Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

There are many forms of commitment and promises people make.  For Dominicans, we make (or take) Vows – first, Temporary Profession and finally, Perpetual Vows/Profession – unto death. Since the beginning of the Order of Preachers in 1206 there has been a lay branch that also takes Vows.  They have been referred to as Tertiaries, Third Order and now – Dominican Laity – who also are given the letters O.P. when they make their Profession. Recently, a young man (Joseph in the center of the picture) who comes for Spiritual Direction took the first step – temporary vows for three years – to become Dominican Laity.  He gives much energy and creativity considering how to encourage his generation to be engaged in the life and mission of the Church.  He hopes that his Dominican commitment will be a way to do this. This July, his First Vows were celebrated at the closing Mass for our annual Young Adults Retreat at which he was part of the retreat ...

We live in a postmodern world where we often hear the lament of people claiming to be “spiritual, but not religious.”  I have often asked myself what they mean by this.  I now understand that this may mean that they probably believe in a supreme being, but they do not believe in institutional religion or they have been disappointed, hurt or embarrassed by a particular institutional religion. To say that I have been disappointed, hurt or embarrassed by institutional religion would be an understatement.  I have felt all these things and more at various occasions in my life, both before and after I entered religious life.  What makes me remain part of institutional religion and not choose something else is because I believe in a Trinitarian God, which is to say I believe in a relational God.  I also believe in a God who sent God’s Son for sinners and a church that is made up of sinners. As Sinsinawa Dominicans we believe, “At the heart of minist...