What started as a viral TikTok video from the Dominican Sisters Open Mic podcast — a clip sharing ultimate frisbee stories that even Elon Musk’s daughter Vivian Wilson commented she was “lowkey obsessed” with — has put the Michigan-based Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, in the secular spotlight continuously in recent months.
In late March, podcast host Sister Miriam Holzman and Sister John Dominic Rasmussen were featured in the New York Times. April 2 both were interviewed on NBC’s Today and just this week Sister Miriam was interviewed by Australian Morning Show Sunrise.
The Times acknowledges the novelty of what the Sisters are doing in a world where so many are vying for a platform. It also notes the Catholic Church’s attentiveness to media formats through initiatives like World Communications Day, observed since 1967.
“Viral nuns inspiring a new generation,” NBC summarized in their video coverage. But this isn’t new territory for the teaching sisters, or for OpenLight Media, just one of numerous educational apostolates of the order.
This group of Dominicans was canonically established by Cardinal John O’Connor in the Archdiocese of New York in 1997, with Sister John Dominic among the four founding members. According to OpenLight Media, the community was founded in response to Pope St. John Paul II's call for a new evangelization as well as the renewal of religious life in the United States. Judging by the media storm, as they near their 30-year anniversary, the nuns are earning top marks in both endeavors.
“Since the inception of the Dominican community, the Sisters have been open to participating in other forms of evangelization and catechesis,” OpenLight Media’s Director of Marketing Paul Dailey shared. “Under the direction of Sr. John Dominic, O.P., Openlight Media (formerly called Lumen Ecclesiae Digital and Press) was launched as a natural extension of the Sisters’ teaching and preaching charism — stepping into the largest classroom in the world: the internet.”
Dailey added, “The Sisters have joyfully engaged in a variety of media outlets, from being guests on the Oprah Winfrey Show to EWTN. They have produced four music albums, which have been widely acclaimed and reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Classical Traditional Chart.”
But it's the sisters' detachment from this “success” that was highlighted in the NYT piece and reiterated in an interview for Aleteia. “One of the beautiful things about the Dominican charism,” Sister John Dominic commented, “is that we contemplate and give to others the fruits of our contemplation. Behind the scenes of our ‘company’ is a religious community that’s praying for the work we do in the apostolate and how we can reach souls.”
She sees this work as following in the footsteps of St. Dominic, father-founder of the Order of Preachers and the communities that have been founded in his spirituality. He “was not afraid to go out there into the streets.” Seeing the internet as the new public square, “we’re not afraid” of getting noticed and having the platform expand.
Commenting on the 1 million-plus views of videos on their TikTok account, Sister Miriam couldn’t believe it was the ultimate Frisbee clip that went viral. “We’re not even on it,” she confirmed, “so we have no idea. I just knew because Paul told us … I’m blessed I don’t have to worry about what they’re posting … I just show up, do the podcast, then I pray and entrust it to the Lord.”
Both sisters acknowledged that what’s behind the enormous interest is what seems like a “normal moment.” The laughter and banter of the two sisters' podcast conversation resonated with people because of its relatability.
Sister John Dominic was impressed by the insightful questions asked by NBC’s Anne Thompson and the connection she made between interest in the Dominican Sisters on social media and the surge in conversions to Catholicism this Easter. Sister John Dominic admitted she hadn’t even thought about that, but has now asked, “What is the dynamic? What is it that’s resonating with people?” She redirected to Sister Miriam, whose mother shared an interesting observation.
“You don’t typically have a podcast where the people [talking] actually have deep friendships with each other,” Sister Miriam related. Of all the guests typically on a show, interviewing close friends is less common.
“For us, we live together … and the listener can kind of enter into that friendship and understand the goodness” of that. The women Sister Miriam is conversing with are Sisters she has known for 20 years. “We have memories together. He have jokes together. We have struggled with things together … I know that Sister’s goodness … I have been inspired by her and want that to be shared and known … so listeners are entering into the friendship that’s there."
“And I hope that they can be inspired by the Sister the way that I have.”
The Sisters also agreed that most people are so busy it’s hard to find time for this kind of friendship and meaningful conversation.
Sister John Dominic noted the neuroscience behind virtue and secure attachments. “We know that the brain is a social organ and it develops in relationship … and living in this virtual world can interfere with that.” She hopes that their podcast can be a way to give people courage to step out and call a friend for coffee … that they can begin to have that same experience.”
Answering a question about healthy use of media, even the great Catholic media like OpenLight Media, offers, Sister John Dominic said, “You always have to lean into that virtue of temperance, which is a moderation. That’s the beautiful thing about temperance — it’s the moderation of goods … Sometimes we think it’s about all the bad things,” but it’s often more about discerning among goods.
As a content creator, she said OpenLight “is always trying to have an eye to where there may be a gap, where we can meet people where they are, and not try to be someone we’re not.” Flowing from their teaching charism, they focus a lot on virtue education drawing from the teachings of another Dominican, St. Thomas Aquinas.
For her part, often preaching and encouraging decreased media use, Sister Miriam said, “And here I am, on TikTok. But the thing is, for the people who are on TikTok, I want our Lord to reach them and for them to be hearing his voice through that. Who knows what’s coming to them on their feed.”
She said they often get comments that users aren’t even sure how OpenLight Media’s content is showing up on their “For You” page. “The Lord is reaching out to them.”
And yet, Sister Miriam asserted, “Another thing to keep in mind is that our TikTok is not meant to be the end for that person. Like, they’re following us on TikTok so they’re where they need to be."
It’s meant to be “a stepping stone.” She hopes that encountering the Sisters — and any other solid faithful content — leads them to re-encounter Jesus by turning more to prayer, thinking differently about Scripture and Catholicism, going back to Church … "And if eventually they move on from our TikTok, then that’s fine. I mean, they need to move toward God and towards relationship with him.”
One of the things Sister John Dominic said has been intentional from the beginning of OpenLight Media is to offer digital and print content pairings.
“We are body-soul” composites, she said. “We’re made for wholeness and we need to make sure that we’re cognizant of and engage with that.” Referencing her noted neuroscience studies, “We are wonderfully made by God … we need to educate people in what makes us become fully alive.”
OpenLight Media’s content can be found on any social media platform and on the Torch app. Learn more at openlightmedia.com and sistersofmary.org.
