Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Dominicans are itinerant.   When I heard this the first time as a lay woman considering forming a relationship with the Dominicans of Sinsinawa, I was a little disconcerted.    By nature I am a little shy, and I had had a job at one time as an internal auditor which required travel every week.   I really liked the stability of my life in Bloomington IL.   However, the draw to the Dominicans of Sinsinawa was too great to let my fear stand in the way. During the past 8 years since I tossed my hat in the ring with the Dominican women, I have lived in communities in San Antonio TX, Spokane WA, St. Louis MO, Dubuque IA, and Cuba City WI.   In each experience I have seen a different face of God, and my life has been truly enriched. On August 12 I moved again.   My hat now hangs again in the state of Illinois.   Embarking on new ministries, another Dominican sister and I formed a new community.   We are settling into getting our everyday lives...

As Dominican women, we live by four pillars or life foundations - prayer, community, ministry, and study.  Our study happens in many ways.  There is formal study, which takes place in the classroom or lecture hall.  Keeping up-to-date by paying close attention to the signs of the times is another way we study.  Sometimes, our study is joined to another pillar.  For a number of years, the Dominican women of Sinsinawa have practiced communal contemplation at our gatherings.  This contemplation required preparation or study so we could each begin our endeavors to listen to God and each other.    I am proposing that our study also includes trying new things. Maybe it is gardening or line dancing or trying a new sport.   This "trying" may or may not require a trip to the library or a search on Google.  This past month, I visited our camp, Camp We-Ha-Kee (see the cool website -  www.wehakeecampforgirls.com ).  I tri...