The Dominican Sisters of Hope welcomed friends, family, and community members to The Center at Mariandale for the Hope Family Reunion on Saturday, July 18.
The gathering brought attendees together for an afternoon of community and celebration. The event featured a barbecue, live music, art displays, and a variety of activities designed to celebrate the fellowship that helps define the Dominican Sisters.
Among those in attendance were Dr. Robert Gervasi, president of the Mount; Sr. Patricia Magee ’88, OP, Prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Hope and a Mount trustee; Sr. Connie Koch ’71, OP, a Mount trustee; Sr. Catherine Walsh, OP, ’70, professor emerita of Communication Arts and a Mount trustee; Sr. Margaret Anderson, OP, a former Mount trustee; and many other familiar faces.
In April 1883, four Sisters of Saint Dominic boarded the Mary Powell in New York City and headed north on the Hudson River. Their mission was to open an elementary school on Gidney Avenue in Newburgh, right where the Bishop Dunn Memorial School now stands. Later, they founded Mount Saint Mary College, which was granted a charter by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York to become a four-year liberal arts institution in 1959.
Today, the Mount remains grounded in the foundational tradition established by the sisters. The institution continues to be guided by the Four Dominican Pillars: prayer, study, community, and service.