Sister Musician returns to Grand Rapids

Since 1999, Grand Rapids Dominican Sister Joan Thomas has been working as Programs Coordinator at World Library Publications (WLP) in Franklin Park, Illinois. Her job there involved overseeing and assisting composers and artists in keeping track of scheduling and publicizing details for their workshops and concerts.

After eleven years at WLP, Sister Joan will return to Marywood, motherhouse of the Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids. She will be adding her musical talents to the existing congregational liturgical team, Dominican musicians Sister Laurena Alflen and Sister Janet Brown. Sister Joan says, "The timing seems very right for me to move back to Grand Rapids - as does this position at Marywood."

Those of you who were in the Grand Rapids area during the 1960s and 1970s will likely remember a musical group called the Mellow D's. Sister Joan Thomas was part of and directed the group, which was an exciting ministry of music involving the talents of several Dominican Sisters together with some lay women friends.

The Mellow D's loved doing multi-part vocals with instrumental backups of piano, guitars, bass and drums. As a group, they sang and played their way throughout the Grand Rapids area, much of Michigan, Illinois and California.  The group performed for weddings, funerals, anniversaries, weekend liturgies, a variety of organizations, and for many events at Marywood. They also produced an LP record. (Some of you must remember turntables and LPs, right?) Much of the music on the LP was written by Dominican Sister Mary Ann Ferguson.

The Grand Rapids worship community is pleased that Sister Joan will be joining the existing team in continuing to offer well-planned and meaningful liturgical services. She will officially begin her new position in Grand Rapids by Ash Wednesday.  The public is welcome to join the Sunday Assembly at Masses as well as several other worship services. See the Chapel Calendar for specific dates, times and details of services.

by Rosemary Steers, Communications Specialist - Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids