College Preaching in Action Conference
May 23-28, 2023, Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, MI
DYMUSA welcomed 20 students to the College Preaching in Action Conference held at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI at the end of May.
Students attended from across the nation - from Aquinas College, Albertus Magnus College, Barry University, Caldwell University, Dominican University New York, Edgewood College, Molloy University, Siena Heights University, and St. Thomas Aquinas College.
Each school group created an action plan to bring home what they learned from the conference. Some of the items featured in the action plans included
Care for Creation and Laudato Si’ Action Plan
Bringing Dominican Young Adults Chapters to their institutions
Strengthening relationships with Dominican Family
Action Plans by College
"We, the preachers"
Aquinas College
We, the preachers of Aquinas College, will preach with our lives by:
1. Sharing our service opportunities with our student peer minister coordinator of service, Faith Addington, and telling her about the blessing of the hands beforehand, the discernment process, and connecting to other departments, including professors and the Insignis honors program to raise awareness.
2. Bring a chapter of the Dominican Youth program to campus and beginning that as a small group. Talking to Sister Katherine Frazier and Sister Mary Ann Barrett, with the main goal of having it run by students.
3. Tours of Marywood (inspired by the Marywood Service project) and establishing better sister connections to offer role models and advice to the entire community.
Caldwell University
We, the preachers of Caldwell University, will preach with our lives by:
1. Bringing the community back and expanding the small home group method of unity. By creating the space we had for many more people and future leaders. This can also be done in a structured plan and free flowing for the needs/wants of the students/staff and members of the Caldwell University community.
2. Recruiting leaders who embody moral and academic integrity while upholding respect through our conduct with all peers and members of our university.
Dominican University New York
We, the preachers of Dominican University NY, will preach with our lives by:
1. Creating a Dominican Young Adult Chapter with STAC
2. Having a Worship Night for our students
3. Work on ways to educate incoming students about the Dominican order
Barry University
We, the preachers of Barry University, will preach with our lives by:
1. Starting a DYA chapter at Barry University
2. Presenting for faculty and staff on our preaching conference experience
3. Inviting Sister Katherine and Sisters currently at Barry University to speak at an event to introduce DYA
Albertus Magnus College
We, the preachers of Albertus Magnus College, will preach with our lives by:
1. We plan to work with our Laudato Si action platform to continue the sustainability program at Albertus Magnus College especially in regarding to recycling.
2. We want to continue to build our composing efforts in conjunction with our garden and community.
3. We plan to create a club that promotes cultural awareness working to educate the student body on culture, language, current events, ethnicities, and educate about micro-aggression and cultural sensitivities.
Edgewood College
We, the preachers of Edgewood College, will preach with our lives by:
1. Re-starting conversations about DYMUSA at Edgewood College
2. Plan a fall leadership retreat focusing on campus collaboration and social justice
3. Cassie, Laura and Jazz will share learnings from the conference with new peer ministry team in the Fall
4. Invite students and alumni to join conference planning committee
Molloy University
We, the preachers of Molloy University will preach with our lives by:
1. Initiate and implement a sustainability program by creating a trash sorting system throughout campus and collaborating with student clubs and service corps.
2. Campus wide service event during the fall semester in which we collaborate with local non-profit organizations.
3. Collaborative effort with DYA and Molloy in efforts to increase the community and fellowship of the Dominican Charism.
Siena Heights University
We, the preachers of Siena Heights University, will preach with our lives by:
1. We would love to host a sister prom! We want to increase the Dominican presence on campus.
2. Sustainability – planting a tree and exploring setting up composting.
3. Sister of the Month on an RA board. Include an intro of the sisters and highlights.
St. Thomas Aquinas College
We, the preachers of St. Thomas Aquinas College, will preach with our lives by:
1. To continue to engage students, faculty, administrators and staff to embrace and proclaim the College’s mission and value statements that are rooted in the Dominican tradition of study, reflection and service.
2. To work toward further enhancing the College’s commitment to sustainability and its care for the earth and connect more with the Dominican Sisters goal of a ministry for justice.
3. To deepen student, faculty and staff knowledge of the history of the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill, their goal, mission and commitment and social justice issues, Laudato Si, and their rich history as a congregation – connecting to and collaborating with the college.