the Business Academy for Women, in

August 2003, welcomed its first 28 students. TheAcademy’s goals and objectives include: pursuing the holisticdevelopment, economic empowerment, and spiritual maturityof the women who reside in Kibera, a slum adjacent to Nairobi,Kenya; providing workshops and counseling services that helpwomen in poverty find their God given virtues; promotingbehavioral change that will lead to positive living and self-reliance and the formation of successful, self-sustainingbusinesses by providing business education and financial train-ing. The JKBAW serves as an example for future educa-tional ventures within Kibera and throughout EastAfrica. Its unique three-year curriculum incorporatesbusiness applications with spiritual growth and emotional healing making every effort to provide students with necessary skills to create and sustaintheir own business that impacts the community economically and socially. Through a series of work-

shops and classes the women experience a fundamentalshift in their perception of the world and their place init. One main component is the ability to manage smallbusiness loans in a positive and productive manner.The women who attend the Academy, most singlemothers, range in age from 18 to 54. The ultimate outcome fulfills the JKBAW’s purpose, that the ‘womanwho is helped now becomes a conduit of change and empow-erment in the lives of other women’. Yes! Fr. Jim’s dream is athriving reality!

From the students and their families at Aquinas HighSchool, the students at Siena College who participate in aservice project in the Dominican Republic, to the childrenwho attend the Summer Camp program at the FamilyCenter in East St. Louis, the students and their friends inHays, MT who are enjoying a new Play System, to the people,especially the women and children in Duval Roche, Haitiand the women who have established businesses in Kibera,Kenya – in their name Thank You for your friendship andsupport that enables us to bring to life the words of ourgoal and mission as a congregation. We know that together we

‘Reverence All of Creation’.

A listing of the 2013November CalendarRaffle Winners is on page 6

4 WEAVINGS WINTER 2014

Thank You!On behalf of the DominicanSisters, Thank You for our gen-erous Christmas gifts. Aspromised you and yourintentions were rememberedin our prayers throughoutthe Christmas season andespecially during the Novenaof Masses–December 17th-25th - offered in Our Lady ofthe Rosary Chapel at ourMotherhouse, DominicanConvent. For us this is botha privilege and honor. Wethank you for your supportand on-going friendship. Itenables us to respond to theneeds of people throughoutour world, care for ourretired members, and toproclaim our Congregation’sgoal and mission.

Sponsored by The Friends of theDominican Sisters on Saturday,September 21st the 4th Annual 9-Hole Twilight Golf Tournamentwas enjoyed by close to 144golfers, held at the Paradise ValleyGolf Club in St. Louis, MO. After afun round of trying for birdies,eagles, par, and even the ultimate

hole-in-one, a delicious dinner was served. Tournamentprizes, basket raffles, auction items and a 50/50 rafflewere part of the evening.

Who are The Friends of…? Theydescribe themselves as ‘a group offriends and classmates who had theprivilege of being educated by theDominican Sisters’. After attendinga gathering in St. Louis six yearsago organized by the Sisters they decided ‘we want tohelp.’ Hence The Friends of… are now a blessing in ourlives – and for this we are truly grateful. In the past fiveyears over $180,000 has been raised that benefits theneeds of our retired Sisters.

On a beautiful sunny Fallafternoon the DominicanSisters, along with over 350guests, enjoyed the first ofseveral planned events cele-brating the 100th Anniversaryof Sacred Heart Chapel. The

chapel is located on our Motherhouse grounds herein Sparkill and holds many memories for us, the children who were in our care at St. Agnes Home andSchool, and those who receive spiritual enrichmentand comfort at liturgies, prayer services, and other programs held at Sacred Heart. The opening eventwas a concert – Neil Berg’s 100 Years of Broadwaystarring Neil Berg, award winning composer, knownfor his artistry and dedication to community service.Joined by his wife and actress Rita Harvey and otherBroadway stars Danny Zolli, Lawrence Clayton, NatalieToro and Roger Cohen the audience enjoyed listeningto songs from shows that spanned 100 years. It was a

wonderful beginning to this milestone year.

100th Anniversary of SacredHeart Chapel

Sr. Marie Louise Ruggeri with 2 of The Friends of...

DESIGN CONCEPT: Elizabeth Slenker, OP

Frank Bradicich, St. Agnus Alum (sitting) with hisdaughter, Carol, and son-in-law, Frank.

Sr. Rose Eileen McGinn, OPAugust 5, 2013

Sr. Bridget O’Sullivan, OPformerly Sr. Ann Eileen

August 10, 2013

Sr. Kathleen Ann Gorres, OPformerly Sr. Marita Joseph

September 5, 2013

Sr. Marion Rita Kennelly, OPSeptember 5, 2013

Sr. Nora McArt, OPformerly Sr. Eileen Daniel

September 20, 2013

Sr. Annette Marie Carney, OPDecember 5, 2014

Sr. Marie McNamee, OPformerly Sr. Catherine Michael

December 16, 2013

May their souls and the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.

I n m e m o r y o f …

5 WEAVINGS WINTER 2014

Friday, Nov. 1 $100 Marion Hartmann West Milford, NJ$50 Martin Dwyer, Fr. c/o Sr. Peggy Tiernan$50 Marcel Szabo Passaic, NJ

Saturday, Nov. 2 $50 Sr. Rose Patrice Sasso, OP$50 Olivia Velez Scotch Plains, NJ$50 Sr. Theresa Docherty, OP$50 Sr. Mary Casey, OP

Sunday, Nov. 3 $100 Sr. Dorothy Kelty, OP$100 Barbara Vano N. Bellmore, NY

Monday, Nov. 4 $75 Bernadette Skuse Flushing, NY$75 Mary B. Bronk Castleton on Hudson, NY$50 Linda Ferguson Chester, NY

Tuesday, Nov. 5 $100 Mary Wescott Bloomingdale, NJ$50 Sr. Dolores Shortal, OP$50 Barbara Brangan, Brewster, NY

Wednesday, Nov. 6 $100 Dawn Alberigo Hoboken, NJ$100 Anne & Jim Dillon Pearl River, NY

Thursday, Nov. 7 $100 Margaret McLoughlin Bronx, NY$50 Terry Waitt CliftonPark, NY$50 Mary Lynch Paramus, NJ

Friday, Nov. 8 $100 Theresa Lewis Nyack, NY$100 Sr. Margaret Murphy, OP

Saturday, Nov. 9 $100 Patt Kenny Bronx, NY $100 Sr. Marie Louise Ruggeri, OP

Sunday, Nov. 10 $100 Sr. Jeanine Nolan, OP$100 Frank Bradicich Staten Island, NY

Monday, Nov. 11 $150 Cornelia Catera Hicksville, NY$50 Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Murphy Peconic, NY

Tuesday, Nov. 12 $100 Sr. Patricia Ann Reilly, OP$100 Patricia Ryan Tarrytown, NY

Wednesday, Nov. 13 $75 Edith Frank Somers, NY $75 Dominican Sisters Siena Hall$50 Gloria Cerini Golia Mahopac, NY

Thursday, Nov. 14 $100 Sr. Margaret Harrison, OP$100 Kay-Lino Caldera Hillsdale, NJ

Friday, Nov. 15 $75 William Danielson Glen Head, NY$75 Sr. Genevieve Marie Dorrian, OP$50 Fran Guastello Westbury, NY

Saturday, Nov. 16 $125 Florence Marcantonio Hicksville, NY$75 Joseph Hyland Valley Cottage, NY

Sunday, Nov. 17 $100 Rosemary McDermott Valley Cottage, NY$50 Eileen Sammon Ossining, NY$50 Kathy & John Moran c/o Sr. Margaret Rose

Monday, Nov. 18 $100 Hilda Pasqual Bronx, NY$100 Melanie Boylhart Bronx, NY

Tuesday, Nov. 19 $150 Sr. Patricia Connolly, OP$50 Betty Betz Bronx, NY

Wednesday, Nov. 20 $50 Judith Linden New York, NY$50 Terrence Creedon Southhaven, MS$50 Sr. Rose Pfannebecker, OP$50 Sr. Diane Kane, OP

Thursday, Nov. 21 $100 Sr. Louise Mileski, OP$100 Kevin/Amanda McNamee Croton on Hudson, NY

Friday, Nov. 22 $125 Dorothy Donovan River Vale, NJ$75 Sr. Eileen Loftus, OP

Saturday, Nov. 23 $200 Sr. Diane McSherry, OP$100 Jean Maher Garden City, NY$100 Kathleen Crann Brielle, NJ

Sunday, Nov. 24 $100 Marge Flood St. Augustine, FL$100 Thomas Powers Newell, WV

Monday, Nov. 25 $100 Sophia O’Shea c/o Sr. Ann Matthew O’Shea, OP$100 Sr. Jude Miriam DePalma, OP

Tuesday, Nov. 26 $100 Catherine Kunzer Wilmette, IL$100 Dolores McNichol Levittown, NY

Wednesday, Nov. 27 $100 Jenine Borawski Pearl River, NY$100 Mr/Mrs C.J. Hunt Lake Charles, LA

THANKSGIVING DAY, NOVEMBER 28

$1000 Barbara Burke Monroe, NY$500 Carmen Hyman Oakland Gardens, NY$500 Anthony & Lynn Capone Pearl River, NY

Friday, Nov. 29 $100 John Sullivan Rome, NY$100 Joe Curry Huntington, NY

Saturday, Nov 30 $100 Gerald D’Andrea White Plains, NY$100 Marilyn Buck Timberger Piermont, NY

Congratulations to Our Winners! Thank You for Your Support!

2013 November Calendar Winners

6 WEAVINGS WINTER 2014

7 WEAVINGS WINTER 2014

Looking Ahead...Special Events in 2014

Trivia NightSaturday, May 10, 2014Raffles & Silent AuctionDetails to FollowFor information about the Friends of…visit their website: www.friendsofdominicansisters.org

SACRED HEART CHAPEL UPCOMING EVENTS(details regarding each event will follow)

Celtic Incantation: A Concert of Blessings and PrayersPerformer: Dr. Kathleen Deignan, CNDWednesday, March 26, 2014 @ 6:30 pm

in Sacred Heart Chapel

Irish Singers and Dancers: Cherish The LadiesStarring: Joanie Madden

Sunday, April 6, 2014 – 2:00 pm in Sacred Heart Chapel

Family and Friends Day held at Dominican ConventDay to include tours of Sacred Heart Chapel

Saturday, July 19, 2014

‘Continuing the Journey‘Solemn Vespers followed by a Reception

Sunday, October 12, 2014 – 2:00 pmEpiphany of Our Lord Church, St. Louis, MO

Closing of Anniversary Year – Liturgy and DinnerSaturday, November 22, 2014

4:30 Liturgy Dinner Following @ Dominican Convent

Celebrant: Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of NY

17th Annual (NY)

Golf Tournament

Wednesday, June 4

Blue Hill Golf Course

Pearl River, NY

Dinner:

Old Tappan Manor

Old Tappan, NJ

Cost: $175 per golfer

Sponsorships Available

Invitation will be mailed

in early April

For advance information

please contact:

Sr. Peggy – 845-359-417

3

or e-mail: peggy.scaran

o@sparkill.org

We Invite You to Visit our Website www.sparkill.org

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DOMINICAN SISTERS OF SPARKILL

• Click the link into The Center Shop located at DominicanConvent for sale items that range from books, cards, candles, CD’s + much more. Call 845-359-4070.

• Click the link into Faith Life and read about Retreat andVacation opportunities at Villa St. Joseph, Saugerties, NY845-246-4531 and/or Villa St. Dominic, Glasco, NY 845-246-8941.

• To learn more about the Dominican Order, visitwww.DominicanLifeUSA.com.

• -To make a donation, go to our website’s home page,click Make a Donation which will take you to the secure page.

To Make a Donation, go to Development’sHome Page on our website and Click: Make a Donation.

Thank You!

COnTaCT InfOrmaTIOn

The Center Shop...............................845-359-4070

Villa St. Joseph..................................845-246-4531

Villa St. Dominic ...............................845-246-8941

Development Office .........................845-359-4173

The Dominican Sisters are members of:

Like us on Facebook

The Rockland (County) Development Council, Inc.

The National Catholic Development Conference

My being

proclaims the

greatness of

the Lord…

and finds Joy…

…Joy in God, my

Savior

WOMAN IMAGE

My beingproclaims the greatness ofthe Lord...and finds Joy...

... Joy in God, my Savior

ST. DOMINIC IMAGE

“…No longer do

I live but Christ

lives in me…”

(Galatians 2:19B)

JESUS IMAGE

On The Special Occasion of

A donation has been made by

which will assist theDominican Sisters of Sparkillas they strive to Proclaim the Reign of Godthrough a Ministry for Justicein the United States and Pakistan.

The enrolled will be remembered in:• the prayers of the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill

• a monthly celebration of the Eucharist offered at Our Lady of the Rosary ChapelDominican Convent, Sparkill, New York

In Memory Of

Requested by:

May you be comforted by the

compassionate

love of God and may the souls o

f the

faithful departed rest in pe

ace.

The enrolled will be remembered in:

• the prayers of the

Dominican Sisters of Sparkill

• a monthly celebration of the E

ucharist

offered at Our Lady of the

Rosary Chapel

Dominican Convent, Sparkill, N

ew York

Order form is on our website www.sparkill.org or send a note to Sr. Peggy via the Development Office

You are invited to use our Memorial and Special Occasion Cards.

8 WEAVINGS WINTER 2014

The

Dominican Sisters

of Sparkill

Wish You

Good Health

Success & Prosperity

Many Blessings

Throughout 2014

Happy New Year!