For the first time ever, the new class of associates of the Sisters of St. Dominican of Amityville -- were all men! Three men were welcomed into this new membership at a special Associate Bonding and Renewal Ceremony for the Sisters of St. Dominic of Amityville held at Sunday Vespers on June 5, 2022 at Queen of the Rosary Motherhouse in Amityville. The three men all encountered the Dominican Sisters years ago while they attended Molloy College in Rockville Centre, where they were members of the Dominican Young Adult group. They decided to take the next step and join the congregation as associates!
Here are statements made by our newest members: Michael Malinowski, Daniel Emerson and Andrew Abberton about why they wanted to join as Associates.
Michael: "For me, it's the next step in my spiritual maturation. I was introduced to the Dominicans my freshman year at Molloy College. That was twelve going on 13 years now. I'm very committed and very grateful for everything the sisters have done for me ...I'm getting too old for DYA (Dominican Young Adults). To take that next step into the Associates program -- I am very excited about it."
Dan: "For me, it means also taking that next step. I've been in official formation with the associates for the past two years, but I feel like I have been in formation with the Dominican Sisters since I started at Molloy back in 2012. I've prayed with you, I've partied with you, I've had all this support in this past two years with everything with the pandemic, in family life, and it really solidified how much of a family this Dominican family is for me, and that is why I choose to become an Associate."
Andrew: "I am very excited to start this new part of our journey. Although we are not new in life with the Dominicans and with the sisters of Amityville, this is a new part of our journey. I am really excited to continue that-- to deepen my spirituality and my faith -- with my Dominican family. That's what Amityville is to me, and to Mike and Dan. It's being part of a family: celebrating with people, sharing the good, and the bad, and to feeling comfortable enough to speak about certain things, to do certain things together. And that is what I want to continue to do as an associate."
That day, there were also many associates who renewed their commitment to the Dominican Sisters including Loretto Magilligan and Arlene Unverzagt (35 years); Barbara Kenney and Rosemarie Tapia (30 years); Kathleen Friend, William O’Brien, Suzanne Richards and Nora Toal (20 years); Dori Breen, Deacon Tony Cuseo, Linda Hincken, Milena Morales, Diane Sheehan and Denise Thorn (15 years); Kerry Brennan, Robert Cammarata, Marilyn Massomino, Teen Mulholland and Laurie Whitfield (10 years) as well as Ann Casey, Yanira Chacon, Dorothy Kerkovich and Joseph Szabo (5 years).