Dominican Sisters commit $1 million to Mount’s Campus Ministry
Photo by Lee Ferris
The Dominican Sisters of Hope – founders of Mount Saint Mary College – have graciously committed $1 million to endow and name the college’s Campus Ministry.
The ministry is now known as the Dominican Sisters of Hope Campus Ministry.
According to Fr. Gregoire Fluet, Interim Mount President, Campus Chaplain, and Director of Campus Ministry, the endowment will be used to fund vital efforts, such as the Student Emergency Needs Fund, the college’s Care Closet for students in need, the annual Toy Drive, Ministry retreats, and more.
“The Dominican Sisters embody the spirit of service, community, love, and giving,” said Fr. Fluet. “This is a remarkable gift that will forever impact the college and the students. We are so thankful to them and I personally cannot thank them enough.”
The Dominican Sisters of Hope have committed their lives to living and preaching the Gospel message of Hope. Founded in 1995 from communities in Newburgh, N.Y., Fall River, Mass., and Ossining, N.Y., they are now based in The Center at Mariandale, with sisters living in nine states and Puerto Rico.
The Dominican Sisters of Hope express their core values by living interdependently with all of creation, committing to actions for justice, and fostering the Dominican charism. In the tradition of Saint Dominic, they focus their lives on prayer, study, ministry, and community. While traditionally teachers and nurses, the sisters are everything from gymnasts to beekeepers to poets, and more.
In 1883, four Dominican Sisters established Mount Saint Mary Academy in Newburgh. In 1959, Mount Saint Mary College became a four-year institution. Sr. Ann Sakac, OP, served as the president from 1976-2008, and Sr. Agnes Boyle, OP, served as the VP of Academic Advancement for 30 years. Other sisters served as faculty, and many earned their degrees from the Mount. The sisters continue to minister to students, as the college continues to bring life to the sisters’ legacy and mission. The Dominican Sisters of Hope are proud to honor the heritage of the founding of Mount Saint Mary College.
In 2018, the Dominican Sisters preserved 34 acres of the Mariandale property, conserving a nearly one-mile stretch of shoreline along the Hudson River. The retreat center and the land make Mariandale a source of healing for body, mind, and spirit, as well as a place of refuge for all of creation.
