The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Dominic – commonly known as the Dominican Sisters, Immaculate Conception Province — celebrated 100 years in the United States with a Jubilee Mass at Columbus St. Patrick Church on Sunday, Aug. 17.
The order’s provincial house is located in Justice, Illinois, with other provincial sites in Columbus, Ohio; Mountain Home, Arkansas; and Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The Jubilee Mass was celebrated by Father Michael Mary Dosch, O.P. (Order of Preachers), Socius and Vicar Provincial for the Dominican Order, Province of St. Joseph, in the eastern United States. He formerly served in Columbus as pastor at St. Patrick Church.
Father Stash Dailey, pastor at Worthington St. Michael the Archangel Church, concelebrated the Mass and preached the homily. The former diocesan vicar for religious was instrumental in bringing the Dominican Sisters to Columbus in 2013.
Other concelebrants included Father Michael Hartge, diocesan vicar general, moderator of the curia and moderator of mission advancement; Father William Hahn, vicar general and director of priestly life; and Father Victor Moratin, a priest of the Fathers of Mercy religious order and a spiritual director at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus.
The Fathers of Mercy are friends of the Dominican Sisters, both under the patronage of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The two orders connected a few years ago and celebrate their feast day together, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, on Dec. 8.
Several seminarians in formation for the Fathers of Mercy order were present at the Jubilee Mass.
Father Paul Marich, O.P., current pastor at St. Patrick Church, was also present. The downtown church has been served by the Dominican Order since 1885.
“The Dominican Sisters bring such joy to our parish community at St. Patrick’s. We are blessed to have them present, not just in various ministries, but more importantly, because of their witness as consecrated religious, formed according to the way of life set out by St. Dominic,” Father Marich said.
“As religious sisters, they offer an invaluable gift to the people of God, especially for girls and young women who may be discerning God’s will for their lives. As Dominicans, we are blessed to have them be part of the various customs and traditions that are part of the order’s history, such as our Good Friday celebration and the Rosary Sunday procession.”
The Sisters of St. Dominic arrived in the United States from Poland in 1925. The order was founded in their home country decades earlier in 1861 by Mother Kolumba Białecka.
The congregation was formed to preach the truth of the Gospel to people in greatest need. Its apostolates include education, evangelization, and aid to the sick and suffering.
Two Dominican Sisters came to Chicago in May 1925 to raise funds for the order. More sisters soon came to the United States and joined them. After residing in Illinois for several years, they felt called to remain and serve the locality.
The Immaculate Conception province, or region, in the United States was officially established in 1951.
The Aug. 17 Jubilee Mass at St. Patrick Church was held on the feast of St. Hyacinth, O.P. (1185-1257), known as the “Polish St. Dominic” and patron of Poland.
St. Hyacinth, born in Poland, was the nephew of the Bishop of Cracow. His uncle brought him to Rome, where Hyacinth observed St. Dominic preaching and felt a desire to join him.
St. Dominic accepted Hyacinth into the new Order of Preachers (founded in 1216), giving him his habit in 1220. Soon after professing vows, Dominic sent Hyacinth and his companions back to Poland to preach and promote the salvation of souls.
St. Hyacinth later traveled to various countries, converting souls, before his death.
Since their arrival in the Diocese of Columbus in 2013, the Dominican Sisters, Immaculate Conception Province have undertaken various apostolates.
Sisters work in the Office of Catholic Schools and teach in diocesan schools.
Sister Leonarda Zielinska, O.P., who was recently reassigned to the provincial house in Justice, served as parish director of religious education at St. Patrick Church since the order’s arrival in Columbus. A number of sisters assisted in the church’s high school youth ministry.
Sister Marta Gawron, O.P. will take Sister Leonarda’s place as director of religious education at St. Patrick. She arrived in Columbus last month.
Sister Marta, a native of Poland, spent the past 10 years at the order’s provincial house in Illinois. She will continue to serve as the province’s archivist.
“When it comes to life in the U.S. itself, I found myself at home,” she said. “I greatly appreciate American people’s kindness. Almost everywhere I go, I (am) met with a smile and a good word.”
Sister Marta professed her perpetual, or final, vows five years ago.
“Religious life is something that many do not understand, but it is absolutely beautiful,” she said. “It is also demanding.
“Many times I experienced how little I am and really unable to do anything on my own, but at the same time how wonderful it is to come with these inabilities and deficiencies to Christ, Who only waits for such acts of complete trust and showers His grace upon me.”
Sister Marta said she first thought of consecrated religious life at age 13. She wondered how life would be as a religious sister, but she did not spend much time on the thought.
“Becoming a religious seemed so extraordinary that I thought it was not for me,” she remembered.
She later graduated from high school and began college. She studied for a semester before leaving.
“I realized that I could not go on living my life like that. I knew I was missing something that was the most crucial: I was missing the purpose, the absolute point of reference,” she said.
“I was missing God. I realized that He is the only One who could fill this great aching void in me. It became clear in an instant: the closest I can be to Him in this life before He takes me to Himself is by becoming a sister.”
Sister Marta began looking for a religious community. She read about various communities while not having any specific charism or apostolate in mind.
“I basically Googled a list of religious congregations in Poland,” she recalled.
“I believe He guided that search. Quickly I found the Dominican Sisters and something drew me to them, although I cannot say what exactly. Something just warmed my heart.”
Sister Marta contacted the congregation. She was invited to a “come and see” with the community.
“The moment I went through the door of the convent I knew this was my place,” she said. “I entered one week later.”
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