ISSUE 2 • VOLUME 4 • WINTER 2015 TheThe St.St. DominicDominic VillageVillage FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS VoiceVoice St. Dominic Village Rehabilitation and Nursing Center • The Assisted Living at St. Dominic Village • The Independent Living at St. Dominic Village • Angel House • Pope Saint John XXIII Priest Residence I encourage everyone to get involved this year. Whether Message from through volunteering with our residents, becoming involved with our Committees and Board, or attending one or more of our many Amy... fundraising events, each individual can make an impact here at St. Dominic Village. My door is always open tand I would love the appy New Year everyone! opportunity to discuss ways for everyone to find their niche here. HI hope that the holidays and the end of 2014, brought everyone Amy Shields, LNHA a great deal of peace, renewal Chief Executive Officer and happiness with family and friends! Thank you again to everyone who came out and supported our residents during their many Christmas events! It is such a joy to see how happy our residents are when Letter from Chairman they are surrounding by people who care about them. Mr. Frank Rizzo I think a new year is always an exciting time! A fresh start, but also a time to reflect upon the past! That is no different here at St. Dominic Village! 2015, will Greetings, be our 40th Anniversary. In this newsletter you will read about our rich history. We are so proud of the od bless you all as we enter a very exciting year at St. Dominic four decades that we have been able to serve seniors GVillage. While 2014 was a year filled with many success stories in our community. Over the last 40 years we have for us, it was also an interesting year as we transitioned from our been able to expand our services to meet the needs former CEO, to new management under our current CEO Amy of a broader spectrum of seniors, from Independent Shields. It was a year that forced us all to take a deep breath as the Living to the Rehabilitation/Healthcare Center. We Board of Directors re-focused and re-committed to strategic goals. are so proud of the spectrum of services we are able to It was also a year that saw some very hard work from Staff, as St. offer our community. Spiritual, healthcare and social Dominic Village gained a 4 star rating; transforming it into one of the programs truly set us apart from our competitors and premier retirement communities in the Houston area. So it comes as are what make this campus to special to so many of no surprise for me to say with all confidence, that in 2015 we will only us. build on that success. St. Dominic Village is a Catholic community that provides In moving forward to the next 40 years, my hope a continuum of quality care with dignity and the compassion of is thart we remain true to our mission of serving Christ. This is our mission and this is what the future holds for our seniors with the compassion of Christ. I am also community, a continuation of quality care as we work toward our looking forward to making some cosmetic changes goals for 2015. Quality is what sets St. Dominic Village apart from our to our campus and facilities. These changes will be competitors and that quality goes beyond just care givers. From top to gradual, but hopefully will make a huge difference bottom, quality is something all staff members at St. Dominic Village to the residents that currently call this home, and for strive for, and we see it evident not only throughout each department, those we are yet to serve. but from our volunteers and consultants as well. Continued on page 2 CONT. FROM PAGE 1 Of course none of this would be possible without the efforts of the St. Dominic Village to Celebrate people who work at St. Dominic Village. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I 40th Anniversary By Lisa May, Director of Archives & Records would like to say thank you to all of our Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston employees, the fruits of your labors are evident in the smiles on the faces of our t. Dominic Village may be preparing Diocese are not isolated or moved to residents. Your efforts have not gone un- Sto celebrate its 40th anniversary, but rooms to live out their days in loneliness, noticed and we are all very proud of your its roots go back to the start of the 20th our Bishop decided to use the 17 acre accomplishments. century. In 1906, the Dominican Sisters campus to be purchased as a total Diocesan I’d also like to say a special thank you opened St. Agnes Academy on the outskirts Center, combining facilities and activities to our donors and supporters, without of downtown Houston, and they also bought for the young, for the deaf, for the aged you, our mission would be a tremendous property along Almeda Road. Twenty - in short, for everyone in the Diocese.” struggle. Because of your kindness we are years later, the Dominicans moved their As a first step in that process, the able to accomplish something very unique motherhouse from its former college at St. Dominic Village. We are glad you original site in Galveston dormitories, Rosary share our vision of providing quality care to the Almeda property. and Siena Halls, were and appreciate all the support you have Two decades after that, renovated. In August given us. We look forward to a continued in September of 1945, of 1975, they opened relationship as we move forward and from the Sisters received a as an independent- our heart to yours, you are truly special. charter to open Sacred living facility, under Heart Dominican the direction of an Finally, to our residents; thank you College, a liberal arts “administrator of for allowing us to serve you here at St. college for women. housing & programs Dominic Village. As we move into 2015, With the University of for the elderly.” Plans keep in mind that we are in this together St. Thomas, it was one were also made for and are looking forward to the opportunity of only two Catholic a $1 million nursing to make you even more satisfied this year colleges in the Diocese. home, “to provide than you were last year. You are what In 1974, facing complete, long- drives our passion and we are committed declining enrollments and a large debt, term care for 100 persons.” to giving you the best care possible. the Dominican Sisters made the difficult Bishop Morkovsky and what was then Thank you for reading this message.W decision to close the college at the end of the Senate of Priests (now the Presbyteral St. Dominic Village will be striding the next academic year. The official date of Council) also had in mind the needs of forward this year and we are happy you closing was May 11, 1975. In January of that retired priests in the Diocese. In May of have taken the time to get involved in year, Bishop John Morkovsky announced a 1977, Msgr. Joseph Fiorenza, then the our mission. From that perspective I am three-year campaign to raise $3.5 million, Chancellor of the Diocese, announced reminded of the New Testament verse in “to purchase Dominican College and on behalf of the Bishop that a committee James 2:14, “What good is it, my brothers convert it into a Diocesan Center with would be formed “to continue to study the and sisters, if you say you have faith but emphasis on the Home for the Aged.” As feasibility of a retirement home for priests.” do not have works? Can faith save you?” part of the campaign, a film was produced Two years later, on December 1, 1979, Whether you are an employee, resident, to be shown in parishes, with the ambitious Bishop Morkovsky broke ground for the volunteer, or donor, being involved is really goal of reaching facility on the the only way St. Dominic Village will everyone in the St. Dominic stride forward; so please, stay connected Diocese. Sadly, Center and get involved, we would hate for you no copy of this grounds. It to miss an opportunity to be a part of film seems to would include something great. have survived. rooms for eight Bishop residents, Respectfully, Morkovsky had as well as Frank Rizzo for many years communal Chairman of the Board of Directors been concerned areas and a St. Dominic Village about affordable small chapel. housing for Construction Top: The groundbreaking for the retirement the elderly, moved center was Dec. 1, 1979. Shown are Msgr. Dexter especially quickly and George, Jack Earthman (architect) and Bishop those on a fixed income. But he the building was completed in July of John Morkovsky. had more than just shelter in mind. the next year. The summer of 1980 also Bottom: Construction of the Nursing Home, As the campaign materials stated, brought the completion of St. Dominic February of 1981 “To make certain that the aged of this Nursing Home, a 120-bed facility. 2 ∙ St. Dominic Village | January 2015 By Lisa May, Director of Archives & Records Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston The next year of 1981 would bring In 1999, the Diocese made the decision Corps is to promote the Village around the several milestones. Both the nursing to merge its elder-care facilities, St. Dominic Archdiocese. One of the major fundraising home and the priests’ residence, named for Nursing Home, St.