The newly formed Dominican Sisters Association (DSA) has been canonically approved by the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, marking a profound milestone in the life and mission of Dominican women religious in the northeastern United States. The five Dominican Congregations include the Dominican Sisters of Amityville, Blauvelt, Caldwell (New Jersey), Hope, and Sparkill. The Sisters are committed to a shared mission of preaching the Gospel through justice, truth-seeking, and compassion.

The DSA represents a bold and innovative step forward in religious life, as these five Dominican congregations have come together in a model of shared governance. This collaborative structure is designed to foster unity, deepen the shared Dominican charism, and ensure long-term viability through enhanced collaboration and stewardship of resources. Beyond the five founding congregations, any women’s apostolic Dominican congregation wishing membership may petition the Association Leadership for admission.

This journey began in 2019, as the congregations entered into a discernment process, exploring how best to sustain and advance Dominican life and mission into the future. The result is a transformative model of governance that seeks to ensure continued vitality and relevance in a rapidly changing world. Both membership and leadership of each congregation were engaged in the creation of the Association. By February 2025, the five founding congregations each held a vote on membership in the Association. The Sisters voted overwhelmingly to join the Association.

On Saturday, June 14, 2025, the Dominican Sisters Association held its inaugural assembly — a day of prayer, dialogue, ritual, and joyful celebration. The day opened with a moving ceremony honoring the five founding congregations and the generations of women who have carried forward the Dominican mission with courage and fidelity.

During the assembly, participants finalized the DSA Focus Statement, setting a unified vision and direction for the Association. A key milestone of the day was the election of the first President and Executive Committee, which are tasked with leading the DSA into this next chapter with wisdom and shared commitment. The members of the inaugural DSA Executive Committee: Sister Mary Hughes, OP – (Amityville), Sister Theresa Rickard, OP – President (Blauvelt), Sister Pat Tavis, OP – (Caldwell), Sister Connie Kelly, OP – (Hope), and Sister Mary Murray, OP – (Sparkill).

On April 27, 2022, the five congregations petitioned the Apostolic See to canonically establish the Association. On July 15, 2025, the Association was officially erected as a public Association of the faithful of pontifical right.

“The formation of our new Association is intended to empower our five congregations to deepen our shared Dominican life and mission with hope, faith, and a renewed purpose — and to move together into the future with greater impact and viability,” said Sister Theresa Rickard, OP, President of the Dominican Sisters Association.

Sister Carmen Rosa Nortes, N.S.C., undersecretary of the Society of Apostolic Life, wrote in her letter accompanying the official decree, “May this association among Dominican Sisters support each institute in living faithfully the call of the Lord to consecrated life in the Dominican tradition, embodying your motto Veritas et Caritas.”

As the Dominican Sisters Association steps boldly into this next phase, they do so rooted in their common charism of preaching the Gospel, united by a passion for mission, and committed to igniting their future together in a new way.