Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

Before entering religious life, the word “jubilee” was not part of my customary, every-day language. Anniversary, yes, but not jubilee. We have 39 Sinsinawa Dominicans celebrating Jubilees this year of 50, 60, 70, 75 and 80 years of vowed life. Three Jubilarians live in our Twin Cities (MN) area. Jubilees are celebrated annually at our motherhouse. Some sisters, however, also choose to celebrate their jubilee in the geographic area in which they live and minister. I attended such a celebration last weekend. One of our 50 th year Jubilarians currently ministers at a local parish in the Twin Cities, where there has been almost 140 years of ministry by the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation . (An amazing historical fact, don’t you think?) An estimated 500 people gathered to celebrate with her. Our dinner meal included Mexican and Midwestern USA cuisine, complimented by a mariachi band, and a variety of music and theater performances by the kids afterwards. I left the ...

Living a Gospel centered life as a Dominican sister I find myself working with women and men struggling to integrate into the community by learning English and then passing a civics test to become a US citizen. I am honored to accompany them as they struggle to learn new vocabulary and a new history.  Martha told me in English class she wants to learn enough to start her own daycare; I am so proud of her. She is married and not able to bear children so she wants a daycare to care for the children of others. This is her dream, a goal, she plans to realize and she has taken progressive steps toward this. What are your dreams and plans to reach your dream? My dream is to be a faithful companion and help to empower women and men to meet their goals of integration into US society. Regular prayer sustains me in this ministry. Kathy Long, OP Waukegan, IL