June 29, 2023
Fifteen retreatants recently attended a 5-day silent retreat at the St. Augustine Center in Conway, Michigan. The retreat was completely silent, except for time spent with one’s spiritual director each day. Each retreatant was free to decide the shape of silence: some took long solitary walks on nature trails or the beach; some took their […]
June 15, 2023
What to Expect If you are considering The Foundations in Spirituality formation intensive at Dominican Center Marywood at Aquinas College, this video from a graduate of the program may be helpful. Phillip Johnson, Ph.D. completed Foundations in Spirituality in 2020. In this video, Dr. Johnson reflects on how his experience in Foundations transformed his approach […]
April 19, 2023
Does the anticipation of spring bring your spirit new awakening energy? Emergence is a noun that goes back to the Latin root emergere, meaning “bring to light”. Are there certain spiritual practices that lighten your heart and help you recharge and feel renewed, practices that energize your ability to envision new paths? Thomas Merton said, […]
March 28, 2023
This past weekend Kent Dobson presented an introductory workshop on Dreams and Dream Work at Dominican Center Marywood on Aquinas College campus. According to Kent, “dreams deliver material in poetic form.” He shared many insights with the group of participants. When speaking of the soul or “psyche” he stated “the soul gives us clues or […]
March 9, 2023
Have you ever wondered how dreams relate to your spiritual life? “Dreams are the back door into the Spiritual life,” says Kent Dobson, author, teacher, and spiritual guide. In the modern world, we have lost this way of listening deeply to the Soul, to the Divine, and we often resist the hidden chambers that dreams […]
March 7, 2023
Dominican Sisters are Refusing to Use or Buy Single-Use Beverages in Plastic Bottles During Catholic Sisters Week We decided to join the Sisters and invite friends of Dominican Center and Aquinas College to join the challenge. The Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids, Michigan are one of many congregations of Catholic Sisters taking up the “Refuse […]
February 21, 2023
The Lenten season invites us to reflect and reaffirm our commitment to be consciously divine changemakers in this Body of Christ. Thomas Merton wrote, "We do not find the meaning of life alone, we find it with another." I imagine how this message might influence how I enter into Lent. I plan to accept it […]
January 5, 2023
Look for "stars"... that direct your journey, that offer new perspectives, that induce wonder and awe, that call us to risk, that entice us to sing, dream, hope, dance, march. What a meaningful message to welcome in the new year. It's from an Epiphany prayer by Sr. Mary Ann Barrett, alumni engagement officer at […]
January 4, 2023
If you’ve been on the fence about signing up for the Enneagram programs at Dominican Center Marywood at Aquinas College, either because the word Enneagram itself scares you a little or seems too woo woo, I hope this essay offers some clarity about the tools Ennegram offers each person in any stage of personal growth. […]
June 20, 2022
A transformative moment for me as a Dominican Associate was the last day of class at the end of the three-year Spiritual Direction Practicum. Sister Nancy Brousseau and Judy Hahn, our instructors, had equipped us with great teaching and training. Yet, I and the other students felt ill-equipped to go out into the world and […]