Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz, O.P.

Dominican Spirituality, Religious Life, and the Gift of Self

Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz, O.P. is one of the four foundresses of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, a community established in 1997 within the spiritual family of St. Dominic and formed around the Eucharist, Marian devotion, education, evangelization, and the joy of consecrated religious life. The community itself identifies Sr. Joseph Andrew among its four original foundresses.

In this special four-part Discerning Hearts series, Sr. Joseph Andrew joins Kris McGregor for a deeply personal exploration of religious vocation, Dominican spirituality, prayer, education, spiritual motherhood, community, suffering, holiness, and the generous gift of one’s life to God.

The conversations are inspired by And Mary’s “Yes” Continues Afresh, a work associated with the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, and continually return to Mary’s fiat as a model for responding to Christ with freedom and love.

The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist

The Dominican Sisters of Mary describe their vocation as centered upon Eucharistic love with the heart of Mary. Eucharistic Adoration and Marian consecration stand at the heart of their life and become the source from which the Sisters teach and preach within the Dominican tradition.

The community began with four foundresses: Mother Assumpta, Sr. Mary Samuel, Sr. Joseph Andrew, and Sr. John Dominic. From the beginning, they sought to bring the centuries-old Dominican tradition into the work of the New Evangelization, with their common life centered upon Christ in the Eucharist.

Through these conversations, Sr. Joseph Andrew offers a window into that charism and into the mystery of religious consecration as a response of love.

And Mary’s “Yes” Continues Afresh

Ep 1 – The Gift of Self – And Mary’s ‘Yes’ Continues Afresh w/ Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:46 — 25.4MB) | Embed

Episode 1 of 4 of And Mary’s ‘Yes’ Continues Afresh with Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz one of the founders and the vocation director of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist

Join Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz and Kris McGregor as they discuss the founding and charism of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. We discuss:

The need for the Eucharist and how to foster a deeper relationship with God in prayer.
The Nurturing of “presence”
The role of Mary of bringing us to her son in the Eucharist.
The spousal receptivity and the sharing of maternal love the God’s children.
The beauty of community life…in religious life and in the family
The gift of self

Visit here to pick up a copy of the book

From the book description:

Our world is constantly changing and each generation faces new challenges of faith and identity. In this increasingly post-Christian, radically secular culture, the vocation of a consecrated religious might appear outdated or, perhaps, wasteful. Even within the Church, the vocation of a Bride of Christ is a mystery to many who have never encountered it. But who is a religious Sister? She is one who hears our Lord’s call to “Come, follow me!” and answers with the resounding confidence of Mary’s Fiat! She is exactly what our world needs: a light in the darkness, a soul dedicated completely to loving and serving God and her neighbor.
In this new volume, And Mary’s Yes Continues Afresh, the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist present a treasure-trove of education and inspiration for young women, parents, priests, and educators alike. You’ll learn what religious life is all about; hear the inspiring vocation stories of women from all walks of life and many different nationalities; and discover—perhaps for the first time—the incredible gift of the consecrated life. You might even hear the Lord’s call in your own heart. Ultimately, you will come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the life-giving vocation of religious Sisters, and their role in our world today.

The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist

The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, were canonically established in 1997 in response to Pope St. John Paul II’s call for a New Evangelization. We seek to share God’s message of faith and the joy of religious life with the modern world through various outreaches including education, vocations, and culture.
Read more about their charism

Beginning with four foundresses, their community has now grown to over 150 Sisters with an average age of 32. Their Motherhouse is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Their website can be found at sistersofmary.org

Ep 2 – The Call to Teach – And Mary’s ‘Yes’ Continues Afresh w/ Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:13 — 18.0MB) | Embed

Episode 2 of 4 of And Mary’s ‘Yes’ Continues Afresh with Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz one of the founders and the vocation director of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist

Join Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz and Kris McGregor as they discuss:
1. The Maternal Nurturer
2. Where Are The Women?
3. The Call to Teach
4. The Presence of a Sister
5. The Importance of Grandparents

Visit here to pick up a copy of the book

From the book description:

Our world is constantly changing and each generation faces new challenges of faith and identity. In this increasingly post-Christian, radically secular culture, the vocation of a consecrated religious might appear outdated or, perhaps, wasteful. Even within the Church, the vocation of a Bride of Christ is a mystery to many who have never encountered it. But who is a religious Sister? She is one who hears our Lord’s call to “Come, follow me!” and answers with the resounding confidence of Mary’s Fiat! She is exactly what our world needs: a light in the darkness, a soul dedicated completely to loving and serving God and her neighbor.
In this new volume, And Mary’s Yes Continues Afresh, the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist present a treasure-trove of education and inspiration for young women, parents, priests, and educators alike. You’ll learn what religious life is all about; hear the inspiring vocation stories of women from all walks of life and many different nationalities; and discover—perhaps for the first time—the incredible gift of the consecrated life. You might even hear the Lord’s call in your own heart. Ultimately, you will come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the life-giving vocation of religious Sisters, and their role in our world today.

The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist

Beginning with four foundresses, their community has now grown to over 150 Sisters with an average age of 32. Their Motherhouse is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Their website can be found at sistersofmary.org

Ep 3 – Responding to the Call – And Mary’s ‘Yes’ Continues Afresh w/ Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:01 — 20.7MB) | Embed

Episode 3 of 4 of And Mary’s ‘Yes’ Continues Afresh with Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz one of the founders and the vocation director of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist

Join Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz and Kris McGregor as they discuss:

1. Responding to the Call
2. How is God Present?
3. The Need for More Teachers
4. Give God Permission
5. Letting Go of the Baggage

Visit here to pick up a copy of the book

From the book description:

Our world is constantly changing and each generation faces new challenges of faith and identity. In this increasingly post-Christian, radically secular culture, the vocation of a consecrated religious might appear outdated or, perhaps, wasteful. Even within the Church, the vocation of a Bride of Christ is a mystery to many who have never encountered it. But who is a religious Sister? She is one who hears our Lord’s call to “Come, follow me!” and answers with the resounding confidence of Mary’s Fiat! She is exactly what our world needs: a light in the darkness, a soul dedicated completely to loving and serving God and her neighbor.
In this new volume, And Mary’s Yes Continues Afresh, the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist present a treasure-trove of education and inspiration for young women, parents, priests, and educators alike. You’ll learn what religious life is all about; hear the inspiring vocation stories of women from all walks of life and many different nationalities; and discover—perhaps for the first time—the incredible gift of the consecrated life. You might even hear the Lord’s call in your own heart. Ultimately, you will come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the life-giving vocation of religious Sisters, and their role in our world today.

The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist

Beginning with four foundresses, their community has now grown to over 150 Sisters with an average age of 32. Their Motherhouse is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Their website can be found at sistersofmary.org

Ep 4 – The Maternal Heart – And Mary’s ‘Yes’ Continues Afresh w/ Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz – Discerning Hearts Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:34 — 21.8MB) | Embed

Episode 4 of 4 of And Mary’s ‘Yes’ Continues Afresh with Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz one of the founders and the vocation director of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist

Join Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz and Kris McGregor as they discuss:

1. The Maternal Heart
2. Something More
3. God Is No Stranger to Suffering
4. Have A Quiet Place
5. The Struggle is Our Holiness

Visit here to pick up a copy of the book

From the book description:

Our world is constantly changing and each generation faces new challenges of faith and identity. In this increasingly post-Christian, radically secular culture, the vocation of a consecrated religious might appear outdated or, perhaps, wasteful. Even within the Church, the vocation of a Bride of Christ is a mystery to many who have never encountered it. But who is a religious Sister? She is one who hears our Lord’s call to “Come, follow me!” and answers with the resounding confidence of Mary’s Fiat! She is exactly what our world needs: a light in the darkness, a soul dedicated completely to loving and serving God and her neighbor.
In this new volume, And Mary’s Yes Continues Afresh, the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist present a treasure-trove of education and inspiration for young women, parents, priests, and educators alike. You’ll learn what religious life is all about; hear the inspiring vocation stories of women from all walks of life and many different nationalities; and discover—perhaps for the first time—the incredible gift of the consecrated life. You might even hear the Lord’s call in your own heart. Ultimately, you will come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the life-giving vocation of religious Sisters, and their role in our world today.

The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist

Beginning with four foundresses, their community has now grown to over 150 Sisters with an average age of 32. Their Motherhouse is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Their website can be found at sistersofmary.org

Mary’s Fiat and the Gift of Vocation

A thread running through the entire series is Mary’s response to God.

Her fiat becomes a way of understanding vocation itself. God calls, the heart listens, and a person gradually learns to entrust herself to what He is asking. In consecrated religious life, that response takes the particular form of belonging completely to Christ and allowing that relationship to become fruitful for the life of the Church.

Sr. Joseph Andrew’s reflections also speak beyond those discerning religious life. The call to make a gift of oneself belongs to every Christian vocation. Prayer, receptivity, community, spiritual motherhood, teaching, sacrifice, and faithful presence become places where each person can respond to God’s grace.

Explore Dominican Spirituality on Discerning Hearts

Sr. Joseph Andrew’s witness belongs within the larger Dominican tradition represented throughout Discerning Hearts through St. Dominic, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Thomas Aquinas, Fr. Thomas McDermott, O.P., Sr. Mary Ann Fatula, O.P., and other Dominican teachers and spiritual resources.

➜ Explore Dominican Spirituality and Prayer on Discerning Hearts