A Dominican Wedding

In our latest blog post, DV Kelly Litt (2014 -2015) shares some wedding news!

Kelly Litt with husband Justin Parrett

My name is Kelly Litt and I served as a Dominican Volunteer from 2014-2015 in New York City. I ministered with the Dominican Leadership Conference NGO to the United Nations and had the privilege to learn from and work with the incredible Margaret Mayce, OP.

My time at the United Nations taught me so much about the world and even more about myself and my calling to work toward peace, justice, and equality for all. Experiencing the inner workings of the United Nation showed me the best of intentions of international change-makers and also shined a light on true frustrations of global politics. Yet the aspects of my time as a Dominican Volunteer that had the largest impact and have remained with me continue to be my time in community grappling with questions of justice, spirituality, and truth. I remember candid conversations about both the opportunities and challenges of achieving global change. I recall fondly conversations with community members about life and love while sharing a laugh or shedding a tear together. I will always love my friends at the Catholic Worker House who lived in simple solidarity and who whole heartedly enjoyed sitting on the front step on a hot summer day as we said hi to neighbors walking past with their dogs in tow. And of course, one of my favorite memories is our weekly dinner with our Dominican Sisters where we would talk for hours about education policy, life in the Bronx, global poverty, climate change, or what local attractions we should check out soon. The Sisters were (and remain) our family, and they always knew when we needed a little chocolate or a bottle of wine with dinner.

While I was living in New York during my service year and building community with my Dominican family, I was also in a relationship with my boyfriend, Justin. We were enduring a long-distance relationship, and as individuals fresh out of college, we were both searching for our own truth and purpose. During my DVUSA year, Justin and I remained committed to strengthening our relationship despite the 550 miles between us. It is comforting to see that the Dominican pillars have not only been influential in our own personal lives, but also in our relationship. Those pillars grounded us and continue to strengthen our love to this day. As cliché as it is, our time apart during my service year brought us even closer together.

I am thrilled to share that on October 6th Justin and I were married in Mansfield, Ohio at my home parish, St. Mary of the Snows. We were blessed to be surrounded by so many family members and friends and the day truly could not have been more perfect. We were able to infuse aspects of Dominican tradition throughout our ceremony and reception, and members of my DVUSA community joined us in the celebration and traveled to Ohio to be with us.

Justin and I have found ourselves growing together entwined in Dominican tradition and spirituality. We remain involved in our alma mater, Ohio Dominican University, and we both have strong ties to the Dominican Sisters of Peace in Columbus. We are thankful for the richness that Dominican spirituality has shown us and the individuals that we have met through the Dominican family that have become our dear and lifelong friends. 

Kelly with DV Rebecca Morgenstern (2014-15) Karen Gargamelli MCrieght