Center for Dominican Studies News Articles

September 20, 2007: “Embracing the Priority: Care of All Creation”

Sr. Margaret Galiardi, a Dominican Sister of Amityville, NY, gave a provocative talk on the issue of Earth Spirituality at Barry University and at St. Maurice parish on September 20th. Her presentation, which was sponsored by the Center for Dominican Studies, emphasized a sense of Creation-in-evolution and drew the participants to a keen awareness of the precariousness of our times and the need for action.

Using the Florida Bishops’ Pastoral Letter, “Cultivating Care for All Creation” as a foundation, Galiardi noted the Bishops’ deep concern about global climate change and mercury pollution. She illustrated this concern with a striking quote from the Pastoral:
“’In Florida, the 2005 Department of Health Advisory recognizes that every waterway of the state has restrictions on the consumption of fish that are caught, and in many waterways some fish should ‘never’ be consumed.’” (Florida Catholic Conference. Commentary: “Cultivating Care for All Creation,” Vol. 19, No. 1. (October 1, 2006), #11.)

While there are many actions we can take to reduce our negative impact on the environment, Galiardi noted that one of the most important starting points is the paradigm shift that calls us to be in right relationship with ALL of creation, not in dominion, but in stewardship. Borrowing from Elizabeth Johnson's imagery, Galiardi advised that we no longer envision ourselves in the middle of a hierarchical pyramid, with God as the top, a pebble at the bottom, and a human somewhere in the middle. Instead we might envision ourselves at a round table with other creatures/elements/aspects of creation, each--including the human--with its own distinctive qualities and attributes.

As we re-envision what it means to be human, Galiardi encouraged the participants to also re-envision the environmental crisis as a moral crisis. The environmental crisis is not a crisis that happens outside of us. A renewal of the connection between faith and everyday life is critical to this new vision of Creation. We need to open ourselves to the sacramentality of Creation and allow ourselves to see the presence of the Divine in it. We need to make time for prayer experiences that connect us to that sense of sacramentality, as Galiardi did within the presentation. In addition, we need to recognize that global climate change will impact the poor most severely and take steps to protect those least able to protect themselves as we conserve and advocate change. (Florida Catholic Conference. Commentary: “Cultivating Care for All Creation,” Vol. 19, No. 1. (October 1, 2006), #4.)

September 7, 2007: Dominican Charism Gathering

The Dominican Charism Gathering on September 7, 2007, included Barry administrators, staff, and faculty. This was the third in a series of gatherings designed to increase awareness at Barry University regarding the shared aspects of mission embraced by the Dominican Family, the Adrian Dominicans, and Barry University as a Dominican-sponsored university.

The first gathering involved a day of presentations and conversations on Dominican history, the history of the Adrian Dominican sisters, and the history of Barry University as related to its religious mission. The second gathering took this group to Adrian, Michigan, for a 3-day celebration of the Dominicans’ 800th Anniversary, comprised of scholarly presentations, prayer, and community sharing. It was suiting, then, that this 3rd gathering began with highlights of the Dominican 800th Anniversary Symposium, followed by a reflection on the importance of the Symposium for the participants. One participant captured the general consensus by noting: “I enjoyed the discussion, the spirit, the participants, and the way that details were paid attention to.”

After a short break, the group viewed and discussed the video, Human Trafficking. Sr. Arlene Scott, vice president of Mission, and Fr. Dave Caron, director of the Center for Dominican Studies, presented information on the Dominican Order as promoters of social justice. The group discussed Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), such as the Dominican Order’s representatives at the United Nations. The group moved from that discussion into a PowerPoint presentation on the Dominican “Call to Justice” themes. After lunch and an animated discussion, the group spoke on another important Dominican theme -- Care of Creation. The day ended with a review of upcoming mission events including the Water Conference to be held on October 23 – 24 at Barry University.

August 15, 2007: “Team and Community Building”

On August 15, 2007, Fr. Dave Caron presented the workshop, “Team and Community Building,” as part of the faculty in-service training at St. Bonaventure School, Davie, FL. Fr. Dave presided at Mass, which drew the entire community together in prayer. This enthusiastic group included administration, teachers, secretaries, assistant teachers, maintenance workers, and other St. Bonaventure employees. Using focusing exercises, Fr. Dave facilitated the group’s discussion of the characteristics and qualities essential to team and community building. They completed some sentences meant to assess goals they hold for themselves and the team. The workshop, which was grounded in a practical theology model, then turned to the religious tradition for further elucidation through a scripture reading and homily. Incorporating the tradition into their reflection, the group reviewed what it means to be a Christian Ministry Team. In the last segment of the workshop, Fr. Dave led the participants through some communication-building techniques, emphasizing the importance of establishing structure through use of Robert’s Rules, Scripture and tradition. He also spoke to the importance of building trust through celebration, communication, and correctly handled conflict. As the session drew to a close, participants had developed a better awareness of themselves as individuals and as a team and were equipped with some new communication skills that would serve them well in the coming year.

June 5, 2007: Children’s Peace Conference

Elementary school children pose as they work on an art project during the first-ever Interfaith Childrens Peace Conference. The event, hosted by the Center for Dominican Studies, brought together children from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths

More than 40 fourth- and fifth-graders from various public and private elementary schools in Miami-Dade and Broward counties took part in Barry University’s first-ever Interfaith Children’s Peace Conference on Barry’s main campus in Miami Shores.

This unique, one-day event was created and hosted by Barry’s Center for Dominican Studies. The purpose of the Conference was to bring together children from the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths in order to teach them about each others’ faith traditions. During the event, children also learned conflict resolution, peace and communication skills through various interactive presentations and artistic activities. At 6:00 p.m., parents joined their children for dinner and a presentation of a home-school component of the Conference.

This is the first year the Center for Dominican Studies has hosted the Conference, and there are plans are to make this an annual event. The Interfaith Children’s Peace Conference was made possible by a $12,000 donation to the project. For more information on this event, please contact us at (305) 899-3650 or email arscott@mail.barry.edu.