Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

  Today, Sr. Krissie Koll, will be welcomed to the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate (CDN) along with two other Dominican novices, Kelly Biddle from Houston and Chris De Anna from Sparkhill, by Co-Directors Joye Gros, OP from Peace and Megan McElroy, OP from Grand Rapids.   A novice is, as the word implies, a beginner.   The CDN is the place where Dominican novices spend 9 months of their novitiate living in community with one another and the co-directors and learning more about Dominican and religious life.   It’s located in St. Louis, Missouri.   There the novices will have numerous opportunities: study of the vows at Aquinas Institute, exposure to the larger Dominican Family, study of the history of religious life, a Dominican life seminar where she will learn about all things Dominican, living in an inter-congregational community, participating in a weekly intercommunity novitiate program of study, a weekly reflection day, ministry once a week and much mo...

Community life is one of the pillars of our lives as Dominicans.  But when you suddenly find yourself living alone and 900 miles from the closest congregation member, how do you form community?  This is what happened to me a few years ago.  Thanks to e-mail I felt connected to the congregation, but it wasn't the same as having a conversation, a discussion, praying with another person.  Two years ago eight of us who are in similar situations formed a phone community.  At first I was skeptical that we could really become a community.  It did take a few months for us to feel comfortable with this type of communication, partly because most of us didn’t know each other well. However, it works!   Besides, it has been a blessing in my life.  We meet once a month and begin with prayer and then a check-in.  I find out who needs extra support, prayers for a family member, just others to listen.  I no longer feel as isolated, and...