Advent Blog
Those at the Peace Center offer a reflection in this blog, remembering each week of Advent. Thank you to the Sisters and Associates involved in this celebration! Please click here to read.
Dominican Family News
December Happenings
Get the latest news from the Dominican Youth Movement USA in their December newsletter. Click here to read.
Congregational News
Reminder for tomorrow
Please remember to join the Leadership Team for our final webcast of 2024 on Thursday, December 19 at 7 pm EST. Click here to join via YouTube.
Announcement from Diocese of Columbus
Due to the possibility of changes in immigration requirements coming in 2025, the Office of Diocesan Legal Counsel is issuing a travel advisory to all foreign national priests and religious men and women.
They suggest that if you are traveling outside of the U.S., consider returning before January 20 or not traveling at all. They also say travel after January 20 should be postponed (unless for the highest priorities); and they encourage those traveling for vacation to delay travels until they receive and provide more details.
If you have any questions or need further clarification, you can reach out to the Office of Diocesan Legal Counsel.
In The Media
Documentary of Note
You may want to put some time aside for this one.
Trapped in Paradise is an hour-long, original documentary following four nuns’ dramatic experience during WWII. It had its broadcast premiere on Prairie Public Broadcasting on December 12.
Based on the journals of Sister Hedda Jaeger, the documentary follows four Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange who made the long voyage to the South Pacific in 1940. While doing missionary work in the Solomon Islands in 1941, the Sisters were forced to hide deep in the jungles for several months following the invasion by Japanese naval forces.
It is now available to a worldwide audience.
Please click here if you'd like to view it on YouTube.
If you would rather watch the PBS presentation, please click here.
We are grateful to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange for sharing the word about this documentary and for their story.
Events
2025 Jubilee Celebration
Columbus Diocese Bishop Earl K. Fernandes will inaugurate the Jubilee Year on Sunday, December 29.
It begins with a parish Mass at Holy Cross Church at 9 a.m. and will continue with a procession to St. Joseph Cathedral.
The official inauguration is the celebration of a 10:30 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral.
To learn more about Jubilee 2025 - Pilgrims of Hope please click here.
Also note that only in Rome are Holy Doors to be opened.
St. Joseph's Cathedral in Columbus and the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption in Lancaster are designated pilgrimage churches in the Columbus Diocese.
Prayer Requests
- Sr. Valerie Shaul (Columbus, OH, valerie.shaul@oppeace.org) requests prayer for Associate Roseann Sokol's recovery. Roseann broke her elbow and damaged her tendons in a fall and will be recovering in Regina Health Care Center in Richfield, Ohio. Roseann was the Director of the Wellness Center at the Akron Motherhouse for many years.
- Sr. Renee Dreiling (Great Bend, KS, renee.dreiling@oppeace.org) requests prayer for 14-year-old Elaine who has a severe infection. The young girl had several rods placed in her back to straighten her spine.
- Associate Cecilia Jarmer (Pratt, KS, celiamarie@gmail.com) asks for prayer for her lifelong friend Josephine Good who has been diagnosed with B cell lymphoma. She meets with her oncologist to determine treatment.
- Associate Bobbie Cline (Richardson, TX, bcline51@yahoo.com) requests prayers for her son's father-in-law, Jerrell Patrick, who is unresponsive and is being rushed to the hospital.
- Sr. Joan Franklin (Columbus, OH, joan.franklin@oppeace.org) requests prayers for her first cousin, Martin E. Eich who died December 11 and to also keep family members in prayer.
- Sr. June Fitzgerald (New Haven, CT, june.fitzgerald@oppeace.org) requests prayer for her aunt, Joanne Robbins, who is hospitalized with pneumonia and a-fib.