Contact these communities directly for information about their individual charism and ministries.
The Adrian Dominican Sisters are an international Congregation of more than 804 vowed women religious whose roots go back to St. Dominic in the 13th century. We are committed to preaching the Word of God, the formation of community centered on faith, and ministry to further the values of the Gospel among ourselves and in our world.
We minister in 29 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and in seven countries: Canada, the Dominican Republic, Kenya, Mexico, Norway, the Philippines, and Taiwan. Responsive to the "signs of the times," we strive to address the needs of the world, to serve where we are called to go.
Our ministries have been developed from the traditional works of education, health care and social work. Our Sisters serve in such ministries as education, administration, law, social work, health care, pastoral ministry, music, art, and office work. Together, we continue the Dominican tradition of preaching through our prayer, study, ministry, and common life.
Nearly 189 Associates (married and single men and women) share our journey in preaching the Good News of the Gospel and in bringing about change in our world.
We belong to the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, and her presence pervades our monastery and stamps our life with a distinctly Marian character! Our Carmelite family, in keeping with the example given us by St. Teresa, also lovingly honors St. Joseph.
Holding everything in common, we challenge ourselves to radical self-denial—to right relationship with one another and all creation.
St. Teresa referred to the Carmelite community as “the little college of Christ.” Sisters in the community come from broad and varied backgrounds, each bringing their unique gifts and talents… each discovering new gifts and talents in Carmel.
St. Teresa’s ideal, that we live our vocation in an atmosphere that strikes a balance between solitude on the one hand and community life on the other remains our daily striving and challenge. We believe that within our acts of sisterly kindness and the little ordinary things we do each day is hidden the grace and potential for personal and world transformation.
We have a special focus in our prayer for the Church, for priests and for the missions.
The Sisters of St. Benedict at St. Placid Priory are faith filled monastic women who are dedicated to God through community life, the Liturgy of the Hours, service to people and Earth, and the spiritual growth of themselves and others. they minister mostly through The Priory Spirituality Center, a retreat house that offers spiritual direction and adult faith formation programs and retreats of all sorts. Located in a beautiful and peaceful Douglas fir / alder forest, the community welcomes each visitor as Christ, in the spirit of the Rule of St. Benedict.
Gospel Women Making a Difference! Will you join us in following Jesus Christ?
We live the traditional Franciscan Third Order values of contemplation, poverty, humility, and continuous conversion through the evangelical vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Community life, prayer and ministry support and express our relationships with God, others, creation, and self. We choose to take the necessary risks to be a compassionate presence in our violent world—especially with women; children; those who have no voice; and those who are economically poor, marginalized, and oppressed.
Our varied ministries allow us to foster right relationships in our Church and promote peace in society in the United States and beyond.
Evangelio mujeres haciendo la diferencia! ¿Quiere unirse a nosotros en seguir a Jesucristo? Vivimos los valores tradicionales de la orden tercera franciscana de contemplación, la pobreza, la humildad y la conversión continua a través de los votos evangélicos de pobreza, castidad y obediencia. Vida Comunitaria, la oración y el ministerio apoyo y expresar nuestras relaciones con Dios y otros, la creación y la libre. Decidimos tomar los riesgos necesarios para ser una presencia compasiva en nuestro mundo violento, especialmente con las mujeres; niños; quienes no tienen voz; y aquellos que son pobres, marginados y oprimidos. Nuestros variados ministerios nos permiten fomentar las relaciones de derecha en nuestra iglesia y promover la paz en la sociedad en los Estados Unidos y más allá.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace are an international community built on a rich heritage of promoting social justice as a way to peace. Our charism of peace through justice challenges us to prophetic risk so that God’s reign might be more fully realized. We serve in the Western United States, Eastern United States, the United Kingdom, El Salvador and Haiti. Our ministries include healthcare, education, spirituality, justice advocacy, women and families, and missions. Community life sustains us in ministry. Likewise ministry enlivens and enriches our life in community. Recognizing gospel peace as both gift and task, we believe that prayer is fundamental to our life. We rely on the love and fidelity of God to lead us in the way of peace.
The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary is an international congregation of Catholic women religious and Associates who are dedicated to the full development of the human person through education, social justice, contemplation, and the arts. Sisters serve in the names of Jesus and Mary. Since our founding in Longueuil, Quebec in 1843 by Blessed Marie Rose Durocher, our ministries have educated and empowered people, with a focus on women, children and those most in need.
Today, 540 SNJM Sisters and about 400 Associates are part of the U.S.-Ontario Province, formed in 2006 by reconfiguring five SNJM Provinces of the Congregation: California, New York, Ontario, Oregon, and Washington. Worldwide, Sisters of the Holy Names can be found on three continents: North America, South America, and Africa.
Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary have founded schools, established universities, promoted peace and justice, provided spiritual guidance and education in the faith. Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary have collaborated with people who share our Gospel values and our passion for social justice. Such ministries remain at the core of our work—they express our values in action.
Sisters of the Holy Names and those who work with us have found novel ways to expand the definition of "education." We work in multiple settings for the full development of the human person. That might be in preschools, parishes, tutoring centers or graduate programs; in studios, prisons, immigrant centers or clinics; leading processes that guide communities to choose a Gospel path, or directing programs that promote systemic change. Our work in the U.S.-Ontario Province is concentrated on the East and West Coasts, in Mississippi, and Windsor, Ontario.
It was in the autumn of 1888 that young Sister Thomasina and her two companions Sisters de Chantal and Aloysia, in their love for and commitment to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, arrived in Pomeroy, Washington, then known as the Northwest Territory.
In this vast area, she set about building and staffing schools to educate the children of poor European immigrants. In 1893 due to the large number of immigrants in the Seattle/Tacoma area, Sister Thomasina moved her small community to Tacoma, Washington to continue the ministry of educating youth. With her vision and zeal as well as her love and dedication to preaching the Good News through the ministry of education, many other young women were inspired to join her.
The motto of the Dominican Order is “Truth” and for Dominicans the pursuit of Truth is a means of committing their whole beings to the service of God’s people.
Today, the Tacoma Dominican Sisters continue the legacy not only of educating children of poor immigrants from around the world, but also have pledged themselves in their Mission Statement “…to collaborate in networks of spiritual, educational and political commitment to create a just society that addresses basic human needs and ends the violence that erodes our planet.”
We invite and welcome women who have come alive in the Word of God and who share out joy and energy for preaching the Good News of Jesus to God’s people everywhere. Come; create your future with us!