Responding To the Needs of our Brothers and Sisters

The bus

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire” (St. Catherine of Siena).

Our Dominican Volunteers USA Mission Statement calls us to “respond to the needs of our brothers and sisters especially those who are poor and marginalized.” In our most recent blog post, Dominican Sister Bernadine Karge OP shares that one of the ways she responds to this call through her ministry with Nuns on the Bus. Sister Bernadine is an immigration lawyer, longtime member of the House of Connections community in Chicago, and the Dominican Volunteers USA’s 2016 Sister Marcela Conley Award recipient. Thank you for your Dominican witness Sister Bernadine!

1. Give us some background. What is Nuns on the Bus? How did it come to be?

NETWORK, the Catholic Social Justice Lobby, founded by congregations of Catholic Sisters in the early 1970’s in Washington, D.C. had their first Nuns on the Bus (NOTB) in 2012 in response to Paul Ryan’s budget.  The Network staff came up with the idea of the bus tour to lift up the work of Catholic Sisters and other partners who are serving the needs of those on the margins of society.  It is through community that we see and become aware of the gifts and needs of our sisters and brothers.  Together we the people can decide how we want to be together.  We can create the structures that will support the common good.

2. How and why did you get involved with Nuns on the Bus? What inspires, challenges and invigorates you about their mission and work for justice?

My first NOTB was the 2013 Immigration Reform bus tour.  I have known S.  Simone Campbell for many decades.  As a woman of hope and action, I made it my business to get on the bus for immigration reform.  It is amazing how hope is generated by those who welcome the sisters, mostly total strangers, but there are always connections to be found. This year Shannon Green, a DV-USA honoree greeted us in Santa Monica. Zach Moeller DV-USA 2017-2018 showed up in Irvine, CA, the next day.

Culinary Union Group

3. Please tell us about your current Nuns on the Bus Tour and its goals and mission.

TAX JUSTICE TRUTH TOUR on the Road to Mar-a-Lago, is the 6^th tour of Nuns on the Bus.  It began in Santa Monica, California,  October 8 and will end on the east coast on November 2 at Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, Florida.   From sea to shining sea, Catholic Sisters will be making site visits, congressional visits and conducting town hall meetings in 20 states and the District of Columbia

Las Vegas, Nevada was our first stop after our California beginning. The Culinary Workers Union, Local 226 was the site we visited to listen to the bartenders, kitchen staff, and housekeepers as they shared their struggles to get the owners of one chain of casinos to sit down with them to negotiate a contract for just wages, consistent schedules, health care and paid time off.  173 countries and 40 languages are represented in the 60,000 workers in the hospitality industry in Las Vegas.

Those in the hospitality industry are not treated hospitably.  Their bosses recently spent $4.5 million dollars on a family wedding.  The cost of the healthcare these workers are seeking would cost $4 million! Why can’t those whose work enables the owner to gain wealth, not get their share and financial security?  The next morning after a rally on the parking lot, 2 members of Local 226, paired up with 2  sisters, like Jesus and Dominic, right?  Sister Dusty Farnan, OP and I were accompanied by Ash and Veronica.  We went to knock on doors and canvass the neighborhoods with information on voter registration, early voting and on candidates in the Nevada race.   Our shirts and our hearts said, WE VOTE. WE WIN.

4.  What has stood out to you to from your work with Nuns on the Bus?

What struck me was the fact that the fellow on our team who was 26 years old, had never voted. The woman on our team who was in her 30’s was only voting for the 2^nd time in her life. As citizens they have the right to vote.  Ash and Veronica are now committed to take responsibility to vote.  They took leave of their jobs to do the canvassing for weeks, 10 hours a day at a rate of $12 an hour, instead of their usual pay.

I have a question for DV’S and other readers of this site.  Why do young persons not vote?   I have conversations each year with DV’s about voting.  Some care and vote. Others not.  Is voting not electronic enough?  Is it too much of a bother to change one’s address, register to vote or request an absentee ballot?  The power of the ballot box is there.  It is one way to speak your truth and make your choice for candidates willing to mend the inequalities in our society.  Reasonable revenue for responsible programs is what NOTB 2018 is seeking. Get to know the candidates and vote.

5. How do you view the ministry of Nuns on the Bus in relation to our Dominican mission and the ministries of St. Dominic and Saint Catherine of Siena?

The voting for tax justice, is a call to accountability for those charged with serving the common good. As Catherine spoke to religious authorities to do the right thing ,we hold our leaders accountable. Like Dominic, we try to engage in dialogue to help folks see the truth of the impact of their actions on those who they many not have in their sights.    Out of sight, out of mind.

Sister Bernadine (with microphone) with Sisters at St. Sabina

Church in Chicago

6. Any final thoughts you wish to share?

The 2017 Tax bill will create a deficit of $1.7 trillion in our budget.  Cuts to social services, education, healthcare, housing and nutrition programs will be made to offset the giveaway in tax cuts to the 1% and to corporations. Visit www.networklobby.org to follow the issues and ride along.

Welcome!  DON’T FORGET TO VOTE November 6^th.  Thanks.

For a complete Nuns on the Bus schedule of their most recent October tour, visithttps://networklobby.org/bus2018/events/

 

At Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles

"Act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with God"

In our latest blog post, we talk to Sister Pat Stringer, a Caldwell Dominican Sister from Caldwell New Jersey. Sister Pat was recently appointed to the DVUSA Corporate Board and reflects on the significance  of DVUSA and the ministries that have shaped her own  Dominican journey.

Thank you for your Dominican witness, Sister Pat!

 

Sister Pat Stringer

1. Give us some background. How have you been shaped by the Dominican mission and Dominican life?

I was educated by the Dominicans of Caldwell in grammar school and then at Caldwell College for Women (now Caldwell University).  After graduating from college I entered the Community. So you can say that almost all of my formal education came from Dominicans. Looking back I was always involved in acts of charity either through school projects or because my parents encouraged us to do acts of kindness. However, while in college I really began to get involved in studying the causes of injustice and I began searching for answers to these deeper questions while at the same time continuing the acts of charity.

Why do you feel called to serve on the DVUSA corporate board?

I have a deep respect for young people who are willing to give service to others so when I was asked to serve on the Corporate Board of DVUSA I was thrilled. For me it is a way to support young people and to give others the opportunities I was given to serve others.

2. As a Dominican Sister, you have served lived out the mission of St. Dominic and Saint Catherine in many ways. Please tell us some specific ministries and stories that have had an impact on you?  How has spending time with Dominican Volunteers impacted your life and ministry?

I thought that I would spend my life teaching mathematics (I have a BA and MA in mathematics) in one of our high schools—was I wrong! I spent 5 years teaching on the island of Abaco, Bahamas working with Bahamian and Haitian children. I learned about different cultures and the beauty of living and working cross-culturally. My community had a Dominican volunteer program at that time so in those five years I worked closely with these volunteers in a formal educational setting. I also ministered in Quito, Ecuador where I again lived and worked with young adults who volunteered their service for a year or two. It was a great experience living together (10 of us lived in the same apartment with only 2 bathrooms) and ministering to the people of Ecuador in formal and informal ways. For 11 years I lived in a very poor area of the Dominican Republic working together with the people to educate their children. Eventually, we built a pre-school, a grammar school, and high school. During this time we were lucky to have many groups of college students join us for a week of service. They did wonderful programs with the students and faculty, sharing their talents and skills in unbelievably creative ways. In New Jersey I did not have the pleasure of living or directly working with Dominican Volunteers but I have known a few of them personally and I am very impressed by who they are as people and the skills that they have to offer others.  

I am presently serving as the Promoter of Dominican Life and Charism for my community and this gives me many opportunities to share with and invite both young and old into a deeper understanding of the Dominican Charism and Mission. In August sisters, former sisters, associates and Dominican Laity came together to “Celebrate Our Dominican Journey.” It was a wonderful day of sharing, renewing friendships and establishing new ones. In September the faculty and staff from our 3 academies came together for a Spirituality Day before classes started.  The day started with prayer and input, followed by small group discussion and lunch and concluded with a guided reflection. There is a chapter of Dominican Young Adults that meets monthly at our Motherhouse that I help facilitate.  This group gives me hope for the future of our church and world.

4. The mission statement of Dominican Volunteers USA to “respond to the injustices of our day by ministering with our sisters and brothers, especially those who are poor and marginalized.” What does serving with our brothers and sisters who are marginalized mean to you? Why is serving with others who are marginalized so important and life-giving?

Ministering with those who are poor and marginalized means helping them help themselves. Concretely, this means helping people develop the skills they need to direct and determine their own futures. This can be accomplished informally with classes, workshops, and/or  role playing or it can be done by educating young people by establishing schools and programs or by assisting young people with resources and encouragement so that they can  get a formal education.  I saw this work in the Dominican Republic and I am now seeing it work in Haiti.

5. What advice would you have for Dominican Volunteer alumni who want to continue to make a difference and live out the Dominican mission in our world today?

Find a young adult group in your area. If possible, join the Dominican Young Adult movement. There are chapters across the United States. Their website is http://dymusa.org/dya-usa/. This is a good way to contact others who have the same values that you do and also a way to continue to give service.

6. Tell us about your life outside of DVUSA. What do you like to do for fun? Tell us something that the DVUSA community may not know about you?

I like to read both novels and books about justice issues. I love sports; I am a Yankee fan but will go to any baseball game no matter who is playing. I also enjoy going to the soccer, volleyball and basketball games of the Caldwell University teams. I enjoy being with friends and visiting my family. And lastly, I enjoy being on Long Beach Island, both in the summer and winter.

7. What are some quotes that have been particularly impactful in your ministry, life of service, and faith journey?

Micah 6:8 – "What is good has been explained to you; this is what Yahweh asks of you: only this, to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God."This quote from Micah is the one I try to live by each day.

8. As you begin your tenure on the DVUSA board, what are your hopes for the future of DVUSA? How would you like to see our ministry grow and develop?

My hope is that DVUSA continues to grow in order to give young people an opportunity to serve others and learn about the Dominican Charism. I see the roles of both Boards to help and support the Directors in their outreach efforts to young people so that this growth is achieved.