S. Brenda Walsh has been a Racine Dominican Sister for 47 years. Growing up in Ireland, she felt called to join a religious community and bring God’s word to others, especially to the poor and vulnerable. Her ministries have taken her to distant parts of the world, including to some of the poorest villages in India and elsewhere. Now as the promoter of preaching at Siena Center, the motherhouse of the Dominicans Sisters in Racine, WI, she continues this work by reaching out in the community to promote peace and justice, and by supporting and caring for others throughout her various ministries.

“I try to take the Racine Dominican charism out into the community and find different ways to bring faith and justice to light in the lives of others,” explained S. Brenda. One of the major ways S. Brenda does this is through her extensive writing on peace and justice issues. She has been featured in many different sources, with articles appearing in local, national, and international periodicals and magazines. S. Brenda enjoys the responses she gets from others and the connection this gives her with them. She also enjoys responding to the needs of others, even if that means simply being a good listener. “If you feel with someone, they will know that and it will show them that there is hope.”

S. Brenda has also been deeply involved with many other programs promoting ministry and outreach. She helped start the Senior Companion Program, which connects older adults in Racine County to local services, faith communities, family, and friends, thereby giving hope and meaning to their lives. Though she no longer coordinates the program, she continues to visit 12–15 elderly people in their homes and connect them with whatever care and support they need. She also helped start a Health Care Network 25 years ago, providing medical and dental care for people who would normally have no access to healthcare. With the help of 200 volunteer doctors and nurses, 10,000 appointments have provided free healthcare to people in need.

Recently, S. Brenda has been working to spread awareness about the issue of violence in Racine. She contacts church and community leaders about how they can address violence and create a culture of peace. Even with all her involvement in these programs and others like them, S. Brenda still remains modest about her role in humanitarian efforts throughout the community. Instead of taking the credit, she prefers to emphasize the efforts of others. She likes to give people the “jump start” they need and then encourages and empowers them to take over and bring their own ideas and plans into action.

Though the different programs in which S. Brenda is involved are diverse, one can see how they all come under the umbrella of preaching. As a missionary, S. Brenda preaches not only with her words but with her actions, and this empowers others to see God at work in their own lives.

 To read about other Racine Dominican Sisters, click here.