What's the Novitiate Like?
Last Fall I
moved to St. Louis to complete part of my Canonical Novitiate year and amazingly,
my ten month stay is coming to a close this week. I have been immersed in
Dominican Spirituality and Life. I learned from amazing presenters (Ron
Rolheiser, Tony Gittens, and Addie Lorraine Walker to name a few) with a number
of men and women novices with whom I shared my questions and insights. Within
my local community, I shared the journey with two women also entering the
Dominican Family and two seasoned Dominicans guiding us on our way.
From stories
I heard, I gathered the novitiate would be a time unlike any other. Well, it
has been. I have grown in my understanding of community and how it can be both
joy-filled and difficult in the same day. I was shown behaviors and ideas from
my childhood that don’t serve me any more. I better appreciate prolonged
silence and days away to reflect and re-ground. I made connections with more
Dominican Sisters and Brothers than I can count and we wrestled together about
what it means to be family to one another.
I also learned that I am Dominican deep down and that I have a deep and
profound love for God and for the Dominicans of Sinsinawa, WI.
There is no
telling of where God is leading me next, but it promises to be an adventure and
I’m sure this year of blessings has prepared me well.
Sr. Krissie
Koll
St. Louis,
Missouri
Comments
Post a Comment