There seems to be a growing curiosity about religion, living more deeply spiritual lives, and yes—vocations to religious life. A new approach to welcoming vocation discerners is taking root among the Springfield Dominicans, too. Come along with Sisters Denise Glazik and Mary Jo Sobieck to discover what’s happening and how you can support the movement. 

Mike Tanner’s superpower may be his ability to accompany those who, like himself, have experienced limb loss and the attending challenges that come with such a change. He has learned how to create communities of care that change the world for those who’ve had an amputation and for their loved ones. What’s Mike’s secret? 

What does consecrated religious life have to give to the life of the church and the world at this moment in human history? Sister M. Paul McCaughey and Sister Mila Diaz Solano share the insights they gained during their participation in global gatherings of Catholic Sisters last spring in Rome. 

We Springfield Dominicans have taken on as a General Chapter commitment the goal of learning to be more intentionally intercultural in the way we live our religious life.

Last spring, during our congregation’s general chapter, we made a commitment to "to walk together into a future of authentic intercultural living.”   The concept of interculturality often raises more questions than it answers.  What does it mean? Why does it matter? And how do we get there  —meaning how do we attune ourselves to living prophetically enough to provide a foundation for a world of flourishing for people of every culture, race, and creed? Indeed, how do we create a world that comes closer to the beloved kingdom Jesus proclaimed? 

Today our guests are Tony Rothering, who teaches biology at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield and Angelea Cook, a biology student, who works with Tony managing the bird banding site at Jubilee Farm.   Next week marks the tenth anniversary of Laudato Si’, Pope Francis ground-breaking encyclical about the urgent need to care for Earth, our common home. In addition, this year, we celebrate a quarter-century of care for creation at Jubilee Farm.

The hospice nurse carries a pocketful of medical tools; the chaplain, a pocketful of the Word of God. This is how hospice nurse Cyndi Lawson describes nurse-chaplain collaboration in hospice care. We will learn more from Cyndi and Sister Kelly as they share insights into their ministry during this edition of FLOWcast, a podcast “For the Life of the World” from the Dominican Sisters of Springfield. After their conversation, I talk with Springfield Dominican Associate Marianne Chevalier about her experience with hospice in the final weeks of her husband Dan’s life. Dan died at home in December 2023. 

What difference has it made that for two decades the Dominican Sisters of Springfield have been working to dismantle systems that perpetuate racism? In this episode, we talk with two founders of SDART—that's the Springfield Dominican Antiracism Team—about why they persist in their efforts, what difference it's made and why their work is still necessary today. 

What does the future hold for the Order of Preachers?   After completing a term in elected leadership for the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Sister Mila Diaz Solano was freer to travel and engage in the scholarship and global dialogue that is her passion. In this conversation she unpacks her experience to share her “dreams and visions” for the future of Dominican life worldwide. 

Is coffee the key to Christian unity? During the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Dr. Jon Nilson, professor emeritus of Theology, Loyola University Chicago joins Sister Beth Murphy for a conversation about ecumenism in light of the most recent synod’s “conversations in the Spirit” about the ways Christian unity can enrich Catholicism, lead to a more synodal church, and bring about deep healing in the Body of Christ. Coffee and other seemingly mundane things may be the key.

This time of year, Christmas memories flash on like the lights on our Christmas trees. Here are some joyful, exuberant, touching true tales from four of our Dominican Sisters.

Three months into their term of service as leaders for the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, the new team discusses their approach to implementing the decisions of the 2024 General Chapter, their thoughts on leadership, and the changing realities for consecrated women religious.

Challenges related to language-learning for immigrant women often mean they are among the last in their families to learn English. The Springfield Dominican Sisters have opened a new literacy center to meet the language-learning needs of women and we need volunteer tutors to join us. Sister Katherine O'Connor and tutor-volunteer Tammy McCormick talk about the new center and the rewards of being in relationship with women passionate about learning English.

Our focus is the Sunday liturgy. The Catholic Church, and other Christian traditions, too, use a lectionary, a kind of schedule of readings from the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, so worshipers can know what biblical texts will be used on any given Sunday. Here our guests share their experience preparing for Sunday liturgy using lectio divina—“holy reading.” Sister Phyllis has led a lectio divina group for several years, and Sister Jude has been a faithful participant. Here they share the fruits of what they’ve learned from this fruitful way of preparing for preparation in the Sunday assembly at Mass.

Gardening is good for the soil—and good for the soul. Springfield Dominican Sister Kristin Crawford shares lessons from the permaculture garden at Jubilee Farm with our Dominican Associate John Malanchak, who talks about the impact of gardening with persons with disabilities. 

On the Feast of the Holy Rosary in 1972, a relaxing island holiday in the Minnesota Boundary Waters brought four Springfield Dominican Sisters to the brink of tragedy. Sister Margaret Grueter and Sister Marie Michelle Hackett share their poignant memories of this heart-racing experience in a special Catholic Sisters Week edition of F.L.O.W.cast.

The greatest gift of Christmas is the one that most matters: the Incarnation of the Son of God. In this special F.L..O.Wcast episode, Sister Lori Kirchman, a liturgical musician, and Sister Joanne Delehanty, a pastoral minister, share their mutual love for an ancient poem set to a haunting medieval chant. They unpack the lyrics and explore the intricacies of the text, the chant, and their healing and life-transforming properties.

Do you have a favorite hymn? One that touches your heart? Perhaps one that changed your life in some way? On this episode of F.L.O.W.cast we explore hymns and songs our listeners told us were their favorites, in our first ever fan participation episode.

Give yourself—and God—the gift of time during this holy season of Advent and let Sister Phyllis Schenk , an experienced spiritual guide, lead you in a few moments of quiet reflection. You may want to get a hot drink and your journal and Bible before you sit down for this timeless prayerful retreat.

Two million square miles of rainforest in the Amazon River basin is the focus of the global Dominican family’s Month for Peace observance in 2023. Springfield Dominican Sister Mila Díaz Solano and Father Brendan Curran, a member of the Dominican central province and the North American co-promoter of justice for the Order of Preachers discuss the challenges facing the region and the dream of Dominicans in the Amazon for the people they serve.