Dominican Orders With Healthcare Apostolate

[OnlySunshine]

I was wondering if anyone knew of any other Dominican orders of religious Sisters with a healthcare apostolate besides these two?

Dominican Sisters of St. Rose of Lima (Hawthorne Dominicans)

Dominican Sisters of the Immaculate Conception (Justice, IL)


I've looked and I can't find any other habited Dominican communities on the web that have healthcare. Most of them are education orders (which I have no interest in).

[stlmom]

There are the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation, in Massachusetts. Healthcare is a part of their apostolate. Apparently they run a hospital and perform some parish nursing in addition to their teaching apostolate. There is some info on them at the CMSWR website and they do have a webpage of their own. They seem to be a rather small community here in the USA.

[Cherie]

To repeat what stlmom said, here is their CMSWR site: http://www.cmswr.org/member_communities/DSCPM.htm

I don't know anything about them.

However, I do know the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne very well and they are a WONDERFUL, LOVELY community!!!!

[laetitia crucis]

I don't know either of those communities you've listed personally, but I've heard (from several Sisters that personally know the Hawthorne Dominicans) that the Hawthorne Dominicans are AWESOME.

[OnlySunshine]

Yes, the Hawthorne Dominicans look positively lovely! They recently updated their website and I loved reading all the vocation stories of the Sisters. I am VERY drawn to their charism and comunity. I think I know what order I'm visiting next!!! I LOVE that they work with cancer patients exclusively--what a powerful apostolate. Thank you for the recommendations.

PS--the CFR Sisters recommended them for me, too, since I would really love to be a nurse.

Edited April 29, 2010 by MaterMisericordiae

[dominicansoul]

I'm considering the Hawthorne Dominicans as well!

[Antigonos]

[quote name='stlmom' date='29 April 2010 - 08:13 PM' timestamp='1272561218' post='2102206']
There are the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation, in Massachusetts. Healthcare is a part of their apostolate. Apparently they run a hospital and perform some parish nursing in addition to their teaching apostolate. [/quote]

And if you were told that you were needed as a teacher? It seems to me [correct me if I'm wrong], but under obedience, your superior could send you where you were needed, rather than where you want to be. [Maybe this is under the "10 wrong things for an aspirant to say" thread, but how could you say "if I enter here, I'll refuse to teach; I want to be a nurse"?]

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='Antigonos' date='30 April 2010 - 09:32 AM' timestamp='1272637963' post='2102593']
And if you were told that you were needed as a teacher? It seems to me [correct me if I'm wrong], but under obedience, your superior could send you where you were needed, rather than where you want to be. [Maybe this is under the "10 wrong things for an aspirant to say" thread, but how could you say "if I enter here, I'll refuse to teach; I want to be a nurse"?]
[/quote]

You've raised a very good question I've wondered about. I know that pre-Vatican II, the expectation was that a Sister would go wherever her Superior told her, with no input from the Sister.

However, I had heard from one of my Catholic cousins, who is a layperson, but very involved with the religious Order who taught her in school, that, at least in this Order, the Sisters have some input into what kind of apostolate they feel they are called by God. Is this true in most Orders today, or do Sisters normally have no input?

I guess one answer to this would be not to join an Order that had teaching as a major apostolate. However, even in that case, I expect anyone could end up doing some teaching, even if it were classes for relatives of terminal cancer patients, or being named Novice Mistress, and teaching Postulants/Novices in the Order. However, this is still different from a full-time apostolate to classroom teaching.

Thanks in advance for your answers!

Edited April 30, 2010 by IgnatiusofLoyola

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='Antigonos' date='30 April 2010 - 10:32 AM' timestamp='1272637963' post='2102593']
And if you were told that you were needed as a teacher? It seems to me [correct me if I'm wrong], but under obedience, your superior could send you where you were needed, rather than where you want to be. [Maybe this is under the "10 wrong things for an aspirant to say" thread, but how could you say "if I enter here, I'll refuse to teach; I want to be a nurse"?]
[/quote]

yes, I wondered this too. I'd hate to enter an order an be disobedient by saying I won't serve in one apostolate or another. I KNOW wthout a doubt that I am NOT called to be a teacher so I would not join any order with teaching as a ministry.

[LilyofSaintMaria]

I heard about the Hawthorne Dominicans, but for some strange reason I never really "looked into them" because I automatically expected them to be a teaching order (which I am not interested in)! Perhaps I mixed them up with the Dominicans of Saint Cecilia. What a lovely order . . .

[Tridenteen]

JMJ
I don't think I could ever be a nurse. I become nauseous around sick sick really sick people. I guess if I was asked to do it, I would do it because I would be doing it for the "Love of my Life", but I would need a whole lot of spiritual help...on top of that, I can't even remember the formula for area algebra wise, so I don't think I could ever do meds.[img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/lol_roll.gif[/img]

Edited May 1, 2010 by Tridenteen

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

[quote name='Tridenteen' date='30 April 2010 - 07:36 PM' timestamp='1272674199' post='2102914']
JMJ
I don't think I could ever be a nurse. I become nauseous around sick sick really sick people. I guess if I was asked to do it, I would do it because I would be doing it for the "Love of my Life", but I would need a whole lot of spiritual help...on top of that, I can't even remember the formula for area algebra wise, so I don't think I could ever do meds.[img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/lol_roll.gif[/img]
[/quote]

I have great admiration for nurses, but I too, could never be one. I faint at the sight of blood, and am not particularly fond of needles so I can't imagine giving a shot. Although, if I had to give a shot, such as if one of my cats got diabetes, I could learn for their sake. I don't think I'm healthy enough for anyone to want my blood, so I've never donated blood--at least that's my excuse. But I GREATLY admire people who do donate blood.

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='Tridenteen' date='30 April 2010 - 08:36 PM' timestamp='1272674199' post='2102914']
JMJ
I don't think I could ever be a nurse. I become nauseous around sick sick really sick people. I guess if I was asked to do it, I would do it because I would be doing it for the "Love of my Life", but I would need a whole lot of spiritual help...on top of that, I can't even remember the formula for area algebra wise, so I don't think I could ever do meds.[img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/lol_roll.gif[/img]
[/quote]


[quote name='IgnatiusofLoyola' date='30 April 2010 - 08:50 PM' timestamp='1272675057' post='2102923']
I have great admiration for nurses, but I too, could never be one. I faint at the sight of blood, and am not particularly fond of needles so I can't imagine giving a shot. Although, if I had to give a shot, such as if one of my cats got diabetes, I could learn for their sake. I don't think I'm healthy enough for anyone to want my blood, so I've never donated blood--at least that's my excuse. But I GREATLY admire people who do donate blood.
[/quote]

Oh, wow! I couldn't imagine [u]not[/u] being in the healthcare field! It intrigues me so much!

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='LilyofSaintMaria' date='30 April 2010 - 07:08 PM' timestamp='1272668916' post='2102869']
I heard about the Hawthorne Dominicans, but for some strange reason I never really "looked into them" because I automatically expected them to be a teaching order (which I am not interested in)! Perhaps I mixed them up with the Dominicans of Saint Cecilia. What a lovely order . . .
[/quote]

That's what I thought, too, when I first heard about them. But as I continued to do research in the various nursing orders, they kept coming up again and again and I finally went to their website and found out that nursing is all they do!

Although the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia and the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist are beautiful orders, I know 100% that I am NOT called to teaching.

Edited May 1, 2010 by MaterMisericordiae

[Antigonos]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' date='01 May 2010 - 04:12 AM' timestamp='1272676331' post='2102932']
Oh, wow! [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/shock.gif[/img] I couldn't imagine [u]not[/u] being in the healthcare field! It intrigues me so much!
[/quote]


One of the interesting points made in the book "The Nun's Story" was when Sister Luke needs to get a new skirt for her habit since she's lost so much weight during her novitiate. The order she's joined has numerous and varied apostolates: nursing [in a variety of venues], teaching, missionary work, etc., yet what reduces her almost to speechlessness is the "sacrifice" she sees in the Sister who has been "serving Jesus with her humble needle" for nearly 50 years, making and mending the nuns' habits. What if, MaterMisericordiae, your superior discovers you are a fab cook who can turn donated food and leftovers into scrumptious meals, and thinks your contribution to the community would be greater in the kitchen than on the wards? <g>

Another line from that great movie: "You must learn to accept with love everything that comes to you. It is essential in religious life" [Mother Marcella, after telling Sister Luke that she's been transferred to a psychiatric hospital instead of being assigned to a mission in Africa]