Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

This weekend, via stretch internet, (Yeah and  thanks to Tricia!) I and many others, were able to join our sisters at the Mound  to watch the wake and funeral of Toni Callahan. Toni was one of a growing number of our US sisters who have visited with us here in Trinidad.  Toni stayed a while longer than most others though.   She came to assist with sister formation. As I reflected on my own interaction with Toni I remember her genuine smile, her look of pure delight at seeing me and her childlike appreciation for the simple things of life.   And as I listened to those who knew her, share their memories of her,  I heard many speak about Toni's compassion for the 'other.'  For Toni in fact, there was no 'other.'   She saw everyone as beloved creatures of God.  I was moved to tears by the way this gentle delicate soul had touched the lives of so many, giving them a reason to be and to do.   As Dominicans...

This month I traveled to Memphis, TN, to attend a special ceremony honoring Sister Janet Delperdang, OP, and others of the Memphis diocese who have served the People of God faithfully and well.   What a joy it was to gather with our sisters from KY, TN and MS to celebrate Janet’s 14 years of service in Tennessee.   While in Memphis I also visited the National Civil Rights Museum at the site of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination.   King gave his life for the cause of justice. One of our Sinsinawa Direction Statements for 2011-2016 is to “Speak courageously and risk for justice.”   How can we do that in our day-to-day lives?   Every time we refuse to laugh at a racist joke, or educate ourselves on the real issues confronting us, or do anything that treats another person with the dignity that they deserve, we “risk for justice.”   Today we honor Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican and great seeker of truth.   Today also my community viewe...