Among the 22 women and men who recently made a public commitment to witness Gospel values as Dominican Associates were Mary Kay Lohrenz and Teresa Tierney, both of whom are secretaries at Holy Family Church in Lincoln. They join more than 200 people in the United States and Peru who accompany the Dominican Sisters of Springfield on a lifelong journey of prayer, study and preaching.

The Springfield Dominicans have had a presence at the Lincoln parish for five years. Currently serving at Holy Family are Sister Margaret McCormick, OP, who is the religious education coordinator, and Sister Mary Lou Owens, OP, spiritual life coordinator. They were the sponsors for Lohrenz and Tierney.

Lohrenz has worked at Holy Family for 23 years. Tierney, a lifelong member of the parish and graduate of the Dominican community’s Sacred Heart Academy in Springfield, has been on staff since 1999.

To become Dominican Associates, they went through a nine-month formation program in which they learned about and discussed Catholic social teaching, prayer, living the liturgy, St. Dominic and St. Catherine, mission and ministry, and the history of the Springfield Dominicans. They also discerned how to use their talents, abilities and circumstances to serve God in the best way possible.

The Springfield Dominicans have been welcoming Dominican Associates into their family since 1990. For more information, contact Sister Paul Mary Janssens, OP, at (217) 787-0481.