Merger of seven Dominican women's congregations approved by Vatican

Published: 2008-01-07

COLUMBUS, Ohio (CNS) -- The merger of seven congregations of Dominican women religious has been approved by the Vatican, according to a news release from the Dominican Cluster in Columbus. The official date for the foundation of the new congregation, which has not yet been named, is Easter 2009. The location of the new congregation's headquarters and other ministerial departments also has not been decided. The congregations uniting are: the Dominican Sisters, St. Mary of the Springs in Columbus; the Sisters of St. Dominic of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Akron; the Congregation of St. Rose of Lima in Oxford, Mich.; the Dominican Sisters, Congregation of St. Mary, and the Eucharistic Missionaries of St. Dominic, both in New Orleans; the Dominican Sisters of Great Bend, Kan.; and the Congregation of St. Catharine of Siena in St. Catharine, Ky. The seven communities currently have 730 sisters and about 500 men and women associates who partner with the sisters in mission in 36 states and in Puerto Rico, France, Honduras, Peru and Nigeria.

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