Welcome to the McGreal Center
“Stories of the Dominican Order keep us ‘together’ as Dominicans. Without a record we would be void of remembrances of the past, we would not find our own place in the present and remain without hope of expectations of the future.” Edward Schillebeeckx, OP, scholar and theologian
The Mary Nona McGreal, OP Center for Dominican Historical Studies aspires to be faithful to Edward Schillebeeckx’s wise counsel. The McGreal Center is a place bursting with records from the past, living in the present with its vibrant staff and planning for the future of the Dominican family through research and writing. The McGreal Center serves as a place for family reunion, a center designed to preserve, organize and tell all those stories that keep our Dominican family together.
The mission of the center is to organize and preserve materials that document the significance of the U.S. Dominican family in the life of the Order of Preachers, the Church and our nation. Since 1786 Dominican nuns, friars, laity and sisters contribute to the growth of the Church as well as the educational, health and social welfare of the United States. One Dominican University student described the center as “a rich resource that holds the powerful, historic and religious contributions of the Dominican family to American society.” Our vision for the McGreal Center is to become the National Research Center for the study of the history of the Dominican family in the United States.
It is a privilege for the McGreal Center to be part of Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois. Since 2006, the university continues to support and encourage the mission of the McGreal Center. The McGreal is the only Dominican study center in the United States dedicated to the research and writing of the history of the Dominican family in the United States.
As you navigate our website, we hope that you enjoy meeting team McGreal and learning more about the legacy of Mary Nona McGreal, OP. May your virtual visit persuade you to visit us in person!