At the dawn of the third millennium, Pope St. John Paul II called the Church to “take up her evangelizing mission with fresh enthusiasm,” and to “open wide the doors to Christ!”

National Expansion

In 1997 our four foundresses, Mother Assumpta Long, O.P., Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz, O.P., Sr. Mary Samuel Handwerker, O.P., and Sr. John Dominic Rasmussen, O.P., stepped out in faith to take up this challenge by establishing a new religious community that combines the Dominican monastic heritage with a commitment to the New Evangelization.

In just over 20 years, the community has grown from four Foundresses to over 140 Sisters from 30 states in the United States, as well as Canada, with an average age of 32 years old.

As God has continued to bring an abundance of vocations, the Motherhouse in Ann Arbor has reached full capacity. To allow for this growth, the first phase of the community’s new ‘Our Lady of Guadalupe Convent’ was completed in the Diocese of Austin, Texas, with capacity for 56 Sisters. This significant presence in Texas brings with it the opportunity to further extend our apostolate and witness throughout our great nation.