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What does sponsored ministry mean?
For a ministry or program to be sponsored, it must ‘fit’ the mission or the purposes of this congregation of Dominican Sisters.
This is the mission of the Racine Dominicans: Commitment to truth in the light of the Gospel compels us to consecrate whatever power and influence we have personally and as a community, to sustain the fundamental right of every person to pursue the fullness of life and to share in the common good. (Constitution 8)
We carry out our mission, our purpose, in our work or our ministries. In our various ministries, we seek to proclaim truth and promote justice
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by holding the world in prayerful solidarity;
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by addressing immediate needs of those oppressed and alienated by injustice;
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changing unjust attitudes, structures, and systems through education and other forms of constructive influence;
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by helping to affect actual advances toward fuller justice whenever it is within our power to do so. (Constitution 8.1)
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St. Catherine’s High School and the HOPES Center of Racine are just two sponsored ministries of the Racine Dominican Sisters.
A sponsored ministry is a legal corporation properly formed and identified in both the state of Wisconsin and the Catholic Church.
For each corporation there is a Board of Directors responsible for governance and policy-making for the organization and an Executive Director responsible for policy implementation in the overall programming. This is big work! Therefore it is shared among many people. While there are always a few sisters who serve as Board Directors, most Board Directors are men and women who live in the broader Racine area.
Occasionally sisters are among the employees of the corporation, or sponsored ministry. For example, a sister is the Assistant Principal at St. Catherine’s; two more are guidance counselors. At the HOPES Center, two sisters are currently the interim co-directors and two are counselors. However, there are many more employees!
Sisters always have freely given their time and talents wherever needed. Therefore, many sisters are among the ranks of the volunteers who assist in different ways in the work of our sponsored ministries. However, hundreds of others generously serve as volunteers as well.
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St. Catherine’s High School is the longest held sponsored ministry of the Dominican Sisters. Since 1864 St. Catherine’s High School graduates socially responsible women and men committed to gospel-value living and life-long learning; prepared to enter college or the world of work; and willing to contribute leadership and service to their communities.
The school began as St. Catharina’s Female Academy on the grounds of the Dominican Motherhouse which was then located on the present SCHS’s athletic field! The oldest part of the current structure was built across Park Avenue in 1924; a 14 room addition was constructed in the 1940s. By the end of the late 1950s there were over 1,000 students in the school.
Today St. Catherine’s has a 6-12 grade program with about 450 students. As a Dominican school, students and staff commit themselves to the Dominican ideals of ministry, study, community and prayer. Well over 90% of graduating students go on to further studies.
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Bethany Apartments provide transitional housing for women and children who have suffered domestic abuse. All of Bethany’s residents are homeless and low income. Our mission is to provide safe, decent, affordable housing to women and children; to provide supportive services that enable participants to regain their self-esteem and develop the skills needed to live independent lives; and to strive to enable the women and children to create an environment of nonviolence in their relationships and in their families.
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Dedicated to environmental education and care of Earth, our Eco-Justice Center demonstrates sustainable, simple living in the context of community, contemplation, creativity, and cultivation. The center includes wetland, woodland, pasture, gardens, outbuildings, an “Education Station,” and a residence for the community of sisters who live and work at the Eco-Justice Center. Youth and adults experience hands-on learning in day camps, field trips, education programs, workshops and volunteer activities. Organic gardening, raising various animals and caring for alpacas are some ways those at the Eco-Justice Center live in harmony with Earth. Visitors have the opportunity to touch the natural world and develop a deeper appreciation and respect for our Earth’s precious resources.
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Located in downtown Racine, the HOPES (Healing, Opportunity, Peace, Ecology and Spirituality) Center builds awareness of the causes and consequences of poverty and employs collaborative, multi-dimensional approaches to alleviate them. The Cup of Hope coffee shop sells Fair Trade coffees; the adjoining Just Trade store sells Fair Trade products. HOPES also has a counseling center and prayer room. The HOPES Center encourages wholeness and healing, and promotes peace and justice issues.
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Our program strives to alleviate the loneliness of elderly men and women in Racine County by providing companionship and linking them with their church and other community resources. Our goal is to enable seniors to live out their later years with hope, meaning and dignity by matching volunteer visitors with older adults who are homebound or in living facilities.
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Located on the scenic shore of Lake Michigan, our Retreat Center offers a variety of retreats and enrichment programs in a serene, nurturing environment. In addition, we offer spiritual direction and training, private time away, directed retreats, and an extensive, contemporary bookstore. We have both an indoor and an outdoor labyrinth. The Retreat Center also hosts the gatherings and retreats of other organizations and groups focused on spiritual wholeness.
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Our school is committed to the Christian education of young people. We welcome students of diverse backgrounds and strive to provide an excellent academic program that challenges all students to develop their God-given talents and achieve their highest potential. We work to graduate socially responsible women and men committed to gospel-value living and lifelong learning, prepared to enter college and/or the work world, and willing to contribute leadership and service to their community.
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The Racine Dominicans live by the mission: committed to truth, compelled to justice. Commitment to truth in light of the Gospel compels us to use whatever power we have to sustain the fundamental right of every person to pursue the fullness of life and to share in the common good. Today this stance demands an explicit solidarity in prayer, struggle and hope with people oppressed by systems that serve only the interests of the wealthy and advantaged. This perspective governs our every ministry, whether it is among the economically advantaged or the economically poor.
Historically, we were often associated with school ministries. In addition to teachers, school administrators and college professors, today our members are health care professionals, social workers, prison ministers, community organizers, environmentalists, counselors, administrators, cooks, pastoral ministers, artists, spiritual directors, musicians, peace activists, researchers, writers and more.
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