Join us as we celebrate the Center at Mariandale in its 50th year! For decades, Mariandale has been a gathering place for those seeking to connect with the Divine, themselves, and with the beauty of nature. Thousands of people have passed through our halls on retreats of many kinds: health and wellness, interfaith discussions, Catholic spirituality, Indigenous Wisdom, women's retreats, silent retreats and more. Mariandale has been a welcome source of nourishment for many who often feel they exist at the margins of church and society.

Through this series, we will lift up the great work that the Dominican Sisters of Hope and their co-workers have done here at Mariandale since its founding. The series sessions will take place on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 6:30 to 8pm, and each session will include prayer, sharing stories about Mariandale, a guest speaker, then Q&A. You are welcome to journey with us through the full series, or to attend a single talk. Our series and per session fees reflect a sliding scale at 3 levels for each: Supporting, Sustaining, and Scholarship levels.

Session Dates:

Distinguished Professor of Theology at Fordham University, Elizabeth Johnson grew up in Brooklyn, New York, the oldest of seven children in a sprawling Catholic family that included beloved cats and dogs. After receiving a PhD in theology from Catholic University of America (1981), she taught at that university for ten years before moving to Fordham University where she teaches in both graduate and undergraduate programs. Professor, mentor, writer, editor, and public lecturer at home and abroad, she is a former president of the Catholic Theological Society of America, the oldest and largest society of theologians in the world, and a former president of the American Theological Society, an ecumenical association. Her book She Who Is garnered several honors, most notably the Grawemeyer Award in Religion. After her retirement, Dr. Johnson was inducted into Fordham University’s Hall of Honor.

Click here to register for Creation Spirituality Session Only, scroll down to register for Full Series.

Dr. Phyllis Zagano is Senior Research Associate-in-Residence and Adjunct Professor of Religion at Hofstra University. She has also taught at Fordham, Boston, and Yale Uiversity. Her groundbreaking study, Holy Saturday: An Argument for the Restoration of the Female Diaconate in the Catholic Church (Crossroad, 2000), won both Catholic Press Association and College Theology Society Annual Book Awards. Her many awards also include the 2014 Isaac Hecker Award for Social Justice from The Paulist Center Community in Boston. Dr. Zagano’s most recent book, The Vatican and Women Deacons (Orbis Books, 2026) traces the discussion about ordaining women as deacons through six Vatican commissions, from 1973 to the present. Her scholarship on women in the diaconate led to her appointment by Pope Francis to the Pontifical Commission for the Study of the Diaconate of Women in 2016.

Click here to register for Women in the Church Session Only, scroll down to register for Full Series.

Sister Xiomara (See-o-mara), an Adrian Dominican Sister and is the Executive Director of Dominican Sisters Conference – DSC. Previously, she ministered for 11 years as a Hospital Chaplain, more recently at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, FL where she was the Spiritual Care Manager. She has had diverse ministerial experiences in the areas of preaching, catechesis, directing retreats, Spanish-English Medical interpreting, liturgical dancing, and a high fashion teacher. She has a great passion for creating ambiances and rituals to foster deep prayerful experiences. Sister Xiomara holds a Master’s Degree in Pastoral Studies from Catholic Theological Union – CTU in Chicago and is a Board Certified Chaplain with the National Association of Catholic Chaplains – NACC. For more than 20 years, she has had the opportunity to preach in both Spanish and English. Before she became a religious sister, she was a fashion designer in her native country, the Dominican Republic. She currently lives in Miami, Florida.

Click here to register for Preaching Justice Session Only, scroll down to register for Full Series.

Ann M. Garrido, DMin is associate professor of homiletics at Aquinas Institute of Theology and a consultant with Triad Consulting Group, a conflict mediation and communications team. After four years receiving her Master’s of Divinity and Doctorate of Ministry in Preaching at Aquinas Institute of Theology, Ann joined the Institute’s faculty in 2000.Over the past two and a half decades she has taught a range of courses in pastoral theology, homiletics, and catechetics while also serving in a variety of administrative positions including Director of Field Education, Director of the Aquinas Ministry Integration Project, Director of the Doctorate of Ministry program, and Director of the Masters in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She currently directs the institute's "Aquinas Children's Worship Partnership" grant. Author of 10 books and many articles, Ann has visited all 50 states and 20 countries, having spoken at over 300 diocesan, educational, health care, ministry, and business gatherings.

Click here to register for Living Truth Session Only, scroll down to register for Full Series.

Future Dates and Speakers in the Spring TBA!