Catherine's Cafe Vocation Blog

“Do you have to cut off all your hair?” “Can we still hang out?” “Will you be able to go visit your parents?” “Can you keep your Facebook profile?” “Will you be allowed to host parties?” These are some of the questions I have been asked since I announced my decision to begin candidacy with the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters.   For the record – no, I don’t have to cut off all my hair, and yes to the other questions listed above!   As apostolic women religious we don’t seek to leave the world but to be salt and light in it.   Entering religious life is a significant step which shifts my priorities, but it does not mean leaving behind who I am or leaving behind people I value.   My relationship with God (nourished through communal and personal prayer) and my relationship with my sisters in community are of vital and fundamental importance.   Yet my relationships with family, friends, and colleagues outside the congregation remain strong.   ...

The primary way that I’ve been getting around and becoming familiar with Denver is by riding my bicycle.  This city is an ideal home for bikers, too—between the bike-friendly public transit, the abundant bike lanes and the extensive trail system you can pretty much get anywhere. I’ve found that biking these trails provides some of the best space for contemplative time and personal reflection.    It recently dawned on me that there are some similarities between those exploratory rides and the journey that has been my discernment of religious life.  The trail infrastructure in and around Denver is excellent—it’s well-planned and carefully thought-out and clearly took years to develop.  Similarly, the discernment process that I’ve experienced with the Sinsinawa Dominicans has been solidly founded, well-developed and thoughtfully designed over time. My first time on a trail, there are often mysterious forks where the signage at a given juncture is confusing...