We
invite you, our friends and supporters over the years, to join with us in these
possibilities and challenges. You have walked with us to the present. We ask you
to accompany us into our future. Will you join us?
LEAPING IN FAITH continued
We spent a year meeting and discussing possibilities with seven other Dominican Congregations. We selected the Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan, as a possible partner. Their leadership said yes. Our vision for the future seemed much the same. We shared common roots from Brooklyn, New York. Many individual Adrian Sisters and Associates reached out to us. We spent two years together studying their governance structure, policies, and practices, discussing shared traditions, praying and discerning our future together. Then, in August 2002, their membership, called to a Gathering of study, prayer, and celebration, listened to our story and rose in affirmation and welcome. On December 7, 2002, our members voted to merge our congregation into theirs. This decision to “let go” of the familiar to keep our mission vital closely follows the leadership our congregation has demonstrated from earliest times.
As always we came back to our shared Gospel mission and the principles of our common life, sharing gifts and resources. These sources enable us to continue “leaping in faith”. We choose to “let go” of the shared leadership of a small independent group of 57 vowed members, and place ourselves in the midst of the possibilities and challenges of belonging to a group of more than 900. Our united group is called to live interdependence in new ways. Together we envision a better future that calls for:
q
New ways of living on our planet, respecting and renewing it;q
More circular models of organizing ourselves in our own congregation, in our Church, in our world;q
New ways of being open to each person’s perception and expression of the truth; andq
Choices that express our commitment to live in ways that promote the common good of everyone.Both groups agree that we are called to:
q
Speak our truth to power;q
Live more simply that our brothers and sisters around the world are able to simply live;q
Love one another for who we are, not what we do.q
Value each person; value each voice;q
Work for justice in our economic and world trade systems; andq
Live without violence in ourselves, in our neighborhoods, cities, countries, world.Can we as a united group carry forth the mission of Jesus and model our world on the mystery of Trinity? Grounded in the abundant generosity and love of our Creator, the inspiration of Christ, and the indwelling presence of the Spirit, can we work together toward a world of justice and peace for everyone? Only time will tell us.
We challenge ourselves
q to renew our own commitment to live and be the Gospel message to others; q to support one another, holding fast to the common mission we share; and q to stay in touch with the spirit of leadership we carry from our past.
We
invite you, our friends and supporters over the years, to join with us in these
possibilities and challenges. You have walked with us to the present. We ask you
to accompany us into our future. Will you join us?
Leadership Team—Sisters Michele Kopp, Carolyn Roeber, Dorothy Berg, Francine Barber