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A Message and Invitation from the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill

Being Grateful For and Benefiting From Your Generosity Since our founding on May 6, 1876 the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill have lived and worked in rural, suburban and urban areas caring for the everyday needs of people.  Among our members are professionally trained educators, child-care workers, parish ministers, social workers, nurses, nurse practitioners, chaplains, artists, spiritual directors, housing managers, researchers, campus ministers and counselors. Our senior (retired and infirmed) Sisters, along with all of our members, pray daily for the needs of our friends and benefactors.  Today we number 354 members, with a median age of 73.  Additionally we have 46 lay associates.  Our Sisters are predominately located in New York, metropolitan St. Louis, MO, ministering among the Native Americans in Montana, in several other states throughout our country and in Pakistan and Peru.  As a congregation of women religious we strive to bring to life our goal and mission as: “joyful women of prayer and compassion, proclaiming the reign of God through a ministry for justice with reverence for all creation.”

Counting Our Blessings

As we reflect on the past (fiscal) year (Sept. ’09 – August ‘10), the Dominican Sisters are once again grateful for the generosity of our friends and benefactors.  We extend a THANK YOU! for your support of our varying ministries and in helping us care for our retired and infirm members.   You have enabled us to ‘hear the cry of the poor, the homeless, those less fortunate – most especially during these (continuing) economically challenging times.   You have helped us to support:

The New Beginnings Project at St. John Chrysostom School, Bronx, NY – upgrades to the playground area for the PreK, Kindergarten and 1st Grade students.  Several of our Sisters are part of the staff at St. John’s. offering opportunities for students from St. Mary Student Parish, Ann Arbor, MI to attend a Retreat on the Dominican Tradition.  One of our Sisters works in the Campus Ministry program at the University of Michigan, connected to St. Mary’s. Make Every Day Count – a series of programs that will incorporate cultural, spiritual, educational, and physical training directed towards enriching the day-to-day life of the frail elderly residents who live at Dowling Gardens, Sparkill, NY  (Dowling Gardens is a sponsored ministry of the Dominican Sisters) Respite Care for Mothers & ESL classes  – at St. Rita’s Center, Bronx, NY.  This service provides child-care while Moms attend classes to learn English and prepare for their citizenship exam.   Additionally the first time students coming for English and life-skill classes will benefit from additional ‘learning’ hours. On-going support for the Pastoral Outreach at St. Mary’s, Rocky Boy, St. Anthony, Box Elder, and St. Margaret Mary, Big Sandy, MT via the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Educational Center. Child-Care and After-School Program Enrichment for the staff at Thorpe Family Residence, Bronx, NY.  At a given time, TFR serves 16 families with an average of 35 children and is a sponsored ministry of the Dominican Sisters. Peaceful Homes/Hogares en Paz – an additional component to the parenting and education workshops that integrate a holistic approach to family violence prevention and intervention within the Infant Toddler/Parents Program at Dominican Sisters Family Health Service, Bronx, NY.   After School Tutoring Progam – at The Family Center, East St. Louis, IL, a program that helps to improve skills in academics and makes an impact in the lives and extended community of the families who benefit from the myriad of services offered by The Center.  the Building Fund for the Dominican Study Center in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.  Due to many safety issues, the school building needs to be replaced.  This is one of the original buildings located on the property when our Sisters arrived in 1958.   the Clinic of Our Lady of the Angels, Pamplona, Alta, Peru a medical facility that offers a myriad of health-care services. the Dominican Sisters as we continue to offer quality holistic health care for our retired and infirm members – a responsibility we take very seriously! For your help, your generous support, for being a friend and most especially for your prayers – Thank You!

Looking Ahead

Via our newsletters (WEAVINGS) and appeal letters we will continue to ‘share our story’. 
They will present our varying ministry and retirement needs while extending an invitation to you to

Continue Your Partnership with us.  The stories will talk about:

• our Sisters’ ministryin Loreto, Pakistan:
  ~ Human Development & Christian Community Formation programs
  ~ Scholarships for students attending the Ibn-E-Mariam School
  ~ (construction) improvements to the school & hostel
• the Steps Toward the Future:re-stacking a library at the Mission Grade School Hays, MT
• the Our Father’s Kitchen:Food Pantry, an outreach program at Sacred Heart Parish, Monroe, NY

continuing support of:

• the Make Every Day Count program at Dowling Gardens, Sparkill, NY
  (Dowling Gardens is a sponsored ministry of the Dominican Sisters)
• the Respite Care for Mothers program at St. Rita’s Center, Bronx, NY
• . the Building Fund for the Dominican Study Center in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
• offering quality holistic health care for our retired and infirm members
  - a responsibility we take very seriously!

During the coming months we will unfold our story and pray that you will continue to be a part of our ministries throughout the world. 

We know that it is through Your Help and Support that we are “Women  Making a Difference”
 and for this we are very grateful!  We do count our blessings and consider you one of them.  
Be assured of our prayers – please keep us in yours.

For further information about any of the above programs please contact our Development Office. 
To make a donation please click here     

For suggestions regarding gift types click: Giving Something Special

Sr. Peggy Scarano, OP
Development Director
175 Route 340
Sparkill, NY  10976
845-359-4173
Fax:  845-359-4208
peggy.scarano@sparkill.org

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