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November 2023

Reflections of the Director

What Does Living the Dominican Charism Look Like?

By Nancy Mason Bordley

Director, Office of Dominican Charism

Recently, a Dominican asked me, “What does it look like to live the Dominican Charism?” My immediate response was to recite examples. Later, I realized I should have tapped into my spiritual direction experience and responded, “What do you think it looks like to live the Dominican Charism?”

There are as many answers to that question as there are Dominicans! Living the Charism will look different for each one of us depending on our vocation and commitments, our values, and our life choices. 

When we are committed to the values of the Dominican family, we choose to live in a way that reflects those values – and people notice. We value the wonder and curiosity of study and commit ourselves to truth-seeking. We are aware of issues facing our local community, our nation, our church, and Earth community, and unafraid of disputatio, a method of debate designed to uncover and establish truth in theology and in sciences.

We are aware of God’s presence in our lives and in the lives of others, and we engage in ongoing discernment and inner discovery. The beloved community becomes a place where we can be ourselves with one another and grow the bonds of a supportive family. Service to the world becomes a natural response and a way of life.

But these many ways of being Dominican all involve living four values (Pillars):



• Prayer: Contemplative listening to the voice of God within us, in our brothers and our sisters, and in all of creation. Listening that allows us to experience the fullness of life in the present moment and cultivates a spirit of generosity. This is the foundation of religious life, both vowed and non-vowed.

• Community: Listening to the voices of the community around us. As Christians and followers of Jesus, we are called to the mission of building community. As followers of Dominic, we practice the skills of community building. Community offers companionship and support, and it teaches us how to encounter the struggles of life together. Through shared experiences, relationships deepen and trust and confidence develop.

• Study: Listening to the voices of the past and the present, including Scripture, theology, and science. Science begins with the humble recognition of the limitations of our ideas, an openness to other perspectives, a welcoming of criticisms of others, and a willingness to test those ideas. Truth is unafraid of being tested. In the same way, St. Dominic debated ideas with his critics and learned from them.



• Ministry: Acting on what we have heard. It’s easy to hear only what we want to hear when we listen to the voice of God, community, and study. The ultimate test is how our listening impacts our ministry. Does listening improve our ministry in a spirit of love? As Catherine of Siena reminds us, “We must walk on two feet: love of God and love of neighbor.” Ministry is the ultimate test of how well we have listened.

Each of us can be a role model in how we incorporate these four values into what we do.  

For many of us, the rhythm of life we learned as children taught us how to be Dominican! We went to school, studied, enjoyed community with our friends during recess, went home and ministered to our family, said our prayers, and went to sleep. These values matured when we became adults. We then ministered through our work; grew in our understanding and experience of prayer and worship; spent time in communion with our family and friends; and later studied newspapers, journals, and books. 

While our preaching as a child and as an adult is very different, the natural rhythm in how we rotate through each value each day is the same. Both children and adults are welcomed at the family dinner table. As our brother Timothy Radcliffe, OP, writes, “At home, we are affirmed as we are and invited to be more.”

Unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to live these four integrated values. In some places, it isn’t safe to pray because of religious persecution. In countries like Afghanistan, women aren’t allowed an education. In many religious institutions, women aren’t allowed to perform the same kinds of ministries as men. Some people are too sick or disabled to be in community with others. In other cases, people are shunned by their community because they are different. 

Those who can integrate the four values into our lives are truly privileged. With privilege comes the responsibility to improve the lives of others so that they, too, can reach their full potential.

And that’s what makes being a Dominican distinctive. For Dominicans, the four values are integrated to support our preaching from the table of our lives. Just as we have many ways to fashion a table, the Dominican life has many ways to preach to others. We are a diverse family united by our common integration of the four values.

So, what do you think it looks like to live the Dominican Charism?



News from the Dominican Family

As the Office of Dominican Charism continues to grow and establish itself as an office that helps women and men foster community, deepen spirituality, and engage in social action aligned with the Dominican Charism, we announce the creation of the Office of Dominican Charism Advisory Committee.

The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to provide guidance, input, and support to the Office of Dominican Charism Co-workers regarding resources, programming, and networking for all of the Dominican Partners: Co-workers, Associates, sponsored and legacy institutions, alumni, benefactors, and other seekers. 

The function of the Advisory Committee includes bringing the perspective of the Dominican Partners to current and future planning, offering support, guidance, and recommendations to the Director in assessing initiatives, goals and objectives, long-term plans, and fidelity to the charism.

The members of the Committee will be appointed by the director in consultation with the General Council Liaison. Once established, the Advisory Committee may recommend the names of qualified individuals to serve or fill positions when a member retires or resigns. 

The Committee shall consist of a maximum of 11 members, appointed for a three-year term, renewable once. Membership representation includes three Associates, of which two are from the United States and one from the Dominican Republic; two Adrian Dominican Motherhouse Campus Co-workers; three representatives from sponsored and legacy institutions; one from literacy centers; one from the Philippines; and two members at-large representing other partners.

Additional details of the formation of this new committee will be announced in the coming weeks. The committee is expected to be in place by early 2024.



Reflections from our Community

The following is an excerpt from the preaching by Associate James Mallare at the Associate Life Commitment Ceremony on September 14, 2023.

The Beatitudes challenge us – our pleasures, ambitions, and false securities in which we sometimes rest. As followers of Jesus, our lives are guided by the essential imperatives of the Beatitudes. No person today would voluntarily be poor in spirit or embrace criticism if it were not for a compelling truth, a transformative encounter with love.

The Beatitudes highlight the understanding that the Christian life is less about our ideas about God but prompts us to look for God in those we meet and share life with. They are a call to see and respond to the real world with its hunger, fear, pain, and bloodstains. They are a call to be a rescuer, a protector of the defenseless, and a participant in God’s righteousness here and now. 

As Dominicans, we are called to live the Gospel of Matthew in a very unique way, to be people of the Beatitudes. To be an Adrian Dominican is to enter into a deeper relationship with ourselves, with this faith community, and with the world. We meet Jesus again on the mount where, in a unique way, he calls us to follow him anew. 

• Blessed are the Adrian Dominicans who take up the joyful work of prayer and contemplation, for their lips are pressed to the ear of the heart of God, and their prayers shall be heard. 

• Blessed are the Adrian Dominicans who take up the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion, for they help to start the Kingdom of God on Earth. 

• Blessed are the Adrian Dominicans who hear the cry of the Earth and mourn the environmental injustices, for they shall be comforted. 

• Blessed are the Adrian Dominicans who take up the work for gender equality and uplifting the status of women, for they shall be called loving children of God. 

• Blessed are the Adrian Dominicans who embrace the poor, feed the hungry, and help to create sustainable ways of living, for God’s blessing strengthens them. 

• Blessed are the Adrian Dominicans who encounter and suffer hardships and setbacks in their mission, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

• Blessed are the Adrian Dominican who bring healing to their communities, for they shall be called bearers of God’s love.

• Blessed are the Adrian Dominicans who daily say “yes” to the Spirit to be a bearer of the charism into the world, for theirs is the joy of life! 

The Office of Mission Education at Siena Heights University (SHU) began in 2011 and was expanded to become the Office of Mission Education and Heritage Development in January 2014. Sister Peg Albert, OP, then President, wanted a program to ensure the Dominican Charism would continue and thrive for the next 100 years.

This request led to the development and implementation of the Siena Heights University Heritage Project, a program based on the four pillars of the Dominican Charism: Prayer, Study, Community, and Preaching (service). Developed to accommodate all learning styles, the online SHU Heritage Project was launched in January 2015, requiring participation by all Siena Heights professional staff, faculty, and administration with less than three years of seniority and all new community members.

The initial launch included a presentation on the four pillars and on the expectations of the participants. As a Catholic Dominican institution, we hope everyone has a prayer life; however, the focus of the Heritage Project is on the other three pillars.

Each member is required to participate in an activity that fulfills each of the pillars of study, community, and preaching for each of their first three years. Participants submit a completion form so the Office of Mission Education and Heritage Development can track progress. After our initial year, we have averaged about 70% participation.

The Heritage Project has been streamlined into two levels. The Foundation is for everyone. The Torchbearers, a group of employees who desire to deepen their understanding of the Dominican Charism as lived by Adrian Dominican Sisters, commit to an additional three years of formation.

Students first learn about the four pillars as part of their orientation. The director or a torchbearer shares the Charism with the new students when they arrive on campus. Their understanding of the Charism deepens through our Liberal Arts Core: four courses, each focusing on a particular pillar. The curriculum undergoes a refresher every few years.

The academic year includes many opportunities for the community to fulfill the SHU Heritage Project requirements. The most exciting part for me as the director has been to help employees realize how they preach with their lives, whether as a yoga instructor volunteering to assist the elderly or a maintenance worker who cares for his elderly neighbor’s yard and grocery shopping. Our employees preach with their lives in so many ways. Inviting them to share their stories is a delightful part of my role.

The employees’ feedback on the program has been very positive. They particularly love watching the “A Sister’s Story” videos on the Adrian Dominican Sisters' YouTube channel.

The Heritage program continues to evolve. Because of a rather significant turnover in senior leadership, the Executive Vice President has asked for an adaptation to help the President’s cabinet embrace the Dominican Charism fully. The Office of Mission Education and Heritage Development continues to look for ways to infuse the Charism throughout the university.



Associate Alison Altmeyer, right, Director of Aquinas Literacy Center, celebrates the first class of adult learner Osmely.

On a recent visit, a newly hired Literacy Grant Consultant from the Illinois Secretary of State Office, which provides significant funding to Aquinas Literacy Center, asked, “Why do your learners and volunteers return week after week?”

He looked at me curiously while I explained The Aquinas Way. I spoke about our spirit of hospitality, welcoming, and inclusivity; the investment in comprehensive initial orientation and ongoing professional development for volunteer literacy tutors; the value in accepting our learners as individuals; and the importance of offering quality, individualized instruction to our English-language learners. The Aquinas Way is the Dominican Way. We seek to understand and courageously help those who walk through our doors.

Our visitor shared that two other successful programs in the Chicagoland area are sponsored by the Springfield Dominican Sisters. All three of our programs have one thing in common: the Dominican Charism.

For more than 25 years, the Dominican Spirit has been alive at Aquinas Literacy Center. From humble beginnings in a convent basement with two tables and five chairs to the implementation of the McKinley Park Resilient Community Initiative, Aquinas Literacy Center has responded to the needs of the immigrant community on the southwest side of Chicago. Aquinas always puts the student first in decision-making, goals, and impact in the neighborhood.

As Chicago faces a humanitarian crisis with vulnerable people on the move, Aquinas Literacy Center is poised to open its doors to teach English to those desperate for a better life in the United States. The Dominican Charism guides our long-term planning for a more resilient immigrant community in McKinley Park.

As Executive Director of Aquinas Literacy Center, the Dominican Charism is instilled in me in my commitment to offer a safe learning environment for our learners, to support volunteer literacy tutors, to lead our Administrative Team, to engage with community partners, and to collaborate with our Board of Directors.

The Dominican Charism can be seen on the faces of our learners as we celebrate their first class, advancing a book level, earning a promotion, becoming U.S. citizens, and graduating from Aquinas Literacy Center. It’s the intangible gift, the joy, of our learners who experience the care, compassion, and respect on their journey to improve their English-language literacy and achieve their personal goals. We are humbled and honored to know and to help each learner who entrusts us with their education. 

In literacy, we live the Dominican Charism.

Learn more about all seven literacy centers sponsored by Adrian Dominican Sisters on its website. 



Deepen Your Dominican Spirit through Immersive Retreat

Deepen your Dominican spirit during an inspiring opportunity to visit the birthplace of the Dominican order June 24-July 2, 2024.

Pray where St. Dominic lived, preached and prayed in southern France and reflect on the Dominican spirit through the lives and teachings of Dominic, Henri Lacodaire, and other significant Dominicans. The immersive program includes conferences, prayer, seminars, group sharing, and tours in Fanjeaux, Prouilhe, Soreze, Montsegur, and Carcassonne.

Led by Sister Mary Ellen O’Grady, OP (Sinsinawa), Sister Jeanne Goyette, OP (Caldwell), Father Rick Peddicord, OP, and Suzanne Wong, the program costs $1,400, not including airfare. Hold your spot with a $300 deposit, due no later than January 1, 2024.

Learn more and download the registration form here.