Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Did you catch these two shows in the last couple of weeks?   They both featured interviews with Catholic women – The Daily Show had a moral theologian and law professor from Notre Dame, Cathleen Kevany, and Stephen Colbert interviewed House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, on Ash Wednesday. It’s a political season and so Jon Stewart’s interest had been picqued by several controversial topics related to religious issues brought up by a Catholic Republican candidate.   Yet, the conversation was amazingly thoughtful (and also very entertaining J - including when he spoofed the Pope setting up a Twitter account!). I was reminded of how important it is to stay abreast of what others find important, even – or, especially – when they are from a different background or a different generation.    This is a great Lenten practice, to say nothing of an essential practice for anyone who is serious about preaching God’s love for all. Being open to change, to b...

Hi my name is Joan. After many years with the Dominicans and seeing quite a bit of the world, I have been able to be back in Madison Wisconsin, my hometown.  I left to be a Dominican when I was very young, and so getting to know Madison as an adult is eye opening. You might have seen Madison in the news last year when thousands gathered day after day at the capitol to protest changes the new governor was demanding.  People even stayed over night. A couple of weeks ago four of us Dominicans joined a demonstration at the capitol of another kind.  A group called Moses is asking us to spread the word that we have too many people imprisoned in our state, and they are disproportionately poor, mentally ill or people of color.  Our Sister Esther Heffernen an emeritus sociology professor at Edgewood College was invited to be one of the speakers when we gathered in the rotunda. I was so proud of her.  She has been spreading the word about prison reform all of he...