Donor Grace Napolitan Inherited Her Connection to the Adrian Dominican Sisters
Many of you, our donors, have blessed the Adrian Dominican Sisters with a lifelong connection to the Congregation. Grace Napolitan, however, has been connected to the Sisters since before her birth. Her mother, Theresa Urban (Sister Mary Theresita), entered the Congregation on August 2, 1932 and left the Congregation because of health issues in July 1935 before making her Final Profession. Grace said her mother's time in the Congregation "was an experience that left a lasting impression on herself, her husband, and her six children."
The Napolitan family lived in Port Huron, Michigan, and was involved in St. Joseph Parish and School. "I had eight years of training by the Adrian Dominicans," Grace said. "St. Joseph in Port Huron was true North for us."
Grace said her mother and the Sisters had a huge impact on her faith life. "While faith is a gift, it has to be nourished," she said. "I see the Adrian Dominican Sisters as wonderful teachers to the core. But beyond that, I remember ... that they were fun to be around and they had fun with us."
Her experience with the Sisters led Grace to follow in the footsteps of her sister, Sister Mary Therese Napolitan, OP. But while Sister Mary Therese remained, Grace formally left the Congregation after 10 years. Still, she said, "What I experienced in those 10 years will always be a part of me. It's the foundation of how I think and what I value and how I live. It was a tremendous impact."
Grace attended law school in Texas and went on to work for a manufacturing firm there in 1971. Her work involved a combination of human resources and communication. "I remember walking into the plant the first day with 1,000 employees and seeing a water fountain that said, 'For whites only,'" she recalled. "I charged into my boss's office and told him that sign had to come down today." Her boss agreed, but told her it couldn't happen that day. "You're going to help us take it down," he told her.
A close-knit family, the Napolitans are scattered around the country but get together as often as they can. Grace stays connected to the Adrian Dominican Sisters through Sister Mary Therese; through the Congregation's publications; and through friends such as Sister Kathleen Schanz, OP.
Grace also stays connected as a dedicated and faithful donor. "What I've learned as an Adrian Dominican is just the foundation for everything in my life," she said. "It's wonderful to be in a position that I can support the Congregation, financially as well as through my actions in a very small way. For me it's a debt I owe Adrian that can't be repaid, but it's not something that's burdensome. It's basically a wonderful reminder to be grateful for the blessings I've been given and a nudge to keep paying it forward."
