Catch the Fire Newsletter Articles
September 2026
From Left to Right: Alex Pierre, Jude Peterson, Laila Wright, Sr. Peggy Scarano, OP., Drew Basile, Ria Jose and Victoria Calabro
Preaching with Your Life: Dominican College Preaching Conference
Every College Preaching in Action Conference begins a spark in the hearts of the young people that attend. Each group of students are sent forth from the conference with new found zeal, knowledge, and purpose. This year’s Preaching in Action Conference was held from May 19th to 24th, and hosted at St. Thomas Aquinas College. The event brought together students from six colleges/universities, founded within the Dominican tradition. The Mentors from each school shepherded these students as they led ‘homegroups’ each night, praying and reflecting on the activities and lessons of the day.
Gifted presenters shared their wisdom and experiences of what it means to “be Dominican.” The conference empowered attendees to ‘put their faith into practice and awaken within them their call to be Preachers of the Good News!’
Sessions spanned from the spirituality of preaching to responding to the signs of the times through Catholic Social Teaching. Students grew a deeper understanding of Dominican Charism, Dominican prayer forms and the Four Dominican Pillars. Actively engaging in a day of service gave the participants a glimpse into how the Dominican Order’s global vision inspires initiatives for peace, justice and environmental care, and how they can do their part. Prayer was a highlight as the student groups led morning and evening prayers. Using songs like Family of Dominic, People of the Holy Preaching, Joyful Friar, Hymn of Jubilee, and the Dominican Magnificat to praise God! A highlight of the week was an ice-cream social hosted by the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill, where everyone broke out into song and dance together.
At the closing liturgy of the conference, there is a tradition where the students from each school stand and receive a Dominican Cross and a blessing. Every group of students is asked the question, “How will you preach with your life? What will you bring back to your campus?”
The six students from St. Thomas Aquinas College, promised to ‘preach with their lives' by:
“deepening their commitment to the Four (founding) Pillars of the Dominican Order – Study, Prayer, Community, Service; increasing their connection to the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill, the college's founders; and creating opportunities to collaborate with the various faith-based (on-campus) student groups.”
This is the Action Plan that will be incorporated into STAC’s Mission and Ministry Program during the 2026-2027 Academic Year.
For the six St. Thomas Aquinas College students and their mentor Sr. Peggy Scarano, the conference provided a connection to the college's Mission, Vision, and Values. The students came away with the insights and reflections written below:
- Drew Basile (senior): I learned a lot about the Dominican Sisters/Dominican Order and the worldwide impact they are making. And I got to share my talent as a drummer!
- Laila Wright (senior): The conference was inspiring and meaningful for me – learning to pray through art and what real discernment is, will definitely bring me into my senior year with renewed enthusiasm. I thought the conference was very informative, inspiring, and meaningful.
- Ria Jose (sophomore): The week was a spiritually refreshing time for me, reminding me that faith becomes more potent through the people you share it with. More than anything I was moved by the students and mentors. There was something very sincere and grounding about being surrounded by others who were striving towards God together.
- Alec Pierre (sophomore): The Dominican values and traditions I learn about will definitely help me deepen my faith and trust in God and to open myself to other religious Backgrounds. We are family!
- Victoria Calabro (sophomore): I feel blessed with the connections I made with the students and mentors from the various colleges, being able to share my faith with them. My favorite part was learning about the Four Pillars and hearing about the Dominican Sister’s involvement in the United Nations.
- Jude Petersen (sophomore): The presentations and discussions on prayer and worship made an impact on me and will stay a part of my life as I spread the Word of God.
For Sr. Peggy Scarano, Mentor and Co-Director of the Mission and Ministry Program:
“Journeying with young women and men and their mentors, studying together, sharing prayer, and participating in a day of service – what a blessing as together we brought to life the Four Pillars of the Dominican Order.”
All who participated in the 2026 National Dominican Preaching in Action Conference agreed that it was a wonderful experience and that together we are definitely a part of the the Worldwide Dominican Family!
An FYI: Founded in 1999 the Dominican Youth Movement USA, through high school, college, and young adult programs, makes the connection between the traditions of the world-wide Order of Dominican Sisters, Brothers, and Priests (Friars) while providing leadership training and preaching opportunities. The college program began 25 years ago, held at St. Thomas Aquinas College.
DYMUSA thanks St. Thomas Aquinas College, and everyone behind the scenes and at the forefront, for hosting the College Conference for the past two years.
Written by Sr. Peggy Scarano and edited by Lianni Castro Teets
From L to R: Sr. Pat Stringer, OP, LIndsay Hulin, Sr. Katherine Frazier, OP.
From Caldwell to Chile
by Lindsay Hulin
To praise, to bless, to preach: the powerful motto of the Dominican Order has been ingrained in my spirit since my time as a student at Mount Saint Dominic Academy.
This summer, I had the opportunity to attend the 15th International Dominican Youth Movement
meeting in Santiago, Chile with our Caldwell DYA mentor and moderator, Sr. Pat Stringer, and
Adrian Dominican Sr. Katherine Frazier, OP.
Through my years at the Mount, and then at Caldwell University, I had the privilege of attending the DYMUSA high school and college preaching conferences. I later became a founding member of the Caldwell DYA group “Flames of Hope”, which I am still a proud member of today.
It was a wonderful experience filled with formation workshops, work on the international assembly, and community time with other young adults from all over the world. Our days were packed with sessions discussing how to promote faith formation in our communities, such as reaching out to marginalized communities within the Church and maintaining open and constructive dialogue with young adults. We discussed important female figures in the Bible and how their personalities and roles have been interpreted throughout history and examined the origins of the Order and its structure through a study of the life of Saint Dominic.
My responsibilities also included serving as the U.S. representative for the International Assembly. This role meant working on a commission (I was assigned Mission) where we reviewed suggestions from member groups on how to better support and promote the development of the Mission of the Order and proposed amendments to international practices and statutes. I also took part in official elective processes. Our recreational time was filled with team-building, a hike up to Cerro San Cristóbal in the heart of Santiago with breathtaking views of the Andes Mountains, karaoke, a dance party, fun awards, cultural night, trivia (we took first place!), good food, and lots of great conversation and laughs with a phenomenal group of faith-filled young adults and Dominican Friars.
Being a part of this extraordinary meeting was not only the trip of a lifetime; it was a blessing and a beautiful reminder that the Dominican motto, “to praise, to bless, to preach” which truly encompasses the heart of the DYA faith community. Faith transcends all languages, cultures, and borders and is not something we are meant to experience on our own. It grows when we listen to others, share stories, provide support and comfort, serve our communities, and make space for those who are still finding their way. Being a Dominican Young Adult is about walking alongside others in their faith journey. I am incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity and to have returned home with a renewed understanding of what it means to be a part of the Dominican Youth Movement.
One of my biggest takeaways from my experience at the IDYM meeting was the need to proactively reach out to young adults and provide a safe space for dialogue and meaningful conversation as well as a welcoming and nurturing faith-filled environment. Being surrounded by such an amazing group of young adults from around the world who were so committed to the Dominican charism also helped remind me that our mission as members of DYA needs to continue to remain focused on preaching through actions, using words only when necessary.
Do you want to start a Dominican Young Adult group at your college, university or parish/community? Here is an informational video with a short history of DYA groups and information on how YOU can start one. For more info contact Lianni at info@dymusa.org.
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The Dominican High Schools Preaching Conference
The Dominican High Schools Preaching Conference empowers high school students to discover and deepen the preacher within themselves through prayer, study, community and interaction with members of the Dominican Family. Each year students from Dominican High Schools gather from across the country to participate in this conference. In total, more than 2,000 students have participated since its beginning in 1999.
DYMUSA held two regional Conferences for this year’s 2026 High School Preaching Conferences. From Thursday June 18 until Sunday June 21, 2026, 29 students and mentors from nine different high schools representing three states gathered in Adrian, Michigan for the first of two regional conferences. From Sunday June 28 until July 1, 2026, 19 students and their mentors gathered at the Center at Mariandale in Ossining, New York to gather for the second regional High Schools Preaching Conference.
From the words of one of our High School participants, “The Dominican High School Youth Preaching Conference was an amazing experience. It helped me to become a better preacher and person overall. If you have the opportunity to come, do not hesitate.”
So What's the Answer?
There was a great famine!
The quote is “I will not study on dead skins when living skins are dying of hunger.”
In 1190, there was a devastating famine throughout Spain. At the age of 14, St. Dominic was moved with pity at the sight of so many starving and dying people. In Palencia, St. Dominic witnessed the poor dying in the streets for lack of food. This is an example of how St. Dominic recognized the signs of the times and acted with charity and service of others.
He sold his belongings and his precious books, which at that time were, during the 12th century, very precious indeed. Books were incredibly rare and written on dried animal hides. Each book was laboriously copied by hand by Monks in monasteries.
After St. Dominic’s classmates heard about what he did, they too were inspired to give and even open up their own food stores to give to the poor.