OUR SISTERS
Becoming a Sister of Saint Dominic of Blauvelt is a deepening of one's
discipleship in the Word of God, as well a response to a call to live interdependently
in the context of the Dominican Family and the world.
As Dominicans, we contemplate the Word of God in prayer and integrate
it into every aspect of our life, as well as preach it to the world.
What does it mean to be a Sister of Saint Dominic?
You live the Dominican Mission. As a Sister of Saint Dominic, your life will be shaped by the Four Pillars of Dominican Tradition: Prayer, Study, Preaching/Ministry and Common Life.
You are a part of a lifetime community. As a Sister of Saint Dominic, you will have the support of a community full of women of faith. Within the congregation, you will have opportunities for service, ministry, vocation, and advocacy.
You are a Preacher of Truth. As a Sister of Saint Dominic, preaching is at the heart of our lives. Our Sisters preach by fulfilling prayer requests, publishing scripture reflections, as well as bringing hope and mercy to all in need through programs and advocacy.
You bring God’s mercy and compassion into the world through your ministry. As a Sister of Saint Dominic, your ministry will make a significant impact in the lives of those you serve. Our Sisters are involved in ministries such as education, healthcare, social services, foster care, family services, shelters, housing services, community outreach, pastoral work, prayer, advocacy, and retreat work.
Where do the Sisters of Saint Dominic minister?
Since the founding of our congregation, the mission of the Sisters of Saint Dominic has expanded far beyond Mother Mary Ann Sammon’s original purpose. Today, our sisters minister in education, family services, places of worship, and organizations that promote Catholic values and advocate for social, environmental, and economic causes.
To further their mission of education, the Sisters of Saint Dominic founded Dominican University New York in Blauvelt, New York. An independent institution of higher learning, Catholic in origin and heritage, the University is dedicated to educational excellence, leadership, and service. Sisters Mary Ann Collins, Arlene Flaherty, and Jenn Schaaf currently minister there, while Sisters Bernadette Burke, Diane Forrest, Barbara McEneany, Mary Eileen O’Brien, and Kathleen Sullivan collectively served the University community for more than 60 years.
Other Sisters of Saint Dominic have ministered at Catholic and public schools, as well as colleges and universities.
◆ De la Salle Academy – Sr. Mary Theresa Dixon
◆ Metropolitan College of New York – Sr. Ceil Lavan
◆ School Sisters of Notre Dame – Sr. Arlene Flaherty
◆ St. Francis de Chantal School – Sr. Grace Augustine Canevari
◆ St. Pius V Parish & School, Rhode Island – Sr. Shirley Jeffcott
◆ Fordham University – Sr. Kathleen McManus
Several sisters have also followed in the footsteps of our foundress, Mother Mary Ann Sammon, by ministering in family services.
Sr. Jean Graffweg ministered at House on the Hill, a daycare for children of migrant workers in Goshen, New York. The Sisters of Saint Dominic, along with Dominican University New York (formerly Dominican College) students, volunteers, and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, opened House on the Hill in 1972.
Other sisters who have ministered in family services include:
◆ Tolentine Zeiser Community Life Center – Sr. Margaret McDermott
◆ Downey Side Adoption – Sr. Elizabeth Engel
◆ Siena House – Sisters Mary Doris, Lauria Fitzgerald, Joan Marie McKinney, and Maureen Gibbons
Many of our sisters have also ministered in places of worship and pastoral ministry.
◆ Archdiocese of New York – Sr. Alice Kirk
◆ Emmanuel Church – Sr. Barbara Anne Duffy
◆ Prayerful Art Center – Sr. James Bridget Hanley
◆ Incarnation Church – Sr. Monica Paul Fraser
◆ Marymount Convent – Sr. Carol Carullo
◆ Congregation Leadership – Sisters Mary Theresa Flood, Theresa Rickard, Ellenrita Purcaro, and Didi Madden
◆ St. Dominic Convent – Sisters Joan Agro, Joan Clark, Margaret Flood, Noreen Walsh, Geraldine Milbert, Anne Daniel Young, Mechtilde Doherty, Catherine Patrick Cassidy, Rose Ellen Gorman, Beryl Herdt, Loretta Lynch, Mary Malone, Jane Francis Marron, and Joan Smith
◆ St. Charles Borromeo Resurrection and All Saints – Sr. Dorothy Hall
◆ St. Charles Parish – Sr. Jeanine Conlon
Other sisters have ministered at organizations dedicated to promoting Catholic values and advocating for social, environmental, and economic causes.
◆ Bedford Hills Correctional Facility – Sr. Dorothy Maxwell
◆ Dominican Sisters in Committed Collaboration (OPSCC) – Sr. Didi Madden
◆ Hudson Valley Catholic Deaf Center – Sr. BarbaraAnn Sgro