History
The Dominican Sisters of Adrian, Michigan trace their origin to Holy Cross Convent in Regensburg (Ratisbon), Bavaria, a convent established in 1233.
In 1853 four sisters from this convent were sent to New York in response to a request for sisters to provide religious education for German immigrant children. These sisters settled on Second Street in the Williamsburg section of New York City. This original foundation eventually became known as the Amityville Dominicans. In 1869, however, a separate and independent foundation was established at Newburgh, New York. From this congregation sisters were sent to St. Mary Parish (1879) and St. Joseph Parish (1880) in Adrian, Michigan.
In 1884 additional sisters were sent to Adrian to establish a hospital for injured railroad workers. Adrian became a province of the Newburgh congregation with Camilla Madden as the Mother Provincial. As the need for the hospital diminished, Mother Camilla turned to education and opened St. Joseph Academy in 1896. Students came in large numbers to this boarding school and the province grew rapidly with new members. At the same time the congregation was called upon to staff other schools in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and New Mexico.
In 1923, through the efforts of Mother Emmanuel Phelan of Newburgh and Mother Camilla Madden, canonical separation of the Adrian province from Newburgh was achieved. Bishop Michael Gallagher of Detroit and Archbishop (later Cardinal) Patrick Hayes of New York negotiated the separation. Mother Camilla Madden became the first Mother General of the new independent congregation in Adrian, a position she held for only six months prior to her death in 1924. At this time the congregation numbered 440 members.
The congregation and its ministries grew during this time. Education continued to be a major endeavor of the congregation during these years. The congregation also developed ministries in social service, particularly in parish visitation, and opened three hospitals, two in Santa Cruz, California (now consolidated at Dominican Santa Cruz Hospital) and one in Henderson, Nevada: St. Rose Dominican Hospital - Rose de Lima Campus. Today there are two additional campuses in Southern Nevada — the Siena (2000) and the San Martín (2006) campuses. Mother Camilla opened St. Joseph College in Adrian (now Siena Heights University) during her time as provincial. Mother Gerald Barry expanded the congregation’s ministry in higher education by opening Barry College in 1940. She also built a House of Studies at The Catholic University of America to accommodate sisters studying for advanced degrees. The congregation grew to over 2000 members.
Under the leadership of Mother Gerald, the congregation achieved pontifical status in 1944 and extended its ministries overseas — to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Peru. In 1959, as the congregation grew in numbers, it was divided into five provinces with headquarters in Detroit, Michigan (2), Chicago, Illinois, West Palm Beach, Florida, and Santa Cruz, California. In addition there was an Overseas Vicariate and a Motherhouse Vicariate. Over the years of leadership of Mother Gerald and her successor, Mother Genevieve Weber, the congregation served in the formation of two new congregations: the Glenmary Sisters (originally located in Cincinnati, Ohio) and the Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of Remedies (Pampanga, Philippines).
Read more about this topic: Adrian Dominican Sisters
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