Prioress / Dominican Life Leader - St. Dominic Villa

Are you a compassionate, relationship-centered leader who finds meaning in accompanying others through all stages of life? The Prioress / Dominican Life Leader serves the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters at St. Dominic Villa through a ministry of presence, servant leadership, and active engagement in community life. This unique leadership role combines pastoral and spiritual care, community building, supervision, and administration while fostering a true sense of home, belonging, and Dominican identity for the Sisters.

Position Summary

The Prioress / Dominican Life Leader provides pastoral, spiritual, community, supervisory, and administrative leadership for the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters residing at St. Dominic Villa. Rooted in the mission, values, and Dominican tradition of the Sinsinawa Dominicans, this position fosters a welcoming, prayerful, and life-giving community where Sisters experience dignity, belonging, spiritual nourishment, compassionate care, and a true sense of home.

This position is an active ministry of presence rather than a primarily office-based role. Success depends on building meaningful relationships with the Sisters, maintaining a visible and engaged presence, and actively participating in the daily life of the community. Through a ministry of presence and servant leadership, the Prioress / Dominican Life Leader accompanies Sisters through all stages of life, including times of vitality, transition, illness, diminishment, dying, and death, while fostering Dominican identity, relationships, community life, and connection to the wider Congregation.

The Prioress / Dominican Life Leader works in partnership with the Sisters, Pastoral Care Team, Chaplain, Director of Health and Wellness, Congregation Leadership, Villa Administration and staff, and others who support the life and well-being of the community. The position directly supervises the Pastoral Care Team and Chaplain and serves as a primary liaison among Sisters, Congregation Leadership and staff, St. Dominic Villa Administration, health and hospice providers, families, Powers of Attorney, and other designated representatives. The role collaborates closely with the Director of Health and Wellness while respecting the distinct responsibilities and expertise of each position.

Because the role is centered on the life and needs of the community, scheduling flexibility is required, including occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays. Participation in the established on-call rotation is also required.

When held by a Sinsinawa Dominican Sister, the individual may be appointed Prioress and exercise responsibilities assigned under the Constitution, Statutes, and other proper law of the Congregation. When held by a lay person, the title Dominican Life Leader is used. Responsibilities reserved by proper law to a vowed member or Prioress remain with the appropriate canonical leader.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Dominican Life, Community, and Pastoral Care

• Foster a welcoming, compassionate, person-centered Dominican community characterized by prayer, dignity, belonging, hospitality, mutual care, and shared responsibility.
• Maintain a visible and engaged presence among Sisters, developing relationships that foster awareness of their individual and communal needs, concerns, gifts, and changing circumstances.
• Promote Dominican identity, spirituality, mission, traditions, and connection to the wider Congregation.
• Encourage participation in prayer, liturgy, community gatherings, recreation, hospitality, outings, and relationship-building activities.
• Accompany Sisters through transition, illness, hospitalization, grief, diminishment, hospice care, dying, and death.
• Advocate for Sisters' dignity, well-being, quality of life, and wishes.
• Serve as a primary contact for Sisters, families, Powers of Attorney, and designated representatives, ensuring appropriate communication regarding significant changes, serious illness, and end-of-life matters.
• Coordinate funerals, vigils, remembering services, and other rituals, and ensure completion of required notifications, documentation, and Congregation procedures following a Sister's death.
• Protect confidential information and ensure proper disposition of records and belongings when appropriate.

Spiritual and Liturgical Leadership

• Foster a vibrant spiritual and sacramental life responsive to the Sisters' abilities, preferences, and needs.
• Supervise, support, and evaluate the Chaplain.
• Collaborate with the Chaplain, Sisters, liturgical leaders, and committees to plan liturgies, retreats, feast days, prayer experiences, and special celebrations.
• Ensure coordination of Masses, prayer services, sacramental opportunities, and liturgical ministries.
• Administer contracts, payments, and reimbursements related to liturgical services and musicians.

Leadership of the Pastoral Care Team

• Supervise, support, evaluate, and develop Pastoral Care Team employees.
• Coordinate staffing schedules, priorities, and services based on community needs.
• Lead regular team meetings and foster strong communication and collaboration.
• Participate in recruitment, hiring, orientation, and personnel processes.
• Ensure staff understand Dominican spirituality, mission, confidentiality requirements, professional boundaries, and expectations for serving vowed religious women.

Sister Transitions and Community Integration

• Coordinate and support Sisters transitioning to St. Dominic Villa.
• Collaborate with Congregation Leadership, Villa Administration, family members, health professionals, and others to ensure thoughtful and dignified transitions.
• Support both new and existing residents in building relationships, belonging, and community.

Health, Wellness, and Care Coordination

• Collaborate closely with the Director of Health and Wellness regarding Sisters' changing health, care, and support needs.
• Participate in care conferences and maintain relationships with hospice and other health care providers.
• Promote person-centered care and facilitate communication among Sisters, families, health professionals, Villa staff, and Congregation personnel.
• Ensure pastoral support complements professional medical, nursing, and mental health care services.

Relationship with St. Dominic Villa Administration

• Serve as a primary Congregation liaison with Villa Administration.
• Participate in meetings regarding community life, care planning, transitions, and operational matters.
• Advocate for Sisters' needs and maintain collaborative, professional relationships with Villa leadership and staff.
• Communicate significant developments, concerns, and accomplishments to Congregation Leadership.

Administration, Stewardship, and Communication

• Participate in development and administration of annual operating and capital budgets.
• Monitor expenditures and complete required financial and administrative reporting.
• Maintain records, vendor information, transportation coordination, and required documentation.
• Protect the confidentiality and security of Sister, employee, financial, and health information.
• Collaborate with Congregation offices and maintain effective communication with Leadership, families, volunteers, employees, and community partners.
• Participate in orientation and education efforts that foster understanding of Dominican life and culture.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

On-Call Responsibilities

• Participate in the established on-call rotation.
• Respond appropriately to urgent pastoral and community needs outside regular working hours.
• Provide guidance during significant health changes, hospitalizations, serious illness, dying, and death.
• Coordinate communications with Congregation Leadership, the Director of Health and Wellness, family members, Powers of Attorney, and other appropriate individuals.
• Assist with the ongoing development and review of on-call procedures.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Commitment to and respect for the mission, values, Dominican tradition, and Catholic identity of the Sinsinawa Dominicans.
• Understanding of Dominican spirituality and community life or the ability to become deeply formed in the Dominican charism.
• Bachelor's degree in theology, pastoral ministry, social work, gerontology, health care administration, organizational leadership, human services, or related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• Significant leadership experience in pastoral ministry, religious life, elder care, social services, health care, community leadership, or a related field.
• Ability to develop trusting relationships with older adults, including those experiencing physical or cognitive decline.
• Strong leadership, supervisory, interpersonal, communication, organizational, and collaborative skills.
• Ability to navigate sensitive situations involving grief, conflict, illness, transition, dying, and death with compassion and sound judgment.
• Commitment to confidentiality, person-centered care, and professional integrity.
• Ability to use standard office technology and meet Congregation driving requirements.

Job Type: Full-time

Work Location: In person