Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

"We will rise!"  Depending on where you stand these words may mean something different to you.  Certainly here in our national context (Trinidad), it was the slogan of the ruling political party as they campaigned during the elections a couple years ago.   As a Catholic Christian this phrase means something quite different. Fresh out of the Easter Season we know that it reminds us of the dying and rising we each must make in our lives from time to time.  Rising out of darkness and despair, sadness and disappointment is difficult.   As Religious Sisters we face this too when...we lose family and community members to death, we suffer illness, sisters decide to leave the community, we experience disappointment in our ministry, with ourselves, in our relationships with each other, with oppressive systems and institutions.  But we don't stay down.  We rise again and the reason we are able to do this is because we are not alone...

Picture this:   a circle of Dominican women all gathered around a fire in western Montana breaking open the Word of God   present in the Clark Fork River rolling by, the songs of many birds surrounding us, many wildflowers blooming.   Once again God’s Spirit birthing Church in our midst.   These are uneasy days for sisters in the Church.   Yet what a gift to come together and renew hope in the vision, service, promise of Gospel living.   There we were, members of the Intermountain Region claiming our place as Pentecost partners with God’s People. Twice each year we come together to share our experience, strength and hope in our common life together.   Each month we log onto our computers and update one another on the happenings, the opportunities, the challenges and the laughs we have had these past weeks.   Some of us Skype with one another regularly. Why all this emphasis on connecting you might ask?   We share a commo...