Six Dominican Congregations, One Shared Mission: Dominican Sisters Gather in California to Celebrate New Association

Six congregations of Dominican Sisters came together November 7–8 in San Rafael, California, for a joyful and historic gathering marking the welcome of the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael into the Dominican Sisters Association (DSA). The occasion represents an important milestone for the newly established Association, as San Rafael becomes its first member congregation beyond the five founding communities.

The gathering took place during the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael’s annual assembly, which provided an opportunity to bring together the DSA Executive Committee and representative Sisters from each of the five founding congregations: Sisters Mary Hughes and Beth McGarvey from Amityville; Sisters Dorothy Hall and Terry Rickard from Blauvelt; Sisters Debra Lynch and Marie Mueller from Caldwell; Sisters Eileen Donovan and Mary Murray from Sparkill; and Sisters Connie Kelly and Mary Fagan from Hope. More than an organizational milestone, the in-person gathering offered something essential to the work ahead: the opportunity to meet face-to-face, deepen relationships, share perspectives, and begin imagining together what the future of Dominican life and mission might hold.

Sunday was a day of presentations by members of the DSA Executive Committee, introducing the Association’s structures, shared commitments, and developing priorities. Equally important was an invitation to the San Rafael Sisters to take an active role in shaping the new organization. With the Association still in its early stages, participants emphasized that every congregation brings valuable perspectives, gifts, and experience to the table—and that there is much yet to imagine and create together.

Reflecting on the journey that brought San Rafael into the Association, Sister Abby Newton, OP, Prioress of the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, expressed gratitude for the spirit of welcome and mutual openness that characterized the process from the beginning.

“From our very first conversations, we have felt the warmth and welcome of our Dominican Sisters across the country. And I hope you have experienced that same hospitality here in San Rafael,” she said. “One particularly meaningful moment came during our discernment, when a Sister observed that the DSA knew so much about us through our application process, but we knew very little about the founding congregations. The Executive Committee took that observation to heart, and within weeks, we received applications from all five founding congregations. It was a powerful moment of inclusivity and true sisterhood. We were all on the same plane.”

The celebration culminated in a Eucharistic liturgy in the beautiful chapel of the Dominican Convent in San Rafael, presided over by Dominican Father Michael Fones, OP. A particularly meaningful ritual brought the six congregations together in a striking expression of their shared commitment.

Led by the DSA banner, a Sister representative from each congregation processed forward carrying a glass vessel bearing her congregation’s shield and filled with oil. Sister Abby Newton, OP, carried a lamp. One by one, each Sister announced her congregation’s name and poured its oil into the common lamp. The six distinct vessels, each representing a unique Dominican heritage, contributed to one shared flame.

In her reflection, Sister Theresa (Terry) Rickard, OP (Blauvelt), President of the DSA, explored the rich symbolism of the ritual under the theme, Six Vessels, One Lamp, One Flame.
“No congregation has surrendered her identity. Each has brought something precious from her own history—her charism, her wisdom, her struggles, her hopes, and her fidelity to the Gospel. And now, together, that oil sustains one flame,” she reflected.

Drawing on the Gospel parable of the wise virgins, Sister Terry offered a reminder that the work of sustaining religious life requires more than preserving what has been handed down. It calls for the wisdom and generosity to share what each community has received.

“A lamp cannot burn on yesterday’s oil forever. And neither can religious life. We need new oil, we need more oil,” she said.

She went on to describe the Association as a response not simply to the practical realities facing religious congregations, but to a shared conviction that Dominican life and mission have something vital to offer the Church and the world.

“We are not simply coming together because we have fewer sisters and less capacity for leadership,” she said. “We formed the Association because we believe our Dominican charism still has something vital to offer the Church and the world.”

The ritual concluded with the presentation of booklets containing the DSA’s founding documents, Statutes, and Directory to the San Rafael Sisters—an invitation to participate fully in the life of the Association and help shape its future. As Sister Terry reminded those gathered, “The flame we tend together is not ours to keep. It is Christ’s light, entrusted to us to share with the world.”

Established in 2025 and canonically approved by the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the Dominican Sisters Association represents an innovative model of affiliation among Dominican congregations, laying the groundwork for future shared canonical governance. Its five founding congregations are the Dominican Sisters of Amityville, Blauvelt, Caldwell, Hope, and Sparkill, all based on the East Coast.

The Association seeks to strengthen Dominican life and mission through shared spirituality, creative approaches to leadership, deeper relationships, mutual support, and responsible stewardship of resources. Its common mission is to preach the Gospel through justice, truth-seeking, and compassion.

For the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, whose roots in California date to 1850, joining the Association is a hopeful expression of their 2024 General Chapter call: Moving Forward Together. Membership preserves the congregation’s distinct identity, name, and local presence while deepening its connection to Dominican Sisters across the country.

The November gathering brought that hope into tangible focus. Six congregations, each with its own history and gifts, now share a common lamp and a renewed commitment to tend the Dominican flame together.

Reflecting on the experience, Sister Abby described the congregation’s August 1 vote to approve membership, with 43 Sisters present, as “a graced moment.” The November gathering, she said, has continued that experience of grace, bringing the Sisters together in person to celebrate the relationships already formed and look toward all that they will build together.

For the six congregations, the work ahead is an invitation to listen, to trust, to collaborate, and to remain open to the possibilities that emerge when Dominican Sisters walk forward together.